Steenbock Gallery to Open "Checked Out" Exhibit by Sarah Jane Ripp

Checked Out” exhibition considers the journey

made by discarded library books.

“Checked Out,” an exhibit featuring photographs by Sarah Jane Ripp, will be on display August 6, 2012 to August 31, 2012 in the Steenbock Gallery.  An artist’s reception will take place on Friday, August 10, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.  The event is free and open to the public.  The Steenbock Gallery is located at the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, 1922 University Ave., and is open Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Discarded library books are explored in this exhibition to examine the transition that books make from a library to a second-hand  bookshop and finally to a new owner. Madison artist Sarah Jane Ripp asks the viewer to consider this transition through her images by bringing attention to the marks that have been made on the pages. Stamps upon the pages indicate dates which hint at the journey that each book has made. Torn out pockets and messages such as "Discarded" hint at the story behind these books that have been checked out indefinitely.