At the beginning of January, a box from Seth Apter appeared in my post office box and I was so excited to open it and see what he had sent for the artx12 collaboration. His book’s theme is voyage/journey. I posted a not so great video of it on my Instagram stories. (My apologies- I honestly don’t understand stories and this was my attempt to do it. One day I will figure it out.) You can see what his book looks like. His first spread had a scientific exploration of the universe feel to it. I did the spread after his and went in a different direction.
My spread is more about the inward journey. I used maps and wax and cloth and ink and one of my photos. On the bottom right corner I wrote: May the journey bring clarity.
When I was working on this spread I was forcing myself back into the studio after my friend’s service -1) my creative process has always been a way for me to process deeper emotions 2) I had to start working because I have deadlines coming up. Working in a book form has always been a non-pressure way to begin anew in the studio. I’m not sure why. Maybe because working in journal form whether through writing or through visual means is so familiar to me. Or that it’s not as intimidating as a blank canvas. Or maybe it was the theme.
We are all on our own journeys, and some points we all feel lost and lacking clarity. But it is through the process that we learn, if not about the great outside world, but at least about ourselves.
“I go in conquest up and down the earth, when I must know that the thing must be wrested out of my own soul…. The answer is in me, or it is nowhere. I do not come asking you. I ask only myself. If it were in you, you could not impart it to me. I could not understand your words. I must bring the answer and the interpretation out of me. Until then I must go unanswered.” ~Muriel Strode (1875–1964), “A Soul’s Faring: XXXII,” A Soul’s Faring, 1921
This pages are so strong and visually organic. And I love the way the two pages are wholly unique and yet work so perfectly well together. It will be many months until I get to se this in person but I am already excited. And so very pleased that we have crossed paths so often on our own journeys.
Me too Seth- it is crazy to think about the fact that our paths crossed over 12 years ago! I put a little piece of black paper on the right hand side- I think it fell off your previous spread but I couldn’t figure out where it came from! So I added it to mine, which works nicely as it incorporates a bit of the universe….