Natalie McGrorty

Artists’ Books Intern at CFPR

Natalie is currently in her final year of a Drawing and Applied Arts degree, at the University of the West of England (UWE).

On commencing the Drawing and Applied Arts programme, Natalie became involved in artists’ books and in 2009 became the book arts intern at CFPR. In her own practice she enjoys using printmaking techniques, intricate mark-making, paper/laser cutting and stitch and is increasingly making artists’ books for book fairs and exhibitions.

Natalie enjoys the way in which artists’ books allow for the marriage of image and narrative in inventive and often whimsical ways. The attention to detail and careful consideration given to every aspect of the book-works, from the size and format to the materials used, appeals greatly to her sensibilities and to the way she likes to work.

Due to the presence of the Centre for Fine Print Research at UWE, Natalie has been involved in a number of Book Arts projects and conferences organised by Sarah Bodman and Tom Sowden. This has further fuelled her love of this area of work and inspired her to continue in this direction. Natalie feels that this internship is a great opportunity to broaden her knowledge and understanding of this field.

Earlier this year Natalie was awarded a travel grant from the Gane Trust, which she used to fund a summer trip to New York to research artists’ books.

She spent the first part of her trip interning at VSW (Visual Studies Workshop) in Rochester, NY, during their Summer Institute and 2010 Photo-Bookworks Symposium. Whilst interning, she also had the opportunity to assist in archiving their extensive collection of artists’ books in their Independent Press Archive.
Natalie then traveled to New York City to visit a number of other collections and galleries showcasing artists’ books, including the MoMA/Franklin Furnace collection, Brooklyn Museum and Booklyn.

Her report can be viewed at: http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/newsoct10.htm#natalie