twenty five years

boook love

Books have always been a huge part of my life and to this day I will jump at the opportunity to spend the afternoon in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and a great book.  I remember coming home from school every day when I was 8 years old and sitting on top of the monkey bars in our backyard reading until dark...I was convinced that I was going to be an author or librarian :)  While I still spend much of my free time (ha ha what free time?) reading, I've also begun to make my own books in the last couple years. Some would say my interests in making books has partially been inspired by my childlike fascination for texture, colour and pattern; but it also feeds into my desires to create books that have been well made with precision and accuracy.

Japanese stab bound book containing a collection of old family photographs printed on acetate

tacket bound book containing a collection of seeds and plant growth instructions

An inspiring and innovative friend of mine, Theresa Duong, incorporated a great deal of bookbinding in her jewellery thesis work this past year. She describes the themes and purpose of her work as follows: By recreating, repurposing, and repositioning the book form, I am emphasizing that the binding holds everything together and that each of these parts, like humans, placed in the context of the body, are created for a purpose fitting into their ordained place of perfect design.   Feel free to check out some of her jewellery and bookbinding work at http://theresaduong.com/.

Lavender

sterling silver and brass

Collection is most often referred to as the action or process of collecting an assembly of items that hold a combination of symbolic, historical and aesthetic value.   These values are often associated with themes of history, identity, and community and the important relationships they have with one another.  Drawing inspiration from the themes and characters in the film Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer, I have chosen to fabricate a small collection of bullets that embrace traditional forms of Russian lace and the role of women in Ukraine during the Second World War.   Much of the film is about understanding one’s own cultural heritage and values; while also acknowledging the memories that are tied to these relationships.  Upon reflecting on the ways in which Ukrainian culture was portrayed in the film during the Second World War I have come to better understand the effect and impact of war on women and the varying ways with which they’ve contributed to serving their country.  This collection of bullets is meant to embrace these themes - through the integration of Russian lace, a bullet, and the lingering scent of lavender – leaving the mere trace of a memory that can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

experimentation with saw piercing lace patterns in sterling silver

forming sterling silver sheet and experimenting with brass bullet tips on the lathe

I have chosen to present this collection of bullets in a box that was inspired by traditional ammunition cartons - I'd have liked to build this box in wood and potentially screenprint the lace pattern from the bullets on the outside slipcover..but I will have to save that project for another day!

the inside of the bullet has been filled with wool, soaked in essential lavender oil, in hope that this lingering scent may invoke traces of memory that can be interpreted in various ways.