Nick West iss part of the Art Byte Critique group which participated in the Tokyo Art Book Fair 2016. Nick was kind enough to take the time to share about his work and his experience with ABC and the TABF2016.
Why did you want to participate in TABF?
I wanted to show work that belonged among other artists’ editions and independent publishing projects. TABF was the ideal event to share work with readers who were receptive to this kind of work.
What kind of books did you produce?
I made a drawing and a book. For some time, I’ve been intrigued by the fake wooden logs used for steps or fences in the parks and forests here. Using these as my starting point, I made some drawings that I collaged together that looked as though they could be assembled to make a fire. I thought of it as a kind of pre-book.
How did working with Art Byte Critique help you prepare your work?
Broadly speaking, the creative process can often be an isolated activity. Being part of a group of artists who meet up and discuss what they are making helps to inform your creative decisions. I had a couple of false starts in my preparation for TABF but by meeting up with other artists allowed me to realise that I needed to change course.
What do you take away from this experience?
More than anything, I take away an appreciation for how much interest there is in physical objects. It was really encouraging to see how popular TABF was, and to see people taking delight in leafing through artists’ books.
What did you learn from the process of preparing for the show?
That making art is a continual process. It’s not an activity that you can dip into occasionally. I had probably given more of my time to research than to production in my preparation for TABF, and this hindered what I made initially.
What would you like people to know about your books?
That there are more to come. In the past, I have made artworks using circular-bound books, and this is the direction I plan to develop future book works.
What was your biggest challenge?
As I mentioned, by giving more of my time to research than to production in my preparation for the fair. Having said that, participating in TABF has spurred me on to make more books, more often.
If you are interested in Art Byte Critique, you can find out more at https://atobaito.wordpress.com or check out their Facebook page.
You can find out more about Nick West and his work at:
Nick also writes for TABlog the Tokyo Art Beat Blog.
The Spendy Pencil 
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