Mark was elected Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 2001and Brother of the Art Workers Guild in 2008. Member of the Society of Bookbinders and the Tokyo Bookbinding Club. 

 

After studying art and design at Lincolnshire College of Art, Mark worked as a free lance artist and designer. He discovered his passion for bookbinding and book arts whilst working in Paris. After graduating from the bookbinding course at Guildford College of Technology (Diploma in Fine Bookbinding & Conservation), he went on to study Japanese bookbinding and related subjects at ‘Studio Livre’ Tokyo and London College of Printing (BA (Hons) Book Arts and Crafts).

 

Mark opened his first bookbinding studio in Lincoln in 1992 and Studio Five, London in 2003. He works in fine contemporary bookbinding, book arts, printing and box art. Teaching various aspects of bookbinding / book arts in Studio Five, the UK, France, USA, India, the Philippines and Japan. His work is eclectic, once being described as the Christian Lacroix of bookbinding. Mark diverse work is represented in public and private collections around the world, including the British Library and The New Museum of Liverpool. Since being elected Fellow of Designer Bookbinders he has been a regular Man Booker Binder.

 

Usually working with one book at a time, using traditional materials, modifying or manipulating , developing and creating new decorative techniques to realise the final design. Mark feels that being able to work with various styles, he is able to respond to the text, illustrations and mood of the book with honesty.

 

Current projects include working on methods of board and cover attachment for fine designed bindings, print techniques, ways in which the book can be viewed within the contexts of the exhibition and the public or private collection, the artist’s book and creating 3 dimensional, extended book sculptures and formats. A major theme of recent work has been to make more from less, to engage in up-cycling materials to make books. 

 

It is hoped that this research will lead to a more sympathetic way of working with the book, viewing the book; its’ structure, manipulation use and enjoyment.

 

 

 

Courtesy of the artist’s website.