Book Marked

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2023

My senior exhibition, Book Marked, explores the relationship between the imaginative nature of reading and self-development. As an only child from a small rural town, it was difficult to learn social skills. But through reading, I was able to learn about things that brought me out of my comfort zone from the safety of my home. Cognitive psychologist Keith Oatley calls fiction “the mind’s flight simulator." He says, "Just as pilots can practice flying without leaving the ground, people who read fiction may improve their social and cognitive skills each time they open a novel."

The four books I chose have made their mark on me, but why? In this exhibition, I present duos, four sets of screen prints in companionship with redesigned book covers. Each set includes a physical hardback with a redesigned book cover that includes reflective anecdotes and a screen print of what initial connections I gained from these books.

I extract the synopsis and other text from the original book cover while creating new imagery based on the intended audience and genre. The colors and fonts are tied into the creation of the screenprints. Other notable influences include Barbara Kruger and Chip Kidd, to name a few. My intent is to share a personal space of reflection and nostalgia with the viewer and make an ode to the younger version of myself who shaped who I am today.