Purely with embossed text, the pages of this book further my explorations with ratio, shape, space, and what it means for a book to follow a sequential order. Text from St Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians is interspersed with text from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” in two languages (my native language, and the language of my heritage). 2008. On most pages, an overleaf conceals parts of sentences, when opened the entire sentence imparts a different/alternate meaning. Overleaves open in different ways, encouraging reader interaction. 2008. 3.5″w x7″h x5″d, suede cover over Arches Text Wove sheets, coptic bound with linen binder’s thread. All text letterpress: Franklin Gothic and Centaur typefaces.

Pages are Mom’s recipes I found 2013 while helping her move to Senior Housing. They struck me as cultural propaganda: ‘buy this cake mix,’ ‘use this flavouring,’ ‘shop at this grocery store’ and…voila—no longer the daughter of an early 20th-century Eastern European immigrant, you are one of us, a fully-integrated American housewife! 2014 and 2021. 6.25″w x 9.25″h x 2″d, linen book cloth over book board, concertina binding stitched with glass beads, actual recipes Mom tore and cut from magazines and newspapers; label on cover is what Mom had on the bag that held this stash of recipes.  

A commentary on the erosion of trust. 2015. “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” Lewis Carrol, 1871; St Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians 1/13, “Widze mi sie” (It appears to me) http://polishslavic.pitt.edu/polish (retr 15.09.2015); Canson Edition, Canson Mi-teintes, Fabriano Drawing, Strathmore Tracing 300 Series; Centaur MT Regular and Bold and Futura BT Extra Black typefaces; printed on HP Photosmart Plus 8210 Series; stitching is unbleached linen binder’s thread, and cotton embroidery floss is woven into the binding holes and strewn in frays alongside the binding edge to simulate the fraying of words when their meaning is eroded.

Mom’s Holiday Chocolate Fudge Recipe, with individual letters incised and cut, and dusted with confectionary sugar, mirror-image to simulate metal type. Reflected here in a mirror to reinforce—and to help gallery viewers read—the title. 2017. This playful piece—each ‘block of type’ approx 1″ x 1″ x 1.25″—was designed and made for an edible book exhibit, in which it won the award for “Tastiest” entry. Definitely not archival, devoured by exhibit patrons 🙂

Designed for an edible book exhibit, in which it won the “Most Book-Like” award. Not archival, simply yummy! 2019. Phyllo dough ‘leaves’ simulate pages in this medieval-proportions*-inspired ‘book’ which was baked, ‘bound’ with caramel (butter and brown sugar), and sprinkled with gold food-grade sparkle dust. 12″ x 8″ x 2″ to approximate the *Golden Ratio (the proportion of many [most?] medieval and Renaissance books).