As previously posted here, I am involved in an Altered Book collaboration with Jill, Veronica, Rita, Roxanne, and Supria. Called Inner Works, we have each chosen our own book and our own theme. Each artist will have the opportunity to work in each book once as they (the books, not the artists) rotate by mail. My theme is Distressed Elements and my book is now in the creative hands of Veronica. And I am currently working in Jill's spectacular book, with the theme of Designs in Nature. What follows is an image of my cover and some detail shots from the inside pages I have completed. I am holding off showing the completed pages at this time so that there will still be the element of discovery for the other partcipants. Click here to go to our group blog, Inner Works, for more photographs and and some thoughts about my chosen theme and book. Click images to enlarge.
29 comments:
You know those Blog awards that epople make up out of thin air and award to each other?.....you deserve a REAL award for participating in the most collaborative projects without loosing your mind. I assume.
This one, like the others, is beautiful and complex. I have to go and lie down with a cold cloth on my forehead now.
Really excellent, Seth!
You have an amazing eye for beauty.
And an incredible abiltity to bring it all together in the most pleasing ways.
What an incredible project! I love visiting your blog for 1) the beautiful art, and 2) the cool projects you're involved in ......
This "distresssed out" stuff is really cool
Okay, Seth?
We don't have to get married, but I must have your baby.
This DNA is too good not to replicate.
Looks fantastic Seth. I love your chosen theme, looking forward to seeing more as the books progress.
Seth I just LOVE your work! Thank you for sharing your vision with us all. I just told my husband that I never thought I would enjoy getting on the computer but lovers like you have captured my heart. Now I am on the lookout for Rust beauties during my daily quests for Art stuff. Imagine and live in Peace, Mary Helen
This is such an amazing post of your Distressed Elements Altered Book. As I slowly look at each page and the pictures you've chosen to show us, I can envision the following scenario. You've come home from a flea market with what you thought was just a box of old books. You slowly start to unpack the carton, looking at each book. There are some familiar titles and the rest look like old books from the 1940s to present. And then, you pick up the last book and your heart starts to pound. You just know. You can't believe what you've just found. You hold this book in your hands, so delicate and at the same time so strong, rusted with old photos and a background of old letters, with hinges of rust and colors that are so vivid of oranges, browns and coppered green/ blues. You realize that someone has painstakingly made this book of mementos from their life- each detail representing a special moment - feeling, thought or time that they wanted to hold on to- literally so tight that they actually wrapped parts of the book so that they could think they would hold on to it forever. Their time passed, and if you listen carefully, you can imagine the music and surroundings of where this book lived, who it belonged to - was it the woman's book, was it about her, her family? It conjures up so many thoughts, questions, reflections.
I can't wait to get the special gift of being able to hold, work in, and be a part of this magical book- to see it unfold in front of my very eyes. Jill
Hi Seth!
My friend..Judy...sent me. I just wanted to let you know that I love your work and look forward to seeing more! (Now I see why Judy sent me....I am nothing but about "distressed metal". The more I have the more of "heaven" I am in! :)
xo...deb
Seth, i am so excited to see these pieces of your book... the first photograph is my favorite, especially when I looked at a close up of the bottom portion... This project is so much fun, and challenging... which I love!! roxanne
I'm loving the metal hinges with the text behind them. Can't wait to see how they all come together.
Great work, just great. Love the elements you've taken and reworked. It's so comforting to know others pick up these pieces and can see them with the same sort of appreciation I do. Thanks for "normalizing" me! - Jeanne
The hinge!!!! I was thinking about you the other day. Walking home in the rain, I saw a gorgeously weathered and battered piece of metal in the road, being driven over by every second truck. That one was so embedded in the tarmac that I couldn't dig it out. However, I now spend all my rainy walks looking at the ground instead of the dreary skies. It's ok - I look out for trucks as well.
Hi Seth,
I am so glad I found your site. Your stuff is so cool! I love your Distressed out theme for your book with all the rusty bits and narly pieces. I am looking at my barn full of old junk with new eyes. :)
Seth, this project is fantastic! You guys should have a show of the books when they are completed. Thank you for letting us peek inside one of them.
Your someone after my own heart the old rusted and tattered have so much soul. What could all the stories be behind all the bits and pieces. Thanks for sharing your process.
I love participating in AB RR's and collaborations. I have learned so much through the process. I know your going to have wonderous stories to tell.
This is great Seth.
Intriguing and beautiful. Hope we get to see more of them soon.
Hi Seth,
SO beautiful! I'm totally amazed by the rusty, used, distressed artifacts you add to your beautiful artwork... I recently found something I thought to be really, really cool; and my husband saw it and asked, "What are you doing with that rusty old muffler clamp!?"... sort of took the mystique out of it! :D
Thanks for your very kind comments re: the Moleskine cover! xoxo
wow - these will be amazing
Can't wait to see more. Wonderful work...Joy
Disintegration, an endless source of inspiration! And what you do with it is no lessthan excellent!
These are wonderful Seth, I can hardly wait to have the book in my hands!
Seth,
You have always got some great project going on. I love what you've been up to. I wish I would have stopped by to notice your earlier disintegration collaboration. I would've jumped at the chance.
Beautiful works here!
Hmm...the last piece...( ...I listened...) beautiful. I thought it was purposely cut off....it made me think of a poem....(I'll find it)
OK - here it goes:
by Naomi Nye -
Life is a tangle of
twisting paths.
Some short.
Some long.
There are dead ends.
And there are choices.
And wrong turns,
and detours,
and yield signs,
and instruction booklets,
and star maps,
and happiness,
and loneliness.
And friends.
And sisters.
And love.
And poetry.
Life is a maze.
You are a maze.
Amazed.
And amazing.
I think I'll have to try to do an abstract on this poem.
Beautiful work, again, Seth.
Seth...WOW!...As usual...you have truly created magic...I can't wait to be able to touch the elements and feel the energies from each distressed piece...I am honoured that I get to work on the book too very soon....
I love your work truly,
Supria
Love, love the old rusty pieces and color in the backgrounds...off to click the link and see the inspiration!
your work has such depth!
each layer has another tug to get you to go further and further into each aspect of the journey you take us on
with another profound message laying there waiting to be discovered!
your work ROCKS!
Who knew "distress" could be such a good thing! :)
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