NORFOLK MAY SAVIDGE HOME TURNED INTO BOOK SCULPTURE

>May Events / Art & Theatre / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / exhibitions / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk May 21, 2017

Jules Allen’s experimentation model of Ware Hall Paper House. Title: Ware Hall Paper House – an illuminated book art sculpture. Dimensions: width 50cm, height 28cm and depth 18cm. Materials: Pages from the original biography ‘Miss Savidge moves her house’ written by Christine Adams, including book parts, wallpaper, thread, wood and metal (donated by Ware Hall House).

International artists’ book fair turn the page will show for the first time an illuminated sculpture resembling May Savidge’s 15^th century house ‘Ware Hall’, which was moved beam by beam from Hertfordshire to Norfolk in the 70s and 80s.

The 6^th annual event, themed ‘Home’, will exhibit more than 60 artists and printmakers on 26 and 27 May 2017 at The Forum, Norwich, United Kingdom.

Book art sculpture ‘Ware Hall Paper House’ by UK artist Jules Allen is being created as a celebration of the life of the remarkable May Alice Savidge. The piece will be made out of book binding materials and pages from the biography ‘Miss Savidge Moves Her House’ by Christine Adams, who is May’s niece by marriage. During the fair the multi-media sculpture will be accompanied by ‘The Blue Lady’ song, written by Jules and singer Marina Florance. The song title refers to the caravan of the same name, in which Savidge lived whilst she built the house. The caravan made from paper will stand in an overgrown garden alongside the house.

Founder and Director of turn the page, Jules Allen, said: “Ever since I first heard the story of May Savidge in 2013, I’ve been totally intrigued and inspired by it. She must have had such a fighting spirit and an unimaginable determination to undertake the moving and rebuilding of her home piece by piece in Norfolk. The saddest part is that she never lived to see the house completed. But her amazing niece Christine Adams has since dedicated over twenty years of her own life fulfilling May’s dying wish. I’m honoured to have had the privilege to pay homage to these two extraordinary women.

“This year’s turn the page fair is the last one I’m organising before handing over the reins to artist and writer Rosie Sherwood. I believe Rosie will break new ground with the fair as she has lots of fresh, exciting plans for the future development of the event. I’m thrilled that the fair will be staying in Norfolk for 2018 as it has become a very popular annual event for the county.

book fair — ‘Street of Books’ made out of leather and paper, by Anna Yevtukh.

International artist Anna Yevtukh will reveal the fair’s centre piece which is a leather-bound ‘Street of Books’ that represents the artist’s interpretation of the quote ‘There’s no place like home’. In making the unique book sculpture, Yevtukh has explored ideas of belonging, habitation and environment.

German graphic artist Barbara Beisinghoff will also show an installation of her beautiful hand drawn watermarked papers and books at the event.

Ever-growing The Norfolk Longbook – now 14 metres – will also be on display. Turn the page’s organisers started the community art project in 2013 and are aiming to create UK’s longest concertina book handmade by the public by 2018.

Awards

The ttp Graduate Prize Winner 2016 Tim Burrough will be exhibiting new work and the ‘turn the page 2017 Book Prize’ winner will be announced and awarded a cash prize on the last day of the event (27 May 2017).