The Center for Book Arts was a small gallery that displayed interesting interpretations of art using books or text. The two pieces that stood out to me were created by Diana Schmertz and Pierre Leichner.
The mirror piece created by Pierre Leichner was one that surprised me in that at first, I thought the multiple faces littered around the mirror was for a variety other than the text; but, as I kept looking at the mirror, the faces were staring at me creepily rather than some pieces for variety. It was as if the mirror was trying to encapture the feeling of insecurity under the eyes of others, making me feel small instead of passive and thinking “Oh it’s just a mirror made of text and image.”
This work by Diana Schmertz was my favourite due to its construction. Watercolouring the wood board and then meticulously cutting out the words of the Declaration of Independence was brilliantly done and in a beautiful manner. I love how the hands come together in accordance with the belief of people are all one and deserve the same rights. In addition, the pieces aren’t just one board, but instead multiple boards that all come together in a painting of joined hands with the Constitution being the glue that sticks it all together.
