Sometimes a Book Is Just Its Cover

My artist books juxtapose and fuse verbal and visual impressions that represent a special place or time of my experience. Their lack of interior pages aim to focus on the artist book as contemplative object rather than narrative.

Nulla Dies Sine Linea, (2013) my first series, arose as a tribute to my life partner who lived in Rome, the eternal city. I chose simple visual motifs for the cover and a sampling of sayings and nicknames he used and are remembered by loved ones for the interior. The counterpoint of the verbal and visual reflects the universal and basic living philosophies for life that are accessible to us all.

Meanderings (2013-14) leverage significant moments from my 2013 art trip to Arcachon and Brussels juxtaposing fleeting phrases and images. Williamsburg Studios play on the outer and inner qualities of buildings housing art studios and some local neighbors.

Omaggio (2015) is a series of three books referencing phrases used in an artwork by Piero Varroni that philosophically comment on our daily lives. They echo the grey bricklike of his large-scale painting and are also made from strips of paper he gave me; it is hand milled in Amalfi and he uses for the series of artist books he publishes as EOS Edizioni. It is a nod to our shared interest of combining images, words and artist books.

Travel Series (2016) is the beginning of a series of artist books that will combine images and words that I collect from travels, each is dedicated to a different city. The words in these are becoming more fully integrated with and as a part of the images. The letters’ shapes take on color and form occupying space to enhance the face value of sayings collected.