This gallery contains three projects: The Five Elements, Family Stories and Unmade
The Five Elements: Form, Feelings, Perceptions, Mental Formations and Consciousness.
In creating this handmade book I drew inspiration from the Buddhist concept of the Five Sovereign Elements that make up our existence. I wanted to create a space for meditation and contemplation that could function as a tool or as an object.
Starting with a 360 degree panoramic that I shot in New Mexico’s Carson National Park, I created five photo-montage panels to symbolize each element. I then linked the first and last panel together with a single feature to give a sense of the connected nature of these elements. After constructing the images I chose cyanotype for its beautiful color, then hand coated, exposed and processed the prints. The front panels show the raw edges of the prints against the deckle edge of the watercolor paper.
This limited edition (8) handmade book was printed on arches watercolor paper and is 3.5" x 5.5"