Debra Disman

Artist

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Handmade Books

Chromatic Interactions I

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Chromatic Interactions I

“CHAPTERS: Book Arts in Southern California” presented at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in LA.

I was commissioned to create an interactive book.

I created “Chromatic Interactions”

It was eye-opening for me to see what people wrote and drew, and how the piece changed over time.

I will be exploring this through a series of posts, now that the show is over, and CAFAM was kind enough to save and give to me many of the file cards added to the book by patrons/visitors/participants…interacting.

Flag book. Stitched flag pockets with windows cut into them.

Accordion spine.

A focus on file folders.

Flag pocket and cover windows align, allowing messages to show through, and creating a tunnel effect.

Color, line, word, image, added by the viewer, become participatory art making and collaborator.

Book board.

Found file folders crumpled to create surface texture.

Haptic.

Here is some of what Museum visitor participants wrote…

TIME

“…all slow…”

After the US election.

Did they mean “irrelevant” No???

“There once was…”

Packing it in.
Successful life…validation

“Beautiful
I’m blinded by the light.”

“Mosaic” flower

Wilder tale

E X T R A P O L A T E

So glad, Inez!

Full…
And fuller.

More

To

Come

CHAPTERS I: “Chromatic  Interactions”

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CHAPTERS I: “Chromatic  Interactions”

The wonderful Craft and Folk Art Museum of Los Angeles currently has on view “Chapters: Book Arts in Southern California” through May 7, 2017.

I had the opportunity of creating an interactive book for the show, one that potentially 8000 viewers/participants could become co-creators of by adding and subtracting color, pattern, graphics and text as they so chose.

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I created the flag book  structure from book board (covers),webe

watercolor paper (accordion spine), rice paper (covering the spine),webi

repurposed file folders (torn into pieces to “cover the covers” and folded to form the flag page pockets), linen thread (to stitch the flag pages/pockets), Lineco Neutral pH Adhesive (for gluing) ,webd
and colored file cards (to write and draw upon, and insert into the pockets in varied arrangements), to create  “Chromatic Interactions”.webc
I aligned the ‘windows” in the covers, with the windows cut out of the flag book pockets, 
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so that the file cards would read through the front and back cover apertures.webg
The results of offering the public the opportunity to express themselves through interacting with the book were fascinating.
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I was moved that participants were expressing their feelings about current events, and the “state of the nation”. webn
Some just got silly and had fun.
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Some asked profound questions…reflecting what is on the collective mind.webq

Some waxed poetic.webu
And one young artist expressed her feelings through creating a bookmark, as all the windows were filled!
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 Perhaps the greatest treasure of all…

Thank you Inez!

And thank you to the wonderful Holly Jerger, curator, for this amazing opportunity to give CAFAM viewers a voice..I am looking forward to seeing what else they have to say.

LACMA Workshops at NoHo Plaza

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LACMA Workshops at NoHo Plaza

Summer Nights at NoHo Plaza (People St.)

Saturdays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 | 6–9 pm

During the month of August, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will be in the NoHo Arts District on Saturday nights from 6–9 pm! Stop by NoHo Plaza for art projects connected with LACMA’s collection and exhibitions and enjoy a live DJ set.

AUGUST 5th: join us to make an accordion book with pop-ups that move and groove! Add a custom cover using cool and interesting collage materials. Inspired by kinetic sculpture from LACMA’s collection.

North Hollywood | NoHo Plaza (People St.)
Free, no reservations required
Note: This program takes place off-site at NoHo Plaza (People St.) between 5223–5225 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 from 6–9 pm.