to the TECH ART BOOK Blog
My first post seemed like it should be an introduction to me and the theme of this blog. But let me open with, Welcome to my musings around creativity, being a maker, journaling, book as art, from a somewhat displaced and confused technologist.
Who I am and why and I'm writing to the virtual world today?
At my very core I am a maker. I grew up making things with my parents, baking, needle point, wood working, doll houses, quilting, flower arranging, and so much more. I watched my Dad bring to life countless home improvement project that always began with a piece of scrap paper and a sketch. My sister drew, painted, and decorated cakes. My Mom, crocheted, cross stitched, painted ceramics, baked, sewed clothes for us and our dolls and more. In this environment who wouldn’t become a maker. My family surrounded, protected and inspired me as a child and shaped me into the creative person I am today. Through the years, my creativity, like my family, has been my safe heaven and joy.
I’ve explored and made many things and practiced many art forms from my early days creating with my family, as a young arts student in school and as a museum professional working in arts education. I studied Art and Art History in undergraduate and graduate school. I worked in museums for a decade. Then directed my creativity toward web design and technology, quickly letting it become my career. But the arts always call to me. I’ve been fortunate to combine my love of art and making things with a career in the arts field doing many different things from public programing, education, communications and writing to technology and building and managing websites.
It my odyssey through the arts, the single most life transforming experience was my introduction to the medium of Book as Art. While working in the education department at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, I became engrossed with their Book as Art collection, shepherded, and cared for by the brilliant Krystana Wasserman. As a developer of educational programs, I missed no opportunity to invite a Book as Art artists to the museum to hold workshops and then selfishly, along side other eager participants, learned the craft and beauty of building artistic books. The medium spoke to every fiber of my being. If you want to hear more about that, read my artistic statement.
What is Book as Art?
Simply stated Book as Art is an art form based on the book.
Early books were developed by the Romans to replace scrolls and they were called codex. The first printed book is believed to have originated in China around 868AD and was printed using wood block. If you consider the Book as Art form today, it has become so much more than a traditional book with spins, signatures, and pages. A book structure can take many different forms. Book as Art artists aren’t bound by rules and their books don’t require any traditional components that make up a book, such as a spine, signatures, or even pages that turn.
Its structure can be folded, bound, sculpted, sewn or glued. It can hold words, images, photographs, found objects or have obscured words or be completely abstract in its presentation. It’s an object of beauty for its own sake. It often communicates or tells a story, but it’s not required. A book's story might be quite literal, like reading a traditional novel, or it could be obscure. The artist may choose to invoke feelings, share memories, or just explore typography, shapes, or colors. The result is a work of art that is personal, tactile, interactive, and intimate.
What can you expect of me from here?
That this will likely be the longest blog post on my website. I like to keep things short and to the point. I won’t promise anything in particular. I plan to let this adventure into blogging grow organically. But do expect the occasional post focused on technique or inspiration. Those are the things I’m always looking out for so I’m going to assume other creatives like me are too.
Happy Book Making.
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