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Artist's Book

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Forgot I never posted this!

So, in Art & Design Seminar, we were tasked with creating an artist's book. We had to go to a huge bookstore in Manhattan and browse the dollar racks for two books that had something to do with us, whether it was our major, something that resonated with our personality, anything. I found one usable book, called In Her Own Image, that had artwork and writing from several women.

The other book, the one I used for a base, was an old Webster's dictionary that I used to use as a kid. It was in pretty bad shape and horribly out of date. The original idea for the book was something involving cutting a window out in the back, because I was absolutely determined to do a shadowbox, but then the idea of a bedroom dresser popped into my mind.

SO, after a LOT of page cutting, blade dulling, sore fingers, and tracking paper shavings all through the apartment, I ended up with this. I painted the dictionary with acrylic paint, and the pages ended up buckling toward the bottom of the "mirror" (a sheet of metallic silver paper), but that enhanced the wood concept. I put a few pieces of cardboard on the bottom half of the book to give myself a sturdy surface to work on, and I made the drawers out of matchboxes. The paint brushes, palette, and clarinet were all made out of Crayola Model Magic. I had NO IDEA that stuff was so fun to use. XD The clarinet's all by itself... Originally one drawer was going to be for art, the other drawer for other aspects of myself (so, a video game controller, a book, a writing notebook, etc.), but I didn't get around to putting them together before the project was due.

A lot of work that I did over one weekend, but I was/am happy with the result. My first real experience with working in 3D. (We had another project before this one, but that was mainly 2D and doesn't really count. XD;; )

Oh, and the reason for the "Journey" key and the door on the small canvas on the side? I'm about to go away to college, after spending my whole life in my hometown. My future is unknown. I wanted some of that to come through as well, and I found this poem in the book, which I put on the blue piece of paper:

Either you will
go through this door
or you will not go through.

If you go through
there is always the risk
of remembering your name.

Things look at you doubly
and you must look back
and let them happen.

If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily

to maintain your attitudes
to hold your position
to die bravely

but much will blind you,
much will evade you,
at what cost who knows?

The door itself
makes no promises.
It is only a door.
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999x1187px 705.68 KB
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