Big Teeth: The Storybook Opens

As an artist, it isn't often that everything comes together in a perfect configuration (ignoring for a moment the fact that perfection doesn't exist). So it is with my most recent project, Big Teeth (though it came pretty damn close!)

Just as I was stitching the third to last button hole through which to lace ribbon tying the pages of the book into its codex, I realised that I had cut the button holes on the wrong side of the page. Luckily this page flowed almost as well with the text the wrong way round; both sides fit in with their neighbouring pages almost seamlessly, though my mistake was disastrous enough and for a few minutes it looked like an all out temper tantrum was imminent.

I present to you the almost-exactly-as-I-envisioned-it soft sculpture fairy tale artist's book, Big Teeth:

This book has been brewing in my head for years. When I originally wrote the first version of the text, I was around fifteen or sixteen, and envisioned the book in paper, collage style. I subsequently lost all copies of the text and had to re-write it (and hopefully improve on it slightly) from memory.

Now that I am a needlewoman, it seemed appropriate to weave references to cloth and textile techniques into the pockets of the book.

The text as I intended it to read:

Big Teeth

Please  have a heart, my dear

Mine's a glass slipper

At a stroke it'll fall apart

My pulse beats quicker

Than paws on soil of some sauteed savannah

So make haste, my sweet

See if the shoe fits before

Lions and tigers and bears

Pour out of the rafters

The narrative thread

Trust me, my love

A love like this looks better

From far, far, far away

Up close the most I'll offer

(A special offer to you,

My flavour of the day)

Is a quick kiss

Quicker kick in the teeth
And a hasty getaway

Over the hills and dales and

Away to never ever land.

By the path of pins and needles

So please let's hold the Cinderella

You see

There comes a time when the stretchmarks show

And the glass slipper

Off it slips

And burrows under

Laundry piles and candelabras 

And lions and tigers and bears

Descend from the rafters

Heavily embroidered

So trust me, my love, a love like this looks far better

From far far away

When it has quite such big teeth big cat full fat feelings

Caresses, distress and all the rest, it leaves me reeling

(Soon the lions and tigers and bears

Will descend from the ceiling)

Girl afrayed

You may very well say, my charming fella

"Whatever the weather we'll weather it together"

But don't make it oh so Cinderella

Said I don't see what's so brave about lions, 

But perhaps it'll help

Although I'm trying

 I'm big cat, small claws

Big cat wound up now

Tin can alley cat, canned meow

And despite my best intentions

I shall go to the ball

I shall have it all

But what then?

 I am worn to a ravelling

Well, mistakes happen, and now Big Teeth is safely off to the gallery and, unless they follow this blog, visitors to the exhibition will be none the wiser! I do hope they interact with the book's pages, though...