"cut"

cover

I have been working on a little book "cut" for a "Personal Histories" exhibition at the Redland Art Gallery for some time since early last year. I was interested in using a rather awful experience (surgery for melanomas) and  transform it into something more positive and perhaps even beautiful. 

The pages were all waxed and scratched with pigment added to give the very tactile feeling of raw skin and open wounds. The cut semi-translucent paper allows you to see through several layers at once to give the impression of change and healing.
This was my second attempt, an earlier attempt was even more gorey and powerful but made a much appreciated gift to a good friend. 
I have included this book "cut" to show how an idea can change and develop by making several versions each with different emphasis.
However, I still found the result a little too strong and organic so I explored an even softer, more delicate option for my next book "blindspots" which I think worked better in the end.  

This third and final book, "blindspots", will be the one that has made the "Personal Histories" exhibition which opens in a few weeks time so I'll post it later for those of you that can't make it to the exhibition.