VICTORIA LAUBE

In exploring Victoria's website, I was attracted to "Trees" as it resonated with my lifelong affection for books. Books have been an important part of my coping strategies for covid isolation. Book clubs have been important sources of social and intellectual stimulation and supporting independent booksellers and publishers have been a means of preserving part of our culture that is important to me (as has been buying art from artists - nicely combined in this purchase).

The image further connects with my concern for publishing/bookselling world. While book sales have soared during the pandemic it will remain to be seen if that continues once things re-open. And the pressure of technology on publishing and distribution is restructuring that industry in favour of a small number of large scale players. This has implications for a variety of things including access to the market for divergent voices.

Add to that, the pressure on public library funding and the rising price of printed books make the future of the printed book an issue of concern. With references to paper production and consumption one thinks about the role of the book in that cycle especially through a critique of "worth" as to which books should be published.

On top of provoking these thoughts, the work speaks to Victoria's interest in the life cycle of things and the beauty to be found in decomposition.

Bill Staubi (Art Collector)

March 2021