Silk organza, DASS transfers, wood dowel, and embroidery thread
24 x 20 inches
2014
Shroud is a sculptural artist book that houses my frustrations toward my family, and my roll in the family. These feeling are usually hidden deep in my mind and rarely make it to the surface. However when these frustrations do surface, they tend to overwhelm and engulf my emotional state. It is hard to step back from these spiraling thoughts. This artist book is a visual representation of these dark emotions and thoughts, and how I hide them away from my daily existence.
Shroud is a sculptural book that is comprised of five separate books. Each book is bound using a modified Daifuku Cho stab binding. Daifuku Cho binded books were traditionally hung by the spine with a long cord in order to save the books from potential fires by throwing them in the river. The books could then be pulled out after the fire is suppressed. Shroud is hung around eye level, so the viewer is forced to wade through them to read them all. The sheer black fabric drapes and moves as the viewer opens each page. It is almost impossible to open and read the contents of each book. This mimics my own reluctance in facing these negative emotions and thoughts. The books are almost unreadable because of their physical features and the emotional content inside of them.