Tim Mosely

The Codex Event: an initiative of Tim Mosely's at Southern Cross University (SCU) fostering the making of artists' books in conjunction with papermaking

The papermaking technique pulp printing, recently developed at SCU, lends itself to the making of paper pages for artists' books. Pulp printing specifically allows fine text and imagery to be embedded within a sheet of paper: the text and the image is the paper.

The codex events are an initiative to both explore this potential, and to foster the making of artists' books.

Codex event 1: 2004 - an artists' books exhibition that led to the establishment of the Southern Cross University's Artists' Book Acquisitive Award.

Pulp Printing: Development of pulp printing, influences, Sarah Bodman's interest, potential to utilise text/words as a substrate.

Codex event 2: 2006 - pulp printing and its potential. Seven artists working collaboratively to make 7 artists' books that have since received national and international attention.

Codex event 3: 2006 - cardboard and artists' books. Another collaborative workshop that generated an artists' book which was subsequently selected for the 8th International Book Art festival, a touring exhibition.

Codex event 4: 2007 - pulp printings and balloons. Twelve paper "fire" balloons representing the flight of "illegal immigrants" and the 12 detention centres set up in Australia to "deal" with the problem. The balloons were installed, re-formed into books, and exhibited regionally.

Codex event 5: January 2008 - text as a substrate, artists' books that (planned ) incorporated text as substrate.

The tension between image and text in a book has clearly been identified in the literature of the "discipline" as one reason for the continuing interest in artists' books. This tension represents rich pickings for both visual and literary artists utilising artists' books. The Codex Events are being built up into a series of events that attract artists interested in any of three mediums associated with artists' books - paper, print and book. It is intended that the events will improve participants' professional skill base, and allow them to engage collaboratively in high quality artists' book production.

Tim Mosely trained as a printmaker in Sydney under the Brazilian printmaker Roberto De Lamonica. From his initial training, he had an interest in papermaking and artists books. Completing an MA in 1996, his art practice now integrates all these mediums under the name Silverwattle Press. With over 25 years of professional experience and an output of over 50 unique and editioned artists' books, Tim maintains a lucid perspective on the book as a potent element within the vocabularies of visual language. Represented in prominent Australian and international artists book collections Tim's substantial expertise in printmaking and papermaking, combined with bookbinding training, has allowed him to work with many diverse forms of the book.