Phoenix and the Flying Books

10′ x 7’6″

I was invited by The Auckland Project to make a piece of work in response to a tapestry that was commissioned by Henry VIII entitled The Burning Of Heathen books.

The original features St Paul encouraging the Ephesians to burn books of sorcery and was made as a piece of propaganda at a time when Henry VIII was making huge changes to religion in this country.

I was asked to include certain elements in my work, including the image of books being burnt. I find it a very disturbing image and wanted to give it a slightly different perspective. So in my piece, there are books being burnt at the centre of the image, but above them is a phoenix; and they are encircled by seven large picture books that are emerging from eggshells.

The idea is that the books are being reborn after the fashion of the phoenix, perishing in the flames but being reborn in the ashes of the fire. My suggestion is that you can burn a book but you can’t burn an idea.

Here are some details from the work. It is made almost entirely from recycled fabrics. The background was sewn by machine and the rest by hand, and I had assistance, particularly with the picture books, from several people who volunteer for the Auckland Project.