Heavenly Series
In
the Heavenly Series, bookplate illustrations from Guy's Elements of
Astronomy, published 1845-1865, as well as First Book in Astronomy, published
in 1844, are cut and recombined. Weaving the paper intuitively,
responding to the existing illustrations' linear and graphic
patterning, allows for a new symbolism to form. The planets, orbital
arcs and their phases are divorced from their intended scientific
charting and when re-assembled present a new universe of lines,
spheres and angles. Threads are sewn into the woven surface of
fragmented images creating a dense iconography, resulting in an
alternative patterning. A unique perspective of the mapping of the
skies is depicted utilizing the antique materials.
In the astronomy books from the 1800's the observations of the universe provide a record of our fascination and curiosity for the mysterious cosmos beyond. That quest for understanding continues to capture our imaginations and propels us further.
In the astronomy books from the 1800's the observations of the universe provide a record of our fascination and curiosity for the mysterious cosmos beyond. That quest for understanding continues to capture our imaginations and propels us further.
Ovum – Homage to Margaret Fuller
Ovum takes physical, material, and intellectual inspiration from Margaret Fuller Ossoli's Woman In The Nineteenth Century, and Kindred Papers Relating to the Sphere, Condition and Duties, of Woman. Boston, 1855, Introduction by Horace Greeley, Edited by her brother Arthur F. Fuller.
Sarah Margaret Fuller Ossoli (1810 – 1850) was an educator, social reformer, transcendentalist, critic, abolitionist, the first American female foreign correspondent and woman's rights advocate. One of her most significant works Woman in the Nineteenth Century is considered the first major feminist work in the United States, first published in 1845.
An advocate for woman's education and the right to employment, Fuller argued that “we would have every path laid open to Woman as freely as to Man.” She challenged existing ideas and explored the essence of gender in her writings of the 1840's, giving birth to the idea of empowerment of women, a “fullness of being” for both men and women and ultimately feminist ideals. It has become one of the major documents in American feminism.