"In these designs, my constant use of familiar images of plants and animals and of the human face and figure is deliberate. These universal and easily understood objects serve to restate my conviction that it is important to remember what we are, where we belong and what is of permanent value."
Michael Wilcox
It was a combination of education and industry that Michael Wilcox sought when he apprenticed with a commercial book bindery in his hometown of Bristol, England. There, Wilcox learned that bookbinding was made up of several specialized and rigorously defined skills, each practised by a different craftsperson.
After moving to Canada in 1962, Wilcox obtained a contract restoring the University of Toronto's collection of antique medical books. This project provided him with the opportunity to combine, refine and update his binding skills while developing related abilities in book restoration and conservation. Other private commissions encouraged him to experiment with creating original designs tor book covers.
Wilcox’s mastery of his craft encompasses all aspects of the trade, from binding through original cover design to the finely tooled finished product. The interest that art galleries show in exhibiting fine bookbinding suggests that the craft has joined other craft media as an art forms.
Selected works
