In my previous experience in bookmaking I have worked tediously on one book – one final project, but I think about how unfortunate it is that only one person gets to hold that book at a time. I want to create something that I can produce multiple of – like a zine, and play with distribution. I live in an area where art communities are not prominent, art conversations are not commonplace, a place where we need more art. I intend to leave my book in places for people to find and take or contribute to. I wish to build an interactive experience for people to share my love of art and to get them to think outside of their everyday box.

I hike a lot, and over quarantine my family and I have begun to find painted rocks in the woods for others to pick up, and we began to do the same thing. Those rocks are what we looked forward to finding and to make for others to find. I have even taken a few and they now sit in my bedroom amongst other knick knacks and I want to create something like the rocks for people to have and to think about – to inspire them to make and to share.

For content, I am interested in playing with imagery as well as poetry. I have done so in the past, but have not in a while. I have attached an excerpt from a book I made in the style. (My new work would not relate to this content – but just wanted to share a previous example of how I have combined imagery with text)

Although I am not necessarily revisiting a book making style I have heavily used before, I am revisiting my interest in interactive art. A few years back I participated in a collaboration with my school’s physics department and witnessed how a lab functions – many different people working together not only in the department, but across the world, all on the same project. The piece I created in response to my experience allowed for me to share my interpretation of their collaboration and allowed viewers to contribute back into my work as well. I’m hoping with sharing a book that inserts questions for readers that they may be able to contribute to the books they find in their own conversations or write directly into the book.

Nanoscopic Collaboration, 2019 — https://www.physicsandastronomy.pitt.edu/lily-klos-nanoscopic-collaboration