Flattening the Curve

I am delighted that "Flattening the Curve", my entry for the Libris 22 Competition was shortlisted recently. It is always exciting to be amongst so many of the wonderful book artists in this exhibition but it amazes me how the judges can select us from such a small amount of information. (3 images, an artist CV and the artist statement.) 

In this post I'll try to give you some more insight of what the book is about and how it all fits together and show how the short artist statement can't adequately convey what the book is about  ----This was the statement that was sent :

"Flattening the Curve is informed by observations about how the Covid 19 pandemic developed and influenced a specific Covid language. The book unfolds as the daily "Covid" language with its special vocabulary and meanings evolved as the pandemic progressed through its different stages.  The book shows how daily progress reports and interviews in the media from our political leaders and medical experts became the focus of every day for the last two years and how language changes itself, its meanings and importance but also reflects its use for the purpose of authority and confidence."

The materials chosen affect the physical aspect of the book, how it will be presented and viewed to convey the story or central idea. Flattening the Curve is made on very thin rice and carbon papers from China [like COVID 19]to suggest compromised breathing which affects Covid 19 patients. Pairs of both papers were stressed to produce a carbon copy from the original. I have previously explored ways of working with carbon paper in "out of breath" and was able to utilize some of those results.

The carbon paper was worked on with pigment and white ink and fixed to stop the carbon making further marks. The white rice paper with the carbon imprint was also worked on with similar words and phrases being used during the pandemic at that time. The rice paper is treated with Stand Linseed oil to make it translucent. The two pages are like breathing in and out, the darker carbon paper shiny and thin with an image like damaged lungs seen through an X-Ray inside the body, and the translucent white rice paper with the copy of lung-like tissue representing the breath outside the body.

The words, language and mood of “Flattening the Curve” change as you progress through the book and the pandemic takes its course. Everyday words assume different meanings, medical terms become normalised and special Covid words and phrases appear. The language changes with the severity of the outbreak and mood of the populace as they change differently in different parts of Australia and other parts of the world.