Steven Tonkin
Folds
October 4th – 26th, 2024
In my artistic practice I draw a creative lineage from the radical experiments with the book form that characterised early 20th Century Modernism, specifically Constructivism and Bauhaus graphic design and typography. I also find inspiration in the intersections of geometric abstraction with graphic design, posters, signage and symbols. Folds showcases my abstract bookworks as a coherent thread within my work. These bookworks are realised with a minimum of materials and an economy of means. The title, Folds, refers to my process of making a 3-dimensional bookwork from a single sheet of paper, while the accompanying studies present a visual representation. In my bookworks I explore intertwined themes and tensions between the textual and pictorial, conceptual and material, functional and sculptural, by addressing both art historical and contemporary perspectives. As a curator and writer, I have a specific interest in Conceptual art and artists’ books within the context of global conceptualism from the 1960s to today. Central to my thinking and approach is the ideal and ethics of the ‘democratic multiple’ artist’s book. Steven Tonkin
