My Book House

AN IMMERSIVE COLLAGE ENVIRONMENT by Meg Guttman

EXHIBITION: January 5 – 19, 2024

In “My Book House” the artist MEG GUTTMAN installs a life-size physical manifestation & re-staging of the interior rooms of a doll house (sized) artwork she created years ago. Specifically, “My Book House” is three rooms (two bedrooms and a bathroom) that are modeled on collages and paper constructions that compose the interiors of the dollhouse piece. The original dollhouse will also be on display at the exhibition.

Each room has a focus; the bedrooms’ themes are Sex and Dreams and the bathroom is Water. Every surface (walls, ceiling, floor) is a collage drawn from vintage book illustrations printed on fabric.

Mixing imagery from the worlds of Doll Houses and paper dolls with vintage illustrations from childrens’ books, in the collage traditions of the Da-Daist and Surrealist artists, Meg Guttman’s printed fabric installation will bring these collaged themes, dreams and stories to life-size environments you can walk through and interact with.

Artist’s artwork is for sale. Contact Meg at: ohthisoldthing@sbcglobal.net

Instagram: @MegGuttman

Website: The Visualist

– OPENING RECEPTION :: Jan 5 / 4:00 – 8:00 pm

– CLOSING/ARTISTS TALK :: Jan 19 / 2:00 – 6:00 pm
Meet the Artist & hear her perspectives on the creation
of this immersive environment.

Image: Exterior facade, MY BOOK HOUSE by Meg Gutmann >>
Exhibition photos by Jason Greenberg, Agitator member

Scroll through artwork documentation & installation views below.

Above: THE RED ROOM in MY BOOK HOUSE by Meg Gutmann

MY BOOK HOUSE was created by Chicago-based collage and textile artist Meg Guttman, w/ installation assistance by Luna Rail, Gretchen Hasse, & promotional support by Jason Greenberg, Agitator members.

Excerpts from a review by: Xiao Faria daCunha

“My Book House started as a two-story-plus-an-attic foldable dollhouse constructed using a cardboard frame. The house is made out of vintage books, [and] in the exhibition, the dollhouse faces Agitator’s display window on the front. If you lean close enough, you can peek through into the doll house and take a glimpse of the imaginary realm inside before stepping into the gallery. As time went and the dollhouse traveled with Guttman to different gallery spaces, she began to brew an ambitious idea: what if she brought the dollhouse to life, and you could walk inside the rooms?

The end results were similar to immersive pop-up stages. One is supposed to step into the installation, sit down, and allow themselves to be absorbed by the scenes as they listen to Guttman’s serene voice reads her favorite passages through headphones paired with each room. Only then will they fully experience the magic of visual stimulation and finely crafted texts about love, sex, dream, fluidity, creativity, and self affirmation.

As I sat there looked at the doll suspended in mid air, the room came to life in my mind. Who’s following a mountain path to discover the truth behind ancient myths? Who is sitting under the morning glories, gazing into the skies? The Book Room asked me to slow down and recall the joy of reading: of having a free mind roaming across universes, unbothered by reality….”

BOOKS POPULATING THE EXHIBIT:

The Enchantress

Alice in Wonderland

Sappho

My Bookhouse

The Latch Key

From the Tower Window

10 Thousand Dreams Interpreted

The Girl Today, A Woman Tomorrow

Lambs Tales from Shakespeare

At the Seaside

The Ugly Duckling

Arabian Nights