Yayoi Kusama's Alice in Wonderland

'Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with artwork by Yayoi Kusama' to give it it's full title is a new publication from Penguin Classics. It features the full classic text, but with new characteristically idiosyncratic illustrations from Kusama.

It is a highly coloured book and some interesting typographic touches. It is nicer to look at than read - I have always found the text very difficult to get through, particularly hard to read aloud to children!

 It is currently available at a good price here. There is also a new exhibition of Kusama's work just opening at the Tate Modern, info here.

Since childhood, Japanese artist Kusama has been afflicted with a condition that makes her see spots, which means she sees the world in a surreal, almost hallucinogenic way that sits very well with the Wonderland of Alice.

She is fascinated by childhood and the way adults have the ability, at their most creative, to see things the way children do, a central concern of the Alice books, by Lewis Carroll.

The Kraken altered book sculpture

 The Kraken is my latest book sculpture, it was specially commissioned, the brief was 'a Kraken taking down a Galleon.'

 The Kraken if you didn't know if a mythical sea creature like a giant squid or octopus, the kind of thing you would find in Jules Verne.

 Each of the tentacles is overprinted with Kraken Kraken Kraken to make them darker and angrier looking.

 The pages of the book made into a roiling sea.

There are now cards and prints available of this sculpture in the shop.

 One poor sailor plucked from the decks...