Emblem of My Work

The Emblem of My Work opened in the gallery at Shandy Hall on 3 September. It is open every day (except Saturdays) 11am - 4pm.

The Emblem of My Work celebrates the 250th anniversary of the marbled page (page 169) in Volume III of Tristram Shandy.

Each of the 73 artists who kindly contributed to the Black Page exhibition in 2009 was invited to take part in this year's Emblem exhibition and was also encouraged to nominate another participant.
Each contributor was sent a blank template of page 169 (see above) and each has created the 'emblem of their work' within the boundaries of the rectangle. Partly by design (and partly by chance) the final number of artists and writers involved is 170 and all can be seen until 31 October when the exhibition closes.* Indeed chance has played a vital part in the process of putting this exhibition together and there are a number of unseen connections linking one contributor to another.

Each resulting page is on display in the gallery (and on this blog) with a description (where provided) of process and materials.

A list of all 170 contributors is on display in the gallery but the identity of the maker of each work is hidden. The visitor is invited to match the work to its maker.

All Emblems are for sale - the first bid is £50, the second £75, the third £100. Over £100 the bids are in £50 increments (see: Bidding).
The exhibition is free and is open every day (except Saturdays) 11am - 4pm.
The gardens are also open (admission £2.50) and Shandy Hall is open at the usual advertised times.

This exhibition is part of Art in Yorkshire supported by Tate.

Emblem of my Work

After the success of the first two volumes of Tristram Shandy, Laurence Sterne was commissioned to produce more. The bookseller who had sold copies of Volumes I and II, James Dodsley, published Sterne's sermons under the title The Sermons of Mr. Yorick in 1760. In January 1761, Volumes III and IV of the novel became available to purchase, so 2011 marks not only the publishing of the volumes but also the 250th anniversary of Sterne's most remarkable literary stroke of genius - the marbled page contained in Volume III.

If you carefully examine page [ 169 ] in Vol. III in the original edition, four fold marks define the edges of the marbling and also create the surrounding margins. The central section of p.169 was laid upon the marbled mixture in order that a coloured impression could be taken as cleanly as possible. It was left to dry and then reverse-folded so the other side of the paper could also receive a marbled impression. This side of the paper became page [170].

So, the marbled page in every copy of Vol. III (in every edition*) is different - each impression being a unique hand-made image.

In the text opposite on p.168, Sterne tells the reader that the next marbled page is the 'motly emblem of my work' - the page communicating visually that his work is endlessly variable, endlessly open to chance.

*contemporary editions have printed marbled pages, the majority in black and white, so the whole point of the multi-coloured marbling is rendered meaningless.

HOW TO BID

Emblem of my Work

Peter Coates - The Marbled Page

The Laurence Sterne Trust