A conceptual book object.
Two stones, a white quartz and a black quartz, in talismanic leather pouch.

An artist book is what an artist calls a book.
~Marcel Duchamp

If ever there’s a case for commenting my own work, this is it. In many ways I do feel that work should speak for itself without the need for further explanations. But if the viewer knew about the legend of Lemuria and the mythology of “Lemurian crystals”, it might help in understanding why I’m calling this an artist book.

I’m really not concerned about the reasons why this piece shouldn’t be called a book. I’m more interested in the reasons why it can be. It is all about where one draws the line. Rigidly thought, a book is a codex – ie. leaves bound between covers, either with content or waiting for content. Drawing the line there, a scroll would not be a book.
But I have always been fascinated by historical book forms, objects that have been used to carry and spread knowledge, in any shape and structure. While studying, I was most affected by seeing an ancient book from a Tibetan monastery. A very large volume of loose leaves gathered between heavy, carved wooden boards, all tightly wrapped closed with thick leather belts. The book had such incredible presence, it is not possible to describe. I believe from then on I’ve had no doubt whether an object could carry an energy within it.

Lemuria, according to legend, was an ancient civilisation of highly evolved beings. Facing the end of their era, it is said, the ancient elders coded all their knowledge into certain crystals so that their knowledge and wisdom may be preserved even after their continent was lost into the depths of the sea. And, according to the legend of Lemurian crystals, the ancient knowledge can be read from the hieroglyphic markings on the surface of the stones, as well as accessed telepathically by holding the stone.

So to my imagination, this all sounds very much like a book. In fact, like a full library of information. Stored inside and on the surface of stones instead of on leaves between covers. First there was a crystal, then there was a leatherbound book, then there was an e-reader…

~

In artist’s own collection