My father died at the beginning of this month - losing his dignity to motor neurone disease and so in many ways, his passing was the kindest thing. His death coincided with the second of the collaborative works Fiona and I have been working on and not surprisingly, this heartbreak translated into a book dedicated to my father.
There is so much layering in the book, which stands upright in four separate though joined sections representing the four in our family. Separate though connected. The books is a mix of hard and soft which is how I think of my father, but even the hard aluminium and the mica seemed to turn warm and tender in the making of this book. There are messages to him, embossings of his initials and mine and the birds he so loved. But he loved the ocean best - and this I have represented on the front of each section with threadlines forming the ebb and flow of the tide.
I won't say any more about this book as I think the images speak louder than any of my words ...
Beautiful and very moving.
ReplyDeleteDiane.
Thanks Diane. It was a moving experience making this book and it is nice to know that it reveals that sense.
DeleteThis is beautiful, Susan: breath, life, air, waves, winds, depths, horizons, memories, in and out, deeply felt. A lovely way to remember ....
ReplyDeleteIt is a delight to me that viewers of my book have been able to sense all these dimensions and elements. Thank you Ann.
DeleteDelicate, thoughtful and endearing, full of fluctuaring emotions.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment - am glad those emotions are visible.
DeleteWhat a beautiful tribute to your father and your memories of him... simply lovely. I love the threads.. threads of life.. the beginning, the middle and the end.
ReplyDeleteI love your interpretation of the threads Donna. For me, they helped me bring to book together - not just in the 'bound' sense but in the waves of threads indicating the ebb and flow of tides - like emotions. Like families. Connected not bound - so many ways to read this book. One very serendipitous happening is the loose threads bundling into curls which remind me of my unruly head of Welsh curls. That was unexpected and made me smile.
ReplyDeletevery beautiful and a fine, so fine, tribute.
ReplyDeleteThank you Velma - I think that making a 'tribute' actually made me think differently about this book. More carefully perhaps. Mind you, don't think I want to put that amount of emotion into every book!
DeleteI don't even know where to begin. Such a wonderful tribute to your father and your family. So full of movement and life. You take us so far on a journey and hint at what's to come next with the tendrils of threads...or were they the beginning?
ReplyDeletei have really loved and appreciated your response to this book Jennifer - from the earlier postings to this. You have a way with words and your appreciation and understanding of what I do always means a great deal to me. Thank you x
DeleteYes,really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie. I will think of you as I look at the threads in this book as your threads, and also recently Fiona's threads gave me the courage to use stitching - has been a long time in coming but I think it really suited this book.
DeleteSusan....a very beautiful tribute to your father....yes, the threads and the subtle colors, almost shimmering in the light. Thanks for sharing this piece with us!
ReplyDeleteHi Patti. Truth is, this book actually lights up when the light pours through it and catches the threads and mica. Don't think I have actually made a piece before that seems to need the light as this one does. Thanks for noticing.
DeleteThis is so beautiful Susan - and in the flesh; even more so. The layering of meaning and the coherence of the storytelling is so right; and how you have approached the mica and the shim and made them yours is truly wonderful. I love the threads and the wavy lines of stitching and the way they stand together, yet individually as well. A beautiful tribute...
ReplyDeleteReally I can thank you largely for this book - bringing along the aluminium to match my cover, and the shim made all the difference to how I worked this book. Both materials I had not really worked with before and it encouraged me to work with light and reflection. This book responds so well to light and I think this made what could have been quite a bleak tribute to my father in dark depths of paper, into something tender and warm. And happy ...... at last.
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