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Artist Statement:

The long tooth of the Lord Our God bit my childhood. Hard. My father, a dentist with a degenerative neurological disease, took me to church every Sunday until my mother divorced him, and we were politely asked to leave the congregation. I've since divorced myself from such superstitions, but at the back of my mind lurks those familiar prayers. I catch myself repeating them during holidays, mouthing the words my father taught me to say. When he's gone, will those be the only words I remember? I'd like to think my family is happy, but there are relationships where one only knows the currency of guilt and shame.

Greg Young

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Hand on Heart: A Pledge

Artist Statement:

On May 30th 2007 at the Jeanne rose Wagner Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA- 201 new citizens were naturalized, coming from 51 countries- I was just one. Feeling the need to express my voting rights and having lived in the USA for 10 years, my husband and I decided to apply for our Citizenship. the process for us- White, British and working on Green Cards- though a little long, was relatively pain free. at the Ceremony the new citizens were encouraged to tell of their physical and emotional journey to arrive to the USA and to that day of Naturalization- listening to their stories was a humbling experience. Some came with stories of escaping war-torn regimes, poverty, starvation and oppression on nightmarish journeys. My personal response to the day was in a piece of art, and 'Hand on Heart: A Pledge' was the result.

Deborah Durban

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Double Standards

Artist Statement:

This work "Double Standards" considers the pros and cons of being an American. The hidden structure emphasizes the duality of citizenship in the United States. The back ground on each side of the paper further explores this seemingly inherent duality. One side (pros) suggests a beehive- a place of safety, home and an organic feeling of being part of the whole. On the reverse (the cons), the background theme opens up the inner mechanisms of a machine. The machine is man-made, industrial and also lends itself to the feeling of belonging to part of a greater whole, but with less positive results. Finally, each page uses a symbol that serves as a metaphor for each word. DIVERSITY, FREEDOM and PROSPERITY were chosen for the positive aspects of life as an American. However, the other experiences are to be had as a citizen that include: INTOLERANCE, DISCRIMINATION and INEQUALITY.

Joy Stein

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Becoming President

Artist Statement:

This piece is a poetic "snapshot" that takes as a starting point our freedom not only to vote but the freedom to run for office. We are currently in the presidential primary season and I'm aware more than ever that democracy is messy, that it is expensive, and that ideals (and candidates) can become a bit battered, but somehow a dialogue develops between candidates and voters- the process may not be perfect, but it works and democracy is worth the trouble! Technically, the book is made up of photo transfers, drawing, and assembled paper cutouts. The accordion fold style will allow it to be exhibited standing up with all the pages visible at once.

Marie Weaver

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Scratches

Artist Statement:

When I was in middle school my father told me a ghost story about a woman he knew who moved into a house that formerly belonged to a scientist rumored to have performed experiments on human bodies in his laboratory in the basement of the house. The woman claimed an old incinerator and other tools and jars were still in the basement when she moved in. She claims to have heard scratches and experienced other ghostly encounters in the room above the lab. As I was researching Alabama folklore I came upon the exact tale, so decided to do a book about it since it is both a tale from my family and in the folklore as well. The book illustrates the jars and other paraphernalia that the woman found in the basement.

Madison Stubblefield

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abuelita

Artist Statement:

This collaboration began as a response to some similar experiences that we both shared with our great-grandmothers. I have fond memories of saving food scraps for the large amount of birds that my great-grandmother cared for. Over the course of many years my great-grandmother had begun to attract quite a large amount of little friends that were always ready for her to come out and feed them. I decided that using a bird as a reliquary for the small intimate book that Adam and I created would be a great image to represent this similar familial history of the bird. The color scheme that I chose for the bird was influenced by a recent trip that I made to Mexico. Throughout this trip I began to explore this culture and how it views death. The bright use of color that adorns many headstones was the main reason that I chose these vivid colors. When using these bright colors in the context of death, it became evident that their loved ones were truly celebrating the individuals what had passed away. This bird and the book inside have become a testament to the lives of our great-grandmothers.

Victoria Hogan

The content of the book is in response to my great-grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's. The most difficult part of the disease was, no doubt, her memory loss. As a young boy it deeply affected me that, in the later years of her life, she was unable to remember who I was. Shortly after my great-grandmother passed away, there was a bird that seemed to visit my family regularly. With the grief still burdening me, it was comforting to think that perhaps this bird was a sign from her to help me during my grieving process. It was easy for me to make this association since I had often spent time with her, feeding the birds.

Adam Stoves

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Open Heart

Artist Statement:

My work in photography, whether pinhole or standard, has always aimed at revealing edges of the mystery of life, aging, death and transformation. Often surreal, the images that I prefer seem to exist on the edge of the dream world, of one’s internal landscape.

My current work began during my sister’s battle with cancer. I became obsessed with what was going on inside her body and began the series of internal organs sewn onto photographs of the human figure. In addition to my sister, my oldest son, both my parents and two close artist/collaborator friends died over the past few years. I have done hand work all my life and the comfort of doing that on my photographs has helped me through a very long grieving period in addition to adding a dimension to the scope and impact of my ideas.

Pinky/MM Bass

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Remember What Is Important

Artist Statement:

This book addresses the adage- “Less is more” by using archetypal symbols to represent layers of meaning. The string tied around the finger is used as a reminder to not forget something that is important. When the hands are opened the book becomes a “cat’s cradle” revealing an origami inspired pop-up- that both relate to childhood games, crafts and children’s books. I believe it is necessary to keep the childlike spirit and wonder alive to continue to enjoy life and be creative.

Janice Kluge

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My Microcosm

Artist Statement:

The older I get, the more I realize how important home and family are to me. I wanted to do a very personal piece, so a part of me would be traveling to Chile. The hands that are the book cover- are taken from a mold of my own hands. The house represents my home in Birmingham, Alabama. My husband and dog bring me joy, love and support. I feel blessed to have this little microcosm of happiness. A small part of me travels to a place I have never been and opens to reveal my thoughts and emotions in the visual language of symbols.

This piece evolved from many versions of a pop-up book. But the final product is not a pop- up, but a fantasy landscape, house and family that represent my life. I own a home and beautiful wooded lot where I live with my husband and dog. In this country we are land rich and sometimes take that for granted. No one really owns the land, as we are just caretakers for that short time that we are on earth.

Janice Kluge

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