Recto Verso
Yuen Fong Ling
2021
Recto Verso (meaning the two sides of a sheet or page) is a 64-page, tabloid format newsprint book, which was made in collaboration with artist Yuen Fong Ling.
The book features 32 bespoke foot patterns for sandals, once designed and handmade by Edward Carpenter and his collaborator, artist George E. Adams, which Yuen found in Sheffield City Archives and Local Studies Library. (See Towards Memorial for the full story.)
These ephemeral scraps of paper, shown on both sides, contain signatures, handwritten notations, drawings, and instructions. A prototype of socially-engaged art production, they represent a record of Carpenter’s customers, such as artist and illustrator Walter Crane, and town planner Raymond Unwin.
By sifting through the patterns one by one, the book replicates the experience of exploring Sheffield City Archives and Local Studies Library. On the cover, you start with a full pile of patterns as seen from the front. As you turn the pages, you layer the patterns from the opposite side, ending up with the same full pile in reverse on the back cover.
Each foot pattern is reproduced at 1:1 size, originally photographed by Marcus Sarko.
Recto Verso formed part of Yuen’s exhibition, Mo(nu)mentaries, at Bury Art Museum.
Recto Verso, part of Mo(nu)mentaries at Bury Art Museum.
Front cover. 289 x 380mm (tabloid newsprint).
Pages 2–3. 578 x 380mm (double page spread).
4–5.
6–7.
8–9.
10–11.
12–13.
14–15.
16–17.
18–19.
20–21.
22–23.
24–25.
26–27.
28–29.
30–31.
32–33.
34–35.
36–37.
38–39.
40–41.
42–43.
44–45.
46–47.
48–49.
50–51.
52–53.
54–55.
56–57.
58–59.
60–61.
62–63.
Back cover.
