I became interested in this art form in Summer 2004 thinking I'd discovered something new, in fact Altered Art is not new. It has a considerable history, and roots within several art movements.
For many people altered art is a bit scary, and quite difficult to understand. Altering books and objects transforms ordinary objects into works of art. It has spawned an interest in ephemera, vintage photographs, discarded and unwanted books and a wide range of household objects that provide a suitable surface on which to create art work.
The internet has provided a spring board for this art form with a proliferation of websites featuring "how- to's", artist sites, blogs, retailers and 'zines. Many of the artists belong to on- line groups through which art is exchanged, I belong to several Yahoo groups and the work I create as a part of my membership is featured in these pages.
Round Robins (RR) are a very popular format in which a group of artists work on a collaborative project following themes set in advance. Examples of format for working a RR are: books (old and new), canvases and handbags, each artist will add to the work in some way before passing the work to the next participant (player).
I joined my first RR in January 2006, using the book shown on my home page, which I made specifically for this project. I've since joined other RR using altered books as the vehicle for the collaboration.