Library Spirits Sculpture
Books that capture our imagination have an energy, or spirit, that infuses the pages like an aura, a tea or perfume. The physical nature of books — covers, pages, printed ink, are precious like bones and flesh. These simple little sculptures are made of book pages, paper maché, wood, and a few book covers. Each sculpture seeks to animate a book spirit. Books ride through time independently of their characters and authors’ deaths, whose presences continue with us. A beloved character may seem very real to an avid reader, living with them like a ghost. “Animal spirits” means different things to different people in their own contexts; resonating through the many animals figures, covered with pages and words. An old, battered book retains a magical aspect — I refigure their papery bones into dimensional shapes.
Honoring Dia de los Muertos Traditions
Making this homage to Mexican Day of the Dead art traditions is a celebration of the continuity of humanity through our mortality. These little altar/scenes are my contributions as sparkly, fun memorials of lived events and everyday experiences. The energies from individual lives, full of emotions and doings, echo beyond our small stories into a larger, communal one. Butterflies, a symbol of the soul, flutter prominently through these pieces. The dead partied before you did, and you are part of the parade. Gracias todos artistas, artesanos, antepasados, y viajeros. I honor and give eternal gratitude to these cultures and traditions in making these Skeleton Boxes.
Similar sculpture work can be purchased at the Art Under $100 Event that is annually hosted by South Park Arts.
