2014 - 2023
Book measures 2.5” x 4” x 1” closed
Unique collage and specimen enclosures
$275

Materials Used: batik handmade bookcloth, silk bookcloth, found 1920’s Italian dictionary, bird nest, seed pod, watch parts, walnut shell, walnut dye, found almanac pages, waxed thread
Handmade Papers used: tulip stems, sunflower stalks, wild grasses
Printing Methods: laser printing, calligraphy/handwriting

Artist Statement information:

My sculptural artist books within the “Specimen Series” are heavily tied to natural themes and the untenanted remnants of plant and animal life. Many of my pieces are entrenched in the history and visual sensibility of cabinets of curiosities.

I was drawn initially to the chrysalis as both a form unto itself and as an exploration into the beauty of remnants in the natural process of creation and decay. I am fascinated by the pod form and the metaphors contained in this remnant. It is a place for transformation to take place. After such a metamorphosis, its occupant leaves the form vacant. I am continually intrigued by the complex construction, variance of materials, and similarity of form and structure that pods have, regardless of their maker. The series began as a study of chrysalis forms as a sculptural piece and has subsequently evolved into a larger investigation of connections between plant, animal, and handmade pod structures.