Large concertina artist books

The concertina book is a kind of prototype for… an expanded view – two, four or six or more pages can be visible at any particular time, rather than the limited spread available in the traditional sketch- book…. Drawings can be treated as discrete statements or they can spread horizontally; episodic drawings and notations can be read singly or as a series of connected visual observations. The landscape is regarded as a whole, yet, at the same time, it is a journey through motifs – an unfolding. © Andrew Sayers

In 2001 Chris Hodges returned from China and gave me a large concertina drawing book, saying something like ‘See what you can make of this’. I took the book with me to Hill End where I was invited to be an artist-in-residence. I started off by walking around for a few hours, drawing one or two pages in the book. By the end of 5 days the book was complete. I was hooked. They have become an integral part of practice since then. John R Walker

Flood Creek summer 2014, concertina Chinese book, gouache and ink on Chinese paper

‘Tantulean Creek’ 2006 concertina artist book gouache on chinese paper 30.5 x 598cm (unfolded). Private Collection Sydney.

‘Bedervale Ridge Book’ 2004-5 concertina artist book gouache on chinese paper 29 x 520cm (unfolded). Top image partially unfolded. Bottom image fully unfolded.

Trees (6323) — ‘Trees’ 2003 concertina artist book gouache and ink on chinese paper 24 x 312cm (unfolded). Collection of State Library of New South Wales. Top image showing concertina fold-out. Bottom image, completely folded out.

Trees (unfolded) — ‘Trees’ 2003 concertina artist book gouache and ink on chinese paper 24 x 312cm (unfolded). Collection of State Library of New South Wales. Top image showing concertina fold-out. Bottom image, completely folded out.

Corrigans Bay (6328) — ‘Corrigan’s Bay’ 2002 concertina artist book gouache and ink on chinese paper 31 x 598cm (unfolded). Collection of the State Library of New South Wales. Top image partially folded out. Bottom image, unfolded.

Corrigans Bay (unfolded) — ‘Corrigan’s Bay’ 2002 concertina artist book gouache and ink on chinese paper 31 x 598cm (unfolded). Collection of the State Library of New South Wales. Top image partially folded out. Bottom image, unfolded.

‘Under the Trees Bedervale’ 2011 concertina artist book gouache on chinese paper 28 x 460cm (unfolded). Top image partially unfolded. Bottom image fully unfolded.

Winter Crow is a work of poems by Jeremy Nelson and drawings by John R Walker. It’s theme is the Sho’ah and it is particularly concerned with the creeping public amnesia surrounding this unparalleled atrocity.
Winter Crow was first published in September 2005.