Instagram: @catheywebb
My Grandma often asked “What are you doing with your hands?”. As a child I was always making something and that follows through to this day. I’m drawn to hands-on relief-printing processes, especially letterpress and these days I use my hands to make books. Some of my work focuses on how we handle books and the marks we leave. Other book-related themes refer to the structure of books, reading in general and libraries. The idea of a book as a small artwork appeals to me as it’s something you can hold in your hand, take home and consider in private without the formality of a gallery setting.
Sometimes I hint at print processes or paraphernalia in my books for example Just Ornamental, printed with letterpress ornaments. On other occasions a printing item I’ve acquired suggests an idea for a book, as in Chairs. I’m also inspired by phrases that spring to mind, memories, small observations and nature.
Contact me at booksbycathey@gmail.com
My Grandma often asked “What are you doing with your hands?”. As a child I was always making something and that follows through to this day. I’m drawn to hands-on relief-printing processes, especially letterpress and these days I use my hands to make books. Some of my work focuses on how we handle books and the marks we leave. Other book-related themes refer to the structure of books, reading in general and libraries. The idea of a book as a small artwork appeals to me as it’s something you can hold in your hand, take home and consider in private without the formality of a gallery setting.
Sometimes I hint at print processes or paraphernalia in my books for example Just Ornamental, printed with letterpress ornaments. On other occasions a printing item I’ve acquired suggests an idea for a book, as in Chairs. I’m also inspired by phrases that spring to mind, memories, small observations and nature.
Contact me at booksbycathey@gmail.com
Events
- Bristol Editions Print and Book Fair, Centre Space Gallery 20th-21st August 2022 (Bristoleditions.co.uk). Organised by Zelda Velika, Gen Harrison and myself.
- Bristol Artists Book Event (BABE 2022) 23rd to 24th April with Zelda Velika.
- Stroud Wayzgoose with Zelda Velika - 12th-13th March April 2022
- The Printed Poetry Symposium - books available to handle at Drop-in Event & Round Table Discussion, October 2021
- The Herbarium – World Book Night 2021 - a catalogue of all entries can be found here
- Messy Women – a collaboration with Gen Harrison (Typochondriacs) and Zelda Velika to make series of Pot-luck books inspired by the 1937 collaboration of Edna Beilenson, Evelyn Harter and Beatrice Warde to make books by and for women, on the subject of women in print. A video of the making of the first Pot-luck book is on You Tube here
- Bristol Book Arts Event (BABE) Lost Weekend -17-18th April 2021. A video about making my book Just Ornamental is available from here.
- Stroud Wayzgoose with Zelda Velika - 7th and 8th March 2020
- Make Space at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery with Corinne Welch - 23rd August 2018
- Artist in Residence, Bower Ashton Library, University of West of England (UWE) 1st February to 31 May 2018
- Swansea Zine Fest 2018, Volcano Swansea - with On the Page - 19th May 2018
- Artist Book Fair, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, with Artists Book Club (ABC), UWE, - 21st April 2018
- Artist Book Market - Fruit Gallery, Edinburgh with Artists Book Club (ABC), UWE, - 17th and 18th February 2018
Exhibitions
- Bower Ashton Library World Book Night 2022 - Ghosts in the Machine, April 2022
- Bower Ashton Library World Book Night exhibition from 20th April -30 June2021
- Handling the Book - The Marks We Leave, Bower Ashton Library, UWE, 8th March to 15th March 2018.
- Found, Bower Ashton Library, UWE - with Artists Book Club (ABC) - 1st December 2018 to 31st January 2019
- Offset, Multidisciplinary Print Making MA year group at The Old Town Quarry, Weston-Super-Mare, June 2018
- Offset, Multidisciplinary Print Making MA year group at Christmas Steps Gallery, Bristol, August-September 2017
- A Year of Making Books, University of West of England (UWE), Bower Ashton Library, Bristol, December 2016.
- Pop-up end of year show at Spike Print Studio, Bristol, November 2015.
- We are Here, part of the Redefining Print Symposium, Double Elephant Print Workshop, at Exeter Central Library, October 2015.
Collections
- Tate Library's Specialist Collection Artists Books and Zines : Twenty Library Book Shelves 2018
- Cardiff University Special Collections, Arts and Social Studies Library : Twenty Library Book Shelves 2018
- Bower Ashton Library UWE Artists Book Collection : Various
- Sheffield Artist Book Centre : On the Radio