Life In Shadow
Edition of Three
Collections
University of California Santa Barbara, Special Research Collections, Edition 1/3
University of Connecticut, Archives & Special Collections University Library, Edition 2/3
While making Life In Shadow, I became aware of the extra care required to handle glass, and plan for its protection. I began to hope that the viewer would have a similar response. What might happen if we were careless or clumsy or neglected the safekeeping of something so easily broken?
The languages and symbols in the book act as surrogates for the world’s peoples. The letterforms, marvelous in their unfamiliarity with beautifully formed curves and extensions, offer patterns and nuances to discover, not unlike the cultures from which they originate.
Currently there are about 7100 spoken languages, around 3870 with writing systems. Life In Shadow contains 112, and the regret that I couldn’t include more.
And the shadows . . . with their long and distant narrative living deep in our collective memory of experiences in the natural world . . . time – space – form. They are metaphor and symbolism in our religious texts, prose and poetry, and collaborators in architecture, stagecraft and every kind of visual art.
To cast a right reading shadow, the pages must be positioned upside down. Depending on the position and intensity of the light, the content is often more legible as shadow than etching. Without light the book is still, offering quiet reflections of the surrounding space
Accordion Fold Glass Book
Five glass pages form the book, each measures 12" H x 9" W x ¼" thick.
The text was laser etched by Missy LeDuc.
The pages are joined with an acrylic “living” hinge used primarily for aquarium lids.
Closed the book measures 12" H x 9" W x 1 ¾" thick.
Lying flat the open book measures 12" H x 47 ¼"L
Wooden Box
The custom box by Tyler Graham holds the glass book, and the viewing mat.
The outside dimensions of the box are 16" H x 13 ⅜" W x 5" D.
The title is laser etched on the outside of the box lid.
On the reverse side of the lid is a graphic illustrating how to cast shadows of the text.
The colophon is laser etched on the inside bottom of the box.
Viewing Mat
The mat is an accordion fold structure.
Five pages form the mat, each measuring 13 ¾" H x 11 ¼" W x .082" thick.
Lying flat the open viewing mat measures 13 ¾" H x 57 ¼"L.
The mat allows the glass book to be viewed flat against a neutral background.
Production Team | Assistance
Part of the process of making Life In Shadow was finding skilled people who were willing to help. As I described what I was making, presented mock-ups, and answered questions, my vision for the work became more clearly defined. I saw the four of us as a team, and depended greatly on their expertise. It was truly a pleasure to work with —
Larry Jackson - Jackson Glass, Concordia, Kansas
Missy LeDuc - LeDuc Memorial Design, Concordia, Kansas
Tyler Graham - Graham’s Custom Cabinets, Frankfort, Kansas