Georgia Russel

Georgia Russel is another amazing book artist. I really like the way that she has transformed books. She looks at and makes them seem as if they are a new species all in their own. The ‘specimens she creates are absolutely jaw dropping!

 Memoire, 2002

As you can see here, she has put the ‘specimen’ into this clear dome as if it was found and placed into a museum to be kept. Most things in museums that are put in these is because things are very old and fragile and of course to keep nasty stuff away from contaminating them; and I really like that aspect of the works that Russell does. The curvilinear qualities of this piece are absolutely mind blowing; this is a book! How can you make such fragile lines out of this? The beauty on the ‘face’ of the object has pieces removed and it is just fascinating. This piece really keeps your eye moving and I think the word she chose to leave exposed was a good choice. It plays into the idea that books have memories and stories and share a history.            

Wild Waters, 2009
28 x 30.75 x 2.5 inches

Here Russell has changed a book into a landscape. It is almost as if she drew it. The fact that it is 3D is just outstanding. Just by seeing the detail and the amount of thought that went into this piece just makes one respect her book art even more. The linear aspects of her work can still be seen in this piece. How she made paper look like water and bushes and rocks is just incredible. I do not quite understand how she was able to make the value changes, I am assuming maybe with some sort of pen or just the text itself! I also really enjoy the 3D nature of the parts on the edges. I think it makes the picture form in the middle seem to sink in a little more.

Hachette Dictionaire Francais Anglais, 2009
29.5 x 12 inches

This one is like the first picture shown, but has different linear qualities and different formal qualities. This ‘face’ is different than the others; here I feel there is a little more representation of the top being a face. I really like the linear bottom, because to me it references a spinal system. She has turned this book into animal, a difference species, an alien, a beautiful transformation that is displayed for the entire world to see. I think it is absolutely incredible! After trying to do my own book project, one can see how much time and effort and planning and care goes into something this extravagant.

Portrait ii, 2008
24.5 x 20 x 3 inches

When I first saw this piece, I was absolutely blown away. She uses this pattern a lot in her work but here she has used it to create value and movement by using line. Again thought, I do not know how she was able to achieve the value changes. If the face looks a little fuzzy, just step back from the computer for a moment and you’ll be able to see it better. The detail and form and chiaroscuro she was able to create is outstanding! All with the pages of a book!