BOOK BENDERS
  No disrespect intended, say artists of their novel hobby

DON LONG / TIMES-DISPATCH Lynda Musante worked a Picasso quote - "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" - into this poetry book. Creating altered books, she says, is a way to give an unused book new life.

Kathy Wasilewski has always dreamed of jet-setting across the country to experience Asian culture.

But the expense of such a trip has always brought her firmly back to reality. Thanks to a growing art form known as altered books, however, Wasilewski is still able to get a taste of the land she one day hopes to visit.

"I might not be able to afford to go there now, but I can live my dream through altered books," she said. "I can still enjoy the images that appeal to me."

An altered book is any book, old or new, that has been transformed into a work of art. With this art form, which is similar to scrapbooking, anything goes. Artists might paste pages together or cut designs into them. Burning pages for a singed appearance is another alternative. Artists choose from paint, stamps, glitter, feathers, buttons and other objects to decorate the cover and inside pages.

To visually feel connected to the Asian culture, Wasilewski recently completed books with an Asian theme. On one page, she attached a tassel and a Chinese coin. She's also fond of vintage pages, relying on clip art and found objects with an antique feel.

"I outgrew scrapbooking, so this continues to fill my creative needs," said Wasilewski, a Chesterfield County resident who used to own a scrapbooking store. "I'm free to create my own things."

While the practice of altering books has been around for years, it is experiencing a surge in popularity. Two years ago, several artists got together to form the International Society of Altered Book Artists. The group, which today has grown to about 300 members, has been working to educate the public about altered books, develop exhibits, build a traveling library of altered books and organize workshops.

"It's a viable art form," said Pam Yee, a Michigan resident who serves as the group's co-president.

"There are no rules with this - I think that is a really big thing that attracts [artists] to it."

In Richmond, the concept of altered books is just beginning to catch on. Only four area residents are members of the international group, but more meet on their own. Some have started round-robin events, creating one page of a book, then sending it along to the next artist to add a page and so on.

"What's so nice about this is, it's an art form for any level," Wasilewski said. "No matter your ability level, it's a great means of self-expression."

While creating an altered book with a game theme, local artist Lori Brofsky glued Spanish bingo cards and checkers to pages inside an old encyclopedia. She's also completed books with an Asian theme, one with the color brown as a theme and others with a vintage theme.

"I've used window screens, washers and hardware," she said. "To me, anything goes as long as it can be glued down."

Every now and then, altered-book artists hear criticism of the practice. Critics argue it is disrespectful to a book and an artist to change the original form. Artists say they would never alter books of value or the Bible.

"We are repurposing books," said Lynda Musante, another local artist. "I know some people are horrified about pasting pages together or the tearing of pages. But if a book is going to sit on a shelf and never be opened again . . . this is a way to give it new life."

Hardcovers make the best altered books, artists say, because their spines are strong. But any size will do, from large nonfiction books to small children's books. Some are designed to sit out on coffee tables as decoration, others are gifts. Musante, for example, recently transformed a sturdy board book into a photo album.

"Creating is a great stress reliever," said Musante, a marketing and product development consultant. "You get in a place where time has no meaning. You get in your own zone and explore."

Musante's work is featured in "Altered Book 103: Little Books, Decos, CDs and More" by Beth Cote. And Wasilewski will soon begin publishing a quarterly magazine about altered books. Information is available online at http://www.thebookartist.com.

"I think this art form has a lot of possibilities," said Meg Greene Malvasi, a local children's book author and altered-book artist. "What a really neat form of expression."

While she appreciates the freedom associated with creating altered books, she would like to see some standards imposed by the international group.

"In order to bend the rules, you have to know what they are," she said. "Freedom is good, but I think it needs to be tempered with the realization that we need some standards."

For now, the anything-goes form of expression continues to inspire her.

"It's a challenging medium for me, and I really enjoy that," Malvasi said. "The possibilities are endless. That is the most satisfying thing"