Elizabeth Sher
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24 x 9
x 5
in
This book which is 12 x 40” is ink on rice paper written with bamboo pen and sepia ink. On the top of the box is the word BLOG in Hebrew. It is a daily record of the artist’s month long stay at Can Serrat residency in Barcelona, Spain in 2010 written in automatic writing. She started making automatic writing "drawings" and paintings in her studio which she continued at Can Serrat. A part of that was the daily "blogging" on her rice paper scroll. People have suggested that it looks like Chinese but it is only invented or automatic language which had begun spilling out of her. As she wrote each day she realized that she was, in fact, blogging. One of the things about artist books is the packaging and the way in which this aspect of each project can enhance and contextualize the content. Probably because she is Jewish, when she thinks of scrolls she is reminded of the Torah. So the scroll handles refer to the handles of a torah scroll and the dark blue velvet "floor" of the box again refers to the traditional coverings of torah scrolls. Traditionally Jews are buried in plain pine boxes, so she felt a plain wooden box would enhance this reference as well the aesthetic of the project. The references, mixed as they are, appeal to Sher’s desire as an artist to expand the possibilities of association and connection for viewers in all of my work.
$3,500