Lynette Willoughby – Artist ….

We’ve submitted another book to the second stage of The Frankenstein exhibition, in Kirkby Gallery, Knowsley, opening this month. This time we focused on the themes of Remorse and Revenge in the book – Frankenstein’s remorse and anguish at having created such a monster; the monster, rejected by Frankenstein and everyone he meets, seeks revenge. But in the end Frankenstein turns to revenging the deaths of his loved ones killed by the monster and the monster finally remorseful beside the bed of his dead creator.

The concertina of the book (pages from a lovely copy of Frankenstein) follows the development of the story – told by an explorer (Walton) sailing to the arctic (pop-up boat from a graphic novel edition of the book; the pages all icy white, the words whited out except every instance of revenge, remorse, anguish, repent and compassion); all written in letters to his sister (flying little envelopes addressed to her).

Maps of Frankenstein’s travels are included – Ingolstadt where Frankenstein studied; Geneva where he returns to his family; Chamonix where Frankenstein goes to grieve; Tilbury Docks, London and Edinburgh on his way to the Orkney Islands where he goes to create a companion for the monster.

The final page is a mesostic using the monster’s final speech. Under the concertina pages are little blotters, as Walton might have had on his desk as he wrote the letters telling the story told to him by the dying Frankenstein.

I’ve posted a video of the book here.