Book-a-Week: Eyes

 

This is a very experimental book. I made the paper a couple of months ago using the Japanese method of sheet forming. I had printed the eyes from a lino block on vintage paper and then imbedded the individual prints in between layers of Kozo fiber. The Kozo fiber is very strong but translucent, allowing the printed image to be visible.


I had put aside the paper until recently when I was experimenting with beeswax. I dipped the sheets in a tray of molten beeswax. Some sheets I submerged entirely, others I dipped halfway or two-thirds of the way. When they had cooled, I placed the sheets between blotter paper and ironed off the excess beeswax.

The beeswax intensified the translucency of the paper and the imbedded images. When folded and stacked, the eyes were visible through several layers. The result is a delicate, but surprisingly strong book.

Week No. 2
Untitled (Eyes)
single signature, 10 pages
handmade Kozo paper, linocuts, beeswax
7.25 x 7.25"