The tailor of books
- Andrés learned his craft in the family workshop
- He claims to think with his hands
- He is an avid reader
Andrés Alés learnt the basics of bookbinding from his father, in whose workshop he trained from 1977 to 1987. During this time, Andrés went through all the different stages of training in a traditional craft: apprentice first, journeyman second, and finally master bookbinder. To this he added a university degree in classical philology. Andrés says he also discovered the beauty of restoration during this time. “On one hand I have the necessary background and on the other I have the artisan's caress and touch, which is the love that a piece needs to receive in order to stand out.” As a book lover, Andrés cites reading as a key source of inspiration. To him, diving into multiple realities creates a deep bond with the content, which he then binds with his hands, dressing books as a tailor dresses people.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
I believe it was in 1980, and it was perhaps the first complex work I made: a collection of ten volumes of the history of Spain bound in Spanish leather, with a hand-bound title and ornamentation on the spine.
First of all, every failure leads to an initial disappointment and horror that immediately translate into learning and improvement. I would also recommend never having financial expectations. But most importantly, to not try to be an artist.
There is an unfortunate general feeling today that people do not need the book as an object anymore, let alone its binding. This is particularly prevalent in the new generations.
Ten years ago there was a fire at the Los Palacios archive here in Seville. Just three years earlier, with my partner Rocío Hermosín, I had restored the 17th century El Libro del Becerro, which is the founding book of the town. A great portion of the archive was reduced to ashes but this precious tome was saved thanks to the preservation box we had made for it.
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Andrés Alés
Bookbinder
Seville, Spain
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+34 693403627
LANGUAGES
Spanish, English
