Bed Spells Bookwork

SOLD OUT

Bad Spells 

The title ‘Bad Spells’ is a reference to the work of the playwrite and theorist Antonin Artaud.The text is an extract from ‘50 ways to assassinate magic’ a group of drawings and a text by Artaud made during his travels in Ireland and subsequent incarceration in 1937/48. Artaud referred to some of his drawings as “spells” these were coded messages that included text and cigarette burns that he send to his friends and enemies as ‘profices’ and ‘warnings’.

I am inspired by the drawings and writings of Antonin Artaud and am also fascinated by how feminists have adopted his theories and re-interpreted his works.

Julia Kristeva describes Artauds writing a

‘an underwater , undermaterial dive where the black, mortal violence of ‘the feminine’ is simultaneously exalted and stigmatised’.

The book doesn’t deal direct response to Artaud but seeks seeks to embrace his spirit .

Bad Spells is part of a larger research project including the recently completed short film Green Head . The 101 page book is in three sections and contains 75 drawings and is available at Aye Aye Books cca and Good Press both Glasgow. http://www.goodpressgallery.co.uk/index.php?/hidden/bad-spells-fiona-robertson/and at bookartbookshop, London  http://www.bookartbookshop.com/docs/about.html