Pensées : a book in five chapters / by Jeremy Deller and Thomas Nicolaou
Artist's Book
1993 (published)
1993 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The artist Jeremy Deller has been described as 'an anthropologist of the ordinary'. With 'Pensées' he demonstrates this desire to curate the everyday by collecting together graffiti found on the walls of the British Library lavatories and giving them the status of 'found poems'. The book is laser printed and stapled giving it a cheap throw-away quality, and is wrapped in a 'dust jacket' of rough tissue that is suggestive of old-fashioned toilet paper. Its contents reveal that patrons of the British Library like to indulge in philosophical, literary and political debate, to create acrostics and solve number puzzles when scribbling on toilet walls. However, mixed amongst these high-minded thoughts are moments of puerility that remind the reader just where the 'poems' were found.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Pensées : a book in five chapters / by Jeremy Deller and Thomas Nicolaou (published title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Artist's book, 'Pensées: a book in five chapters', by Jeremy Deller and Thomas Nicolaou, London, 1993 |
| Physical description | Artist's book containing 'found poems' copied from the walls of the British Library lavatory. Laser printed on double leaves, Chinese style and side stitched. 18 pages. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Summary | The artist Jeremy Deller has been described as 'an anthropologist of the ordinary'. With 'Pensées' he demonstrates this desire to curate the everyday by collecting together graffiti found on the walls of the British Library lavatories and giving them the status of 'found poems'. The book is laser printed and stapled giving it a cheap throw-away quality, and is wrapped in a 'dust jacket' of rough tissue that is suggestive of old-fashioned toilet paper. Its contents reveal that patrons of the British Library like to indulge in philosophical, literary and political debate, to create acrostics and solve number puzzles when scribbling on toilet walls. However, mixed amongst these high-minded thoughts are moments of puerility that remind the reader just where the 'poems' were found. |
| Other number | X930149 |
| Collection | |
| Library number | 38041800138091 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 30, 2014 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
