Shrigley’s Pulped Fiction project involved pulping thousands of unwanted copies of Dan Brown’s bestseller The Da Vinci Code.
The books were pulped and turned into new recycled paper at Frogmore Paper Mill in Hertfordshire.
The project also involved upcycling hardback covers and dust jackets from the Dan Brown original.
The new book is a limited print run of 1,250 copies of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, bound with the old cover, and with the original dust jackets turned inside out and screen printed with Shrigley’s new original artwork design.
Printing of the 256pp volume was handled by Aquatint in Wimbledon, which teamed up with Diamond Print Services on the binding.
The book was designed by London-based Fraser Muggeridge Studio.
Aquatint CEO Roger Severn said: “I was quite surprised, but very pleased, at how much interest there is in it! It’s the ultimate in recycling.
“Our customer supplied us with their special recycled paper, we printed it digitally and then our bookbinders printed and foiled the covers and bound the job.”
As with some of the other specialist papers made at Frogmore, 'inclusions' are visible, such as fragments of Brown's original text.
Shrigley’s inspiration came via an Oxfam Books & Music shop in Swansea, which in 2017 made a window display featuring piles of the Dan Brown book with a request that no more copies be donated as they had more than they could sell.
As well as scouring charity shops and eBay for the required source material, he also worked with warehousing, mailing and fulfilment firm Wrap Distribution in Oxfordshire, which has a bulk recycling facility for unwanted books. He eventually managed to source 6,000 copies.
Shrigley commented: “I am fascinated by the power of books to rewrite our culture, something that Dan Brown and George Orwell have each addressed in their wildly successful works.
“Pulped Fiction should not be seen as a commentary on either writer, but as one artist’s effort to rescue a mountain of unwanted paperbacks and turn them into something new.”
Pulped Fiction https://t.co/Z4ajniCM68
— David Shrigley (@davidshrigley) October 26, 2023
All press enquiries to job@jb-pr.com pic.twitter.com/yMalfWWzKb
Shrigley posted on X with a sneak peak of the documentary
Nineteen Eighty-Four is now out of copyright and in the public domain, so Shrigley was able to publish it.
250 copies of the limited new edition of Nineteen Eighty-Four will go on sale at the Swansea Oxfam shop for £495, including a limited edition signed print.
A percentage of the profits will go to the charity, which will additionally benefit from profits from sales of a special tote bag.
The remaining copies will be on sale via Shrigley’s website after the event, priced at £795.
The BBC’s article about the project was the most-read news item on its site earlier today (26 October).
A 30 minute documentary about the endeavour will be shown at Swansea’s Volcano Theatre this weekend (28-29 October), hourly from 10am-5pm. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.
Frogmore Paper Mill was hit by a devastating fire last year. Two local teenagers subsequently pleaded guilty to arson.
While papermaking has resumed, the mill is still closed to visitors. It hopes to reopen next year and is fundraising to help its recovery.
Shrigley was awarded an OBE in the late Queen Elizabeth II's New Year Honours list of 2020.
