Handmade Art Book
I created this handmade hard-bound book with vibrant, abstract imagery. It is 14” x 14” across with letterpress embossed cover text, making it the opposite of unassuming or shy.
I was drawn to the idea of the artist as her own muse: often, if I have an idea, I’ll use myself as a model simply because… I’m here! It’s easier and faster than finding another person to work with. Then, this trail of thought wandered over to our portrayal of self-as-muse on social media - constantly sharing images of ourselves online.
What’s that line between confidently putting your image out there, and being seen as a narcissist? Our society regularly deems people, often young women, who have a large visible presence online as vapid and vain.
With all this in mind, I created this book of ‘shy’ self portraits featuring broken digital images of myself turned into abstract colorfields.
There was some element of catharsis in destroying my self portrait photos. Since the process took several steps and multiple programs, it felt simultaneously purposeful yet still out of my control. Below are some broken photos that didn’t make it into the final book.
