Marginalia Press Release

The term “marginalia” refers to scribbles in the margin of a book created by an engaged—if potentially delinquent—reader. While seen as secondary to the original text, these writings and drawings, simultaneously become inseparable from it. Additionally, through critiquing, questioning, illustrating, outlining, and expounding upon a certain text, the reader becomes an active participant.

Marginalia can also take on a value divorced from the text which it accompanies. Over time, while a book’s content may become irrelevant or obsolete, that book’s marginalia, depending on substance and author, might instead grow in value.

These two conception of marginalia, both the effect of the readers peripheral involvement, and this involvements relevance outside of that which refers to, while still in an abstract way informing the original text, are at the core of this exhibition.

56 invited artists from around the world read Riordan’s English translation of French poet Francis Jammes’ 1903 novel Le Roman du Lievre. Using the themes contained within the text as a jumping off point (its plot most simply described as a the friendship between Saint Francis of Assisi and a hare), the artists created works in an individual fashion presenting a multitude of divergent personalities and processes, while in many cases recording their thoughts in the margins of the hand bound copies of the book they received from Riordan. The project’s blog on the home page of this site, a form of digital marginalia, also served as another outlet where artists could post their related stories, ideas, research, etc. The result of this experiment is an exhibition that provides insight into each artist’s creative practice, while abstractly presenting a narrative of Le Roman Du Lievre. Though connections will be drawn between each artist’s work and the text, their value will not be inherently related to their service as illustration. Like marginalia, these pieces will inform the text, elevating Le Roman Du Lievre, and bringing it closer to a state of collective completion.