Books!

This last spring semester I took a class called Artists' Books. It was delightful. I made some work I liked quite a bit, and learned a lot. All the books I made for the class were part of an exhibition at the end of the semester, and then the Book Arts Program at the  took some images of all the books everyone made for their own use. I just got the books back, and photographed them myself with my dirty bedsheet as a backdrop because I don't have the nicer ones that were already taken.


We started with a book that was to repeat an image throughout, changing it slightly. I used my matrix from last December's miniprint and penciled in text in all the speech bubbles. It was bound with staples, and I called it "SOMETIMES I WANT TO YELL."

 

The text included goes from silly to serious and back again throughout. It starts with "Why did they have to cancel Twin Peaks?" and ends with "I know you hate my art, but when you encourage me to do generic and useless art it helps no one." At one point I was going to change the end page, erase what I'd written and instead write "I love you," like the blind embossment on the original run of the print. But I never got around to it. It also says "I'll make the art you want me to make when you pay me for it." I had an argument with my mom about my art shortly before writing it, which I'm sure had an effect on what I wanted to yell about.

The second project was to be based entirely in image, with no words used at all. I did an ink drawing of myself running after the train and folded it into an accordion book. I call it "UTA Hates Me." It's pretty much the story of my life since I've moved to Salt Lake. Admittedly, it feels like it's only in a book form as an afterthought. Which is probably the case.

The next book was supposed to be a combination of words an images. I was sort of at a loss for what to do. My sister Julie actually came up with the idea for this one.

You get the idea. This one sort of starts off more silly, with the problem being a height difference, then gets to the more frightening or serious scenarios as it goes. It ends with Mary, who doesn't love anyone. But "Mary is a liar."

The final one I'll put on this post was a book that was made to question bookness, that pushed the envelope a little. Mine was basically a readymade. I just pasted in a tiny circle of paper on the string.

It says "This could've been a child."


I did have one more final book, but I still have to mail out a physical copy to some of my helpers. I want them to get it before the rest of the world. Besides, that one could use a blog post of it's own. I'll include a PDF when I do blog it.

I also was included in an exhibition called Counterform at the University of Utah library. I have a broadside and a book (which is not included in this post) in the show. It'll be on the 1st floor of the J. Willard Marriott Library from August 31 to October 14. If you're in the area, come check it out!