Shadows can be beautiful or grotesque. Shadows are the absence of light.. a partial darkness and a part of existence... wherever there is light. Hans Christian Anderson wrote
The Shadow in 1847 about a man who's own shadow took over his life. Read this story at your local library sometime. The Book of the Week for week 48 is titled
Shadow Bridge. It's not as scary and depressing as Anderson's tale, and instead, indicates the beauty and complexity that shadows add to our life as a sort of bridge between darkness and light... reality and reflection.
Shadow Bridge is made in a double concertina format with two accordion strips sewn together with pamphlet stitches. Once sewn, the two strips weave in and out of each other through cut out windows in the back accordion strip. Cut-outs on the forward accordion strip throw shadows through the book.
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| Shadows from the cut outs allude to shadows of the psyche |
The book is covered by paper marbled with Japanese suminagashi inks, which repeat the shadowy theme of the book. When the book is closed, a satin ribbon holds everything snug and tight.
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| A satin ribbon to keep the shadows tied up tight |
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| Shadows move like pastel inks floating on water... quietly impacting |
This small book speaks without words, just as shadows do.
Kathy
