Bookbinding Projects

Then he brings the shell closer, and the shell too is a book; it is what has spoken those terrible things. Borges, J. L. (1984). Seven nights (Vol. 576). New Directions Publishing.

Mostly coptic binding!

Cuirassier’s Armor:

I created a coptic-bound book using Open Access images of armor from The Met and The Cleveland Museum of Art, printed on speckled light-blue paper. The integration of steel piercings, charms, and the O-ring are elemental expressions of the inner content of the pages, which are forms of metal armor. This book arts project explores the medium as an avenue of creative expression (unique in appearance) and as a container of knowledge (a catalogue of medieval armor). The armor in the “text” is used for cutting down enemies, reflecting the act of piercing through the (once-living) shell covers as the book was hand-crafted. The bright red color of the thread emphasizes the path that the (metal) needle followed to create this object. Just as bookbinding weaves together pages and information, the text content and physical expression of the book are also interconnected. The reader/viewer of these books are able to navigate the text in a non-linear and multi-channel manner, as it can be picked up and handled. Additional zines are planned for this series to also interweave images and physical forms of bones, rocks, lace, and inks, using Open Access resources from museums and other archives..

10 coptic-stitch notebooks, 5×7 inches with 24 pages of heavy-weight sketchbook paper

Designed for a cohort of community organizers with the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project!

Bookbinding project with scallop shells as covers.

I used coptic-binding to stitch together heavy-weight sketchbook paper, with metal elements in the spine for stability and decorative detail. The incorporated materials of seashell, linen thread, cotton paper, and steel offers opportunity to tactically explore the artistic possibilities of the DIY book. These sketchbooks are designed blank to be used!