AN ARTIST who opens up new chapters in the life of unwanted old books is to demonstrate the secrets of her novel speciality at a Warrington shopping centre.
Kate Bufton, 26, who was born and raised in the town and now lives in Lowton, first saw the process of turning dog-eared old tomes into incredible paper sculptures and framed pieces as a teenager and started to come up with her own creations as a student at Salford University.
Her work has since gained nationwide acclaim and won her many commissions, including one from Shameless star Tina Malone.
On Saturday, November 8, from 12.30 pm, Kate will be leading art workshops in Warrington’s Golden Square Shopping Centre when she’ll share some timely tips on how to make stylish Christmas trees from old books.
While her “day job” is an arts technician at Lymm High School, Kate spends a great deal of her time working on her artistic ventures.
Her work revolves around breathing new life into old books of all kinds by using a variety of cuts and folds to turn them into something completely new and different.
She said: “I saw the process at an exhibition when I was in my teens and became fascinated by it. Then, while I was studying for my degree at Salford, I started to produce my own work along similar lines. My aim is to transform old books from carriers of text to objects of art.
“For me it is the aesthetics and characteristics of the old books that encourage creativity through their old musty smells and textures, and their stained pages.
“It is also the possibility of the unknown. Have these books ever been appreciated for what they truly are? Have the pages ever been opened and read?
“I transform them into individual sculptures, many unique designs, which enables them to be admired.
“I get quite a few commissions and earlier this year I was asked by the actress Tina Malone, who has played Mimi Maguire in the hit TV series Shameless along with lots of other things, to create a framed piece made from the pages of an old illustrated Winnie the Pooh book.
“She’d heard about my work and got in touch through a friend of a friend. I was delighted to do something for her as she’s from Merseyside, which isn’t too far from my hometown of Warrington.
“The piece of work I created was for her new baby daughter, Flame, and I believe it’s now on display in her bedroom.”
Kate regularly shows off her work at high-end art fairs and book fairs across the country.
For more details about Kate Bufton, visit her website at: http://www.katebufton.co.uk/
