Challenge

As a part of a graduate book arts course, students were asked to design a one of a kind artist book around a personal narrative.

Strategy

Burning Bridges is an autobiographical account of personal relationships that have been terminated over the course of my lifetime. Deemed beyond repair, these tumultuous relationships were permanently cast aside, an act which was both emotionally and physically taxing. In designing the piece, I attempted to represent the relationships both literally and metaphorically, using scale, materials, and textures to weave a rich narrative.

Results

The resulting piece took the format of a series of small books nestled within a matchbox slipcase. Each book was hand bound with raw hemp and beeswax. An excess of hemp, the length of which related to the intensity and duration of the relationship, continues from the binding and wraps around the book, restricting the content from the viewer’s eyes.