The Story is a series of works that focuses on moments of disruption and the breaking of serenity within “unthinkable” landscapes. They comment on the climate crisis while reminding us of the fantasies of surreal bedtime stories. The Great Derangement, Climate Change and the Unthinkable, by Amitav Ghosh introduced me to the ‘unthinkable’ ways in which climate change is left out of some industries’ discourse. In particular, this occurs in the publishing world where ‘climate disasters’ are thought of as ‘impossible events’ that challenge the reality of a book, even while such events are happening today. How can I situate the viewer in a world where such ‘unthinkable’ events are the norm?
Lamp: Today, there is a storm (2022)
Book 1: Where the Sidewalk Drowns (2022)
Book 2: The Giving Trees (2022)
Book 3: Dream Swallower (2023)
Process Documentation | W.I.P.
Works
The Story
Today, there is a storm...
2022
16.5" Diameter, H: 10.5"
5 color Screenprint glued to lamp shade
In Today, there is a storm… I aim to remind onlookers of storytelling and the fantastical, preparing a mindset to read what might happen next in “The Story”. The title is a spin off “Once upon a time, there was...” Instead, time is in the present, and is tangible. The design is continuous, and it’s meant to appear different when operating the lamp. With the light on, the open areas of the print let light through, emphasizing the animals (fleeing from) the storm (represented by clouds and lightning). Smaller details become visible with the backlight. With the light off, the silver layer on top of the CMYK print glimmers. In conjunction with the purple tones, these elements invoke space and the cosmos.
Where the Sidewalk Drowns
2022
Open: 5.5" x 21.5"
Closed 5.5" x 4 x 0.5"
Handmade Accordion Book, Double sided Collagraph, Screen-printed Text
Dark Version and Light Version
The front page of the book features the following text, made through screen printing:
“It’s 7pm, and we discover that we are 1 egg and 2 cups of sugar short of a batch of cookies. The store is not too far away, about 40 minutes rowing. The street lamps will light our way. We’re looking forward to hot cookies out of the oven if we get back.”
It is followed by a black collagraph of two people in a rowboat surrounded by choppy waters. The back side of the book also shows two people in a rowboat surrounded by choppy waters. However, they are at a smaller scale, revealing a flooded street illuminated by street lamps. The gray tone of the paper works with the blue of the book covers and the collagraph to generate a contemplative-moody, and still tone. Where the Sidewalk Drowns juxtaposes the fondly remembered, but annoying task of running out of ingredients when making cookies, with the dangers and increasing frequency of flooding events.
Using modeling paste and a small ridged trowel like object, waves of varying thicknesses were made on the collagraph plates. Detail areas like the boat, and street lamps are the result of PVA and Polyacrylic glue mixed with Carborundum powder. Additionally, to achieve an even tone on the back images, a wash of Carborundum powder was applied to the matrix, except for the “lit” areas. The front and back pages were printed via intaglio on separate pieces of paper that were then glued together to form the final page.
The Giving Trees
2022
Open: 6" x 21.5"
Closed: 6" x 4" x 0.5"
Handmade Accordion Book, Double sided Laser-cut Relief Print, Screen-printed Text
Edition of 3
The front page of the book features the following text, made through screen printing:
“After backpacking across Europe, I am finally exploring South America! The fauna! The flora! The Giant Vines! Alas, it seems my journey will be a short one. A giant weedwacker has cleared everything not visible from the road. I can even see the river from here. I hope no-one notices from the pictures I took.”
It is followed by a black laser cut relief print of a person, a traveler crying a backpack, emerging from a vine forest. They are in a white silhouette, but still somewhat hidden in the full image. Lines from the laser cutter flow horizontally, implying movement in the still image. The print on the opposite side of the book is also a laser cut relief print. The same figure, at an earlier time, approaches the entrance to the forest. The “trees” loom large above him, and the sky is now visible. This book presents a surreal situation and environment. The juxtaposition of the idea of “Love of nature” with “shallow crow facing motivations,” the expectation of the forest with the reality of logging, and the large “vines” with the insect sized person contribute to that effect.
Through the manipulation of images in photoshop and illustrator, the final design images were formatted for use by the laser cutter. Draft board was then engraved and cut to form the two matrices used. The front and back pages were printed via relief on the front and back of the same piece of paper, which was then cut and folded to form the accordion book. The screenprint text was added after.
Dream Swallower
2023