Burnt Book Series: "Line Drawing"

Burnt Book Series

This art work began life as a book. I found it in a burn pile in the back of a 250 year old farmhouse, surrounded by vineyards in the wine growing region of Catalonia, Spain. I was  attending a month long artist-in-residence program at the time at  Mas els Igols, located about 50 miles outside of Barcelona.

I dug dozens of these disintegrating books out of the burn pile. Many

of them collapsed in my hands as I attempted to salvage them, but

some of them were still in tact. Most were covered in mold, and all of

them were soaking wet. I drenched them in bleach, dried them out in the scorching Spanish sun, and when they were dry, I began to take them apart, little by little.  

Some of them still had images on the pages. I did my best to salvage

these. Some of the pages appeared perfect to me, just the way

I found them. All had endured an initiation by fire, yet had somehow survived.

For me, this series is a metaphor for the human spirit:  despite the trials and tribulations endured throughout a life time, our spirit manages to persevere, survive, and occasionally create something of beauty. 

Paper on Paper Collage
Size: 12" X 16"
Price: $200
SOLD