Project 4: Coffee Table Books

Working With A Series

Since we are working with Couch Paintings it only seemed natural to move towards the requisite coffee table and the book on it.

Wikipedia describes a “coffee table book as a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for portability. Subject matter is generally confined to non-fiction, and is usually visually oriented (perfect for us.) Since they are aimed at anyone who might pick the book up for a light read, the analysis inside is often more basic and with less jargon than other books on the subject. Because of this, the term "coffee table book" can be used pejoratively to indicate a superficial approach to the subject.”

How perfect, since Couch Painting is also an artistic dirty word.

One of the more difficult artistic myths that I have noticed is the idea of the unique original. It seems to me it causes many an artist to move on before they have fully mined a topic. It is within series work that much is discovered. But what is a series? It is a group of pieces that are somehow tied together by either subject or content. They do not need to be narrative but sometimes are. Yet not in the same since that literature is. Not in an illustrative since. Images speak a visual language. What visual aids to you use? What images, styles and colors make up your artistic vocabulary? How would you know if you haven’t work an idea enough to see? What do you personally keep coming back to?

 So lets take this idea and literally bind it together! Make a series on interesting paper and bind them. Once bond you and others will begin to make connections, some intended and some not, orders will shift, as will meanings. Of everything that will be learned the largest lesson will be to hone your artistic voice.

The Rules:

1. It should be original art (how do you like that for a twist.)
2. It needs to be enough work to fill a book.
3. Again you must have fun with the idea.