Star's Art Books - Book Sculptures

I began a focused concentration on art when I arrived on Denver's landscape in 1979. Each medium was a stepping stone to the next project, evolving into a new leg of my in soft sculpture, pen and ink, paper making, altered book, book making, book sculptures and beading. In order to make sense of my experiences in this world, art has helped me hold onto the physicality of a greater picture of life, that I may view each new art piece with new eyes, always pointing to the wonder of it all. Its always amazing to me to see how book sculptures develop and create a new metaphor in another prespective. I took a class in book arts at Metro State College.

This medium expanded all that I thought about what a book was. I started to question; Why does a book have to be rectangle? Why does it have to have paper? Why does a book have to have sequence? Why do you have to hold a book and turn pages to glean the information from it? Since a book informs us by its shape, texture, color and size, why can’t books inform us about the content in more creative ways? All of these questions I’ve tried to answer in my exploration of “books”

Venus in Paradise

This book sculpture was a gift. This is an interactive box, where you can move the sea shells, Venus, birds, the dolphins and sun….Much like the rhythm of the waves moving, the figures remind me that life never stands still…

Soften Up Sculpture

This book reflects the process of life where all the hard edges wear away to a new softer persona.

The Answer - Pyramid Book Sculpture

In this pyramid form, the book takes the reader through a series of questions, all which are designed to give an answer according to what dimension it comes from. I contend that there are always four ways to solve a problem through the four aspects of our psyche. The four aspects of the pyramid are the dimensions of the human experience in the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual world. The truest answer to some of life’s most troubling problems is in the center of all four worlds: Acceptance.

To Be Whole - Copper Zipper Book Sculpture

This book sculpture is based on Carl Jung’s wonderful verse about embracing the good, bad and ugly parts of ourselves to be whole. In this gesture, we can be compassionate to all of humanity, recognizing our common heritage of human-ness, with all its flaws and beauty.

Plug In - Metal Book Sculpture

This is a book sculpture that conveys only symbols and texture to its “readers”. We don’t need words to tell a story. In this way symbols are elastic and can say many things to who ever observes the interplay of how each symbol relates to another symbol to tell its story.

Avoid a Sisterectomy - Box Book Sculpture

This sculpture is in response to having the regular trials and tribulations of working out family issues with siblings. This is a reminder that wounds make poor swords and that love paves this rocky road!

If You Could… Would You - Swiss Cheese Book Sculpture

This book sculpture is influenced by the TV show/book from Stephen King called The Dead Zone, which is about a man’s psychic gifts and how he sees the world through his visions, which include the “dead zone” a factor that means he only sees part of the scene or a part that can change with every passing moment. I did this sculpture in response to that TV series, and asked the questions: if we could see into the future, would we want to; would you want to see a big issue in your life now, is in the same state 30 years in the future; or, that you gained 50 pounds in the future? How would knowing the future affect what we do today???

Time - Wood and Plastic Book Sculpture

This sculpture explores the function of time and the possibility of being able to view a whole life in its circular motion; a never-ending series of events cascading into forever and having a quality of transparency to the whole sequence of events to give us better clarity of purpose and appreciation.

What Has Happend to the Women of the World?

What is Happening To The Women of the World? - Sewn Paper Book

This book is many things to me… an outrage…. a plan…. information….. and a cry to others. Outlined in this book are many stories about women or girl babies in many cultures that will illicit rage in the average compassionate person. Hopefully that strong emotion can be a catalyst to empowerment, to be a force for change in the world. What you can do to help is listed in the back of the book.

Pearls of Wisdom
Recollections Of A Well Red Mind - Metal Screen Book Sculptures

These books explore the permeability of our interactions in the world through the written world and relationships.

Biography In Five Short Chapters- Book Sculpture

This book sculpture is based on the very poignant perspective from Claudia Black, detailing how we continue to be snared in the same habits time after time until we gain awareness to get out of the hole and “walk down another street” Claudia Black did extensive work with people who came from families with alcoholic troubles. Her book, Repeat After Me has been a saving grace for thousands of people.

