Using books as ART materials is a circular process for me.
First I am inspired by something about the book.
It could be inspired by the:
- cover design
- yellowed pages
- old notes or scribbles
- color, drawings or illustrations
- title or story
- kind of paper
- spine letters
- old pockets or labels
Then the next step is experimentation. How can I take what I love and use it in a new piece of art work? This can be the scary part, if I am really attached to the book part and afraid to wreck it or lose it. So I start with books and parts that I am not so attached to.
The experimentation can be:
- Cutting the book apart to use the covers
- Making a black out poem on a page
- Cutting and collaging pages
- painting pages
- folding pages into origami
- replicating pockets and labels
- Shredding pages into bits
- Photocopy and enlarge drawings
- Cutting words and making new meaning
- Anything that you could do with paper is possible
Then the final step is following my intuition. This would be different for every artist.
The things that inform my gut feelings and intuition are:
- the texture and feel of the paper
- the color and age of the page
- the strength of the material
- the intended purpose/viewer
- design elements/principles like texture, value and focus
It is a back and forth of building and covering, uncovering and revealing. I often don’t know where the process is going to take me.
I hope for a pleasing expression of materials that make the viewer want to get closer and interact with the piece.
I think layers of information can pull the viewer in. They want to know and understand. I think that will be different for everyone.