Between the Pages: Human Fragility and the Patina of Time in Guy du Toit’s Book of Play I and Book of Play II

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.