Anything But Common

Commonplace books were popular from the Renaissance through to the 19th century.

A commonplace book is an ancient system for recording knowledge.

(They are) albums of distinguished quotes interrupted by analysis (which) curate ideas from many places. Some have handmade… paper ink and binding. They may incorporate prints, digital art and repurposing.

(Paraphrased from assignment description for subject ART317: Art & Books, Charles Sturt University)

Associate Professor Charles Sturt University (CSU), Sam Bowker for his subject ART317: Art & Books sets an assessment task of producing a commonplace book to record students’ responses and learning. This year, 2025, the result is the exhibition, at the HR Gallop Gallery on campus, Extraordinary Commonplace Books showing work produced by some twenty students. The exhibition is being held in conjunction with Sam Bowker’s public lecture series Art & Books which commemorates the 25th anniversary of the subject, originally created by Dr Sue Wood, being offered. Proceeds from the lecture series are being donated to Wagga Wagga’s Booranga Writers Centre which lost its state funding in 2024 but continues to offer workshops and monthly readings/open mics to the community.

The content of the lectures and my recent interest in producing collages made seeing Extraordinary Commonplace Books compulsory for me.  I was rewarded with creativity, synthesis and ingenuity that captured the essence of the subject of study and also celebrated individual interests and talents. Stylistically the books were very diverse, from Deborah Martinez’s rustic stick bound loose leaf folio with its delicate uneven pages, to Kira Sarkany‘s extensive large scale pastel decorated concertina-scroll, to the detailed and eclectic scholarship and illustration of Caitlin Grieve’s work. Jess Verco’s book was remarkable for its impeccable script and ingenious use of QR code-accessible audio, while Grace Frede‘s work exemplified thorough independent research and featured a wonderful fold out section on Rafa Al Nasiri’s poem Almond Blossom (2009) complete with her own expressive painting. I am singling out just some of the impressive achievements this class has produced, as many as an hour spent with my phone camera and note book allowed but the work on show was universally impressive.

Caitlin Grieve's painstaking collage work 

The remaining lectures in Dr Bowker’s series will look at book illustration and the future of the book in our techno-centric society.  If this collection of extraordinary commonplace books is any indication, the handmade, tactile and visually eclectic will retain a strong place in our reading and aesthetic preferences.

Extraordinary Commonplace Books is open until Friday 29 August, 2025 10am - 5pm weekdays The HR Gallop Gallery is in the centre of Building 21 near carpark 5 off Darnell-Smith Drive, Charles Sturt University Campus, Wagga Wagga.