Abstract

Various contemporary artists have explored people’s relationships with the natural world through artworks based on the book format, including artist’s books and book sculptures. This study contributes to the discussion on the ways visual storytelling can work towards re-visualising narratives, making untold stories visible, with specific reference to Book of Play I and Book of Play II (2017) by contemporary South African artist Guy du Toit. The aim of this article is to explore narrative suggestions of stories that remain untold, as felt through the empty spaces between the book covers. I argue that Du Toit’s book sculptures evoke experiences of loss and transience through his representation of the impact of the passage of time and the effects of the elements on the medium of bronze. Building on David Macauley’s environmental philosophy (Elemental Philosophy: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as Environmental Ideas. New York: SUNY Press, 2010), and specifically his suggestion to re-evaluate how to relate to the natural world by viewing ecological considerations as a form of “re-story-ation”, I suggest that Du Toit’s book sculptures offer a starting point for an exploration of our fragile relationship with the natural world.

摘要

许多当代艺术家通过基于书籍形式的艺术作品探索人与自然世界的关系，包括艺术家的书籍和书籍雕塑。这项研究有助于讨论视觉叙事如何重新可视化叙事，使不为人知的故事可见，具体参考游戏书 I和游戏书 II(2017) 由当代南非艺术家 Guy du Toit 创作。这篇文章的目的是探索那些未被讲述的故事的叙事建议，就像通过书籍封面之间的空白所感受到的那样。我认为 Du Toit 的书籍雕塑通过他对时间流逝的影响和元素对青铜媒介的影响的表现来唤起失去和短暂的体验。以 David Macauley 的环境哲学为基础（基本哲学：地球、空气、火和水作为环境理念。纽约：纽约州立大学出版社，2010 年），特别是他建议通过将生态考虑视为一种“重述故事”的形式来重新评估如何与自然世界建立联系，我建议 Du Toit 的书雕塑提供了一个起点点探索我们与自然世界的脆弱关系。