School of the Woods revisited Installation

Born and raised in Paris, with a publisher for a father, I have always loved books, for their content of course but also for what they look or even smell like. I am not academically trained as an artist (I am a headhunter by day) but I have also always loved making things. I moved to London in 1994 and over the last few years, I have been collecting old books (and sometimes new ones) that either look good to me or will tell a story, very often different from their original content. I try to give some of those really old or unloved books a new life and a new purpose. I have a preference for illustrated books, some of the ones we very rarely open.I love bringing the inside permanently outside, for everyone to see and enjoy. And when a book has nothing particular to say or show, apart from a good binding, I make a sculpture that will hopefully turn out appealing to most people. If not, I like them anyway...