A Humument
Encyclopedia
A Humument: A treated Victorian novel is an altered book
by British
artist Tom Phillips
, first published in 1970. It is a piece of art created over W H Mallock
's 1892 novel A Human Document whose title results from the partial deletion of the original title: A Human document.
Phillips drew, painted, and collage
d over the pages, while leaving some of the original text to show through. The final product was a new story with a new protagonist named Bill Toge, whose name appears only when the word "together" or "altogether" appears in Mallock's original text.
When asked about the book, Phillips replied:
A Humument was begun in the 1960s. In 1970, Tetrad Press put out a small edition. The first trade edition was published in 1980 by Thames & Hudson
, which also published revised editions in 1986, 1998 and 2004; future editions are planned. Each edition revises and replaces various pages. Phillips's stated goal is to eventually replace every page from the 1970 edition.
Phillips has used the same technique (always with the Mallock source material) in many of his other works, including the illustration of his own translation of Dante
's Inferno
, (published in 1985).
The altered text is sometimes used in "reconstructions" or "realizations" where artists create a work using the fragmentary text as a basis. For instance in the early 1970s, the Music Department at the University of York
performed an opera, "IRMA", whose lyrics and plot were based on A Humument.
Tom Phillips has created a digital version of A Humument, A Humument App for the iPad to be released in November 2010.
The Humument app was critically acclaimed receiving favourable reviews in The Independent (22nd Nov) Eye Magazine blog (17th Nov) and Design Observer (5th Nov). A version for the iPhone released 17th January 2011
Altered book
An altered book is a form of mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form into a different form, altering its appearance and/or meaning....
by British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
artist Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips (artist)
Tom Phillips CBE R.A. is an English artist. He was born in London, where he continues to work. He is a painter, printmaker and collagist.-Life:...
, first published in 1970. It is a piece of art created over W H Mallock
William Hurrell Mallock
William Hurrell Mallock was an English novelist and economics writer.-Biography:He was educated privately and then at Balliol College, Oxford. He won the Newdigate prize in 1872 and took a second class in the final classical schools in 1874, securing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford...
's 1892 novel A Human Document whose title results from the partial deletion of the original title: A Hum
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
d over the pages, while leaving some of the original text to show through. The final product was a new story with a new protagonist named Bill Toge, whose name appears only when the word "together" or "altogether" appears in Mallock's original text.
When asked about the book, Phillips replied:
"It is a forgotten Victorian novel found by chance ... plundered, mined, and undermined its
text to make it yield the ghosts of other possible stories, scenes, poems and replaced the
text [he'd] stripped away with visual images of all kinds."
A Humument was begun in the 1960s. In 1970, Tetrad Press put out a small edition. The first trade edition was published in 1980 by Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson is a publisher of illustrated books on art, architecture, design, and visual culture. With its headquarters in London, England it has a sister company in New York and subsidiaries in Melbourne, Singapore and Hong Kong...
, which also published revised editions in 1986, 1998 and 2004; future editions are planned. Each edition revises and replaces various pages. Phillips's stated goal is to eventually replace every page from the 1970 edition.
Phillips has used the same technique (always with the Mallock source material) in many of his other works, including the illustration of his own translation of Dante
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
's Inferno
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, (published in 1985).
The altered text is sometimes used in "reconstructions" or "realizations" where artists create a work using the fragmentary text as a basis. For instance in the early 1970s, the Music Department at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
performed an opera, "IRMA", whose lyrics and plot were based on A Humument.
Tom Phillips has created a digital version of A Humument, A Humument App for the iPad to be released in November 2010.
The Humument app was critically acclaimed receiving favourable reviews in The Independent (22nd Nov) Eye Magazine blog (17th Nov) and Design Observer (5th Nov). A version for the iPhone released 17th January 2011