A new use for old books: Biblioquilts

There’s recycling; then there’s Larry Clifford.

The Maine artist collects unwanted books that were discarded by public libraries around New England, and uses every part – pages, spine, cover – to create eye-popping quilts on a stiff backing that are framed and ready to hang.

“Most of those books were on their way to the dump,” he said.

The work “combines his lifelong passion for visual art and literature,” he said.

Dubbed “biblioQuilts,” Clifford’s work will be shown at the Weston Library from Nov. 1 to 28.

The work combines two of Clifford’s lifelong passions: visual art and literature. He says when he wasn’t running around outside growing up in Belmont, he could be found reading at his local library.

This led to him collecting old, neglected books that he considers beautiful or interesting, although not necessarily valuable. He prefers hardcovers from way back – the 1930s and before – when the pages and fabric covers were colorful and appealing, he said.

While he knew he didn’t want to sell used books, it wasn’t until the Covid pandemic that he knew what to do with his collection.

“I’ve been an artist all my life,” he said. Clifford earned a B.A. in art from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in biomedical communications from the University of Texas. He spent many years creating biomedical illustrations using traditional pen-and-ink, carbon dust and watercolor.

“As I looked at the books, I was struck by the colors and the fabric,” he said, “and quilt patterns emerged.”

He put a board on top of a pool table in his basement and began organizing his collection. He sorts the old books by color, “almost forming a palette for a work of art,” and strips the fabric from the original cover, then adds his own alchemy of dyes, watercolors and acrylics to create “tiles” that he glues onto a stiff foam core-like backing.

“It’s time consuming,” said Clifford. For example, a 4-by-4-foot quilt can take approximately 160 hours, or a month, to complete.

The unique works are protected by a UV-resistant matte varnish or a sheet of UV-resistant glass to prevent fading.

For the Weston show, the pieces are 2-by-2-foot squares. Although he’s done larger quilts, he said most of his customers prefer the smaller size.

These days, he is frequently contacted by small town libraries after they have concluded their used book sales. It’s a veritable treasure trove for him, and provides a way to keep old books from going to waste.

“I’m going to keep at it,” he said. “I enjoy it.”

Clifford shows and sells his work through his virtual Flyleaf Gallery, flyleafgallery.com.