An altered book form uses the shape and sequence of a book as a scaffolding to a new expression, altering the form, pages, text and texture.

I Believe In Me

The inspiration for this book came about after seeing a few very talented friends experience self doubt.

Come Back to the Center

This is an altered book form, which acts as a reminder that the longest journey is from the head to the heart.

The Ancestor Purse Book

This book is the result of a dream I had of being on top of Mount Antero. I believe this was a result of the previous night calling on my “healed ancestors” in my bloodline to assist me in my own healing of family issues.

The dream: 8-25-07 I am in the mining pit of Mount Antero. It somehow looks all paved and smoothed over. I sit down and right in front of me are some aquamarine crystals. I scoop them up and put them in my pack. Then I look up and see people coming through a doorway from the other side of the mountain all the way on top. They are tourists and have taken a walk way up here. I go up there and get in line.

The Geisha Book

This book was the result of many dreams of the Geisha. It was my first dream that I heard a strain of music. This book sculpture was inspired by a dream where I saw myself as a Geisha teacher. I was teaching several women how to dance. The women were all in a row and were practicing their steps. I heard the dance song in my dream. Because we kept going over the same musical phrase many times, I remembered the tune when I woke up. The tune was with me for about two days.


The Dream Catcher
I woke up from a dream with this picture in my mind. The thrust of the sticks weaving through the book and the randomness of piercing space, feels like intersecting ideas, thoughts, feelings, wonders of the natural world. One day when I passed the sculpture in my studio, it occurred to me that it resembled a dream catcher….

Emergence

This is an altered book form which is based on a series of dreams I had with a universal theme of my emerging animus, the masculine side of myself to precipitate change.

John O' Dreams
by Bill Caddick

When midnight comes and people homeward tread,
Seek out your blanket and your feathered bed,
Home comes the rover, his journey's over
Yield up the night time to old John O' Dreams
Yield up the night time to old John O' Dreams

Across the hill the sun has gone astray
Tomorrow’s cares are many dreams away
The stars are flying, your candle's dying
Yield up the night time to old John O' Dreams
Yield up the night time to old John O' Dreams

Both man and master in the night are one
All things are equal when the day is done
The prince and the ploughman, the slave and free man
All find their comfort in old John O' Dreams
All find their comfort in old John O' Dreams

When sleep it comes the dreams come running clear
The hawks of morning cannot reach you here
Sleep is a river, flow on for ever
And for your boatman choose old John O' Dreams
And for your boatman choose old John O' Dreams

John O' Dreams performed by Christy Moore


Paralysis
This altered book is an expression of the "awakened sleep paralysis" that I experienced for over 20 years. Upon going to sleep I would get caught in this space that would draw me forcefully away from the body, yet I was awake and my physical body was "switched off" unable to move....paralized! It is a common occurrence with many people, happening a few times in their life, however, I would experience this regularly. Its a frightening experience, since I did not understand what was happening. Buried inside the pages of this altered book is a large and very strong magnet.

The Long Journey

This book sculpture came about as a result of trying to resolve a long standing nightmare about bugs. I eventually realized that I was projecting my fears onto to this little creature, who was an innocent bystander, (however still creepy - but oh so appropriate!) rather than taking a look at the origins of the fears, which came from early family trauma. Taking the time to re-enter the dreams, gave me personal insight on how I was not only losing energy to ignoring this insistent symbol, but delaying my own growth. Now when bug show up in my dream, I know I am fearing something and am not aware of it and I can deal with the fear in the here and now rather than hiding it and running away.

Codex Book - Leather and handmade paper

A codex was one of the oldest forms of books that were made, generally out of velum (animal skin) and animal hide in the early Middle Ages.

Two Codex Books - Yellow Matt Codex and Triangle Codex Book

Triangle Book