City
altered books created between 1990-96, wood shelf
16 x 36 x 16 in.
1990
The original hardbound books in this piece were mostly novels, with along with some philosophy books, a veterinarian book text, and an English- to- German dictionary. Their individual subject matter metaphorically reflects the cross section of life, culture, and ideas common to a large municipality. Viewing City, where in which the book titles may not be known, is a similar experience to looking at a crowded urban skyline, where the viewer may know neither the use of a building, the architect’s name, and nor the characteristic style or era of design, yet the shape form is certainly apparent—as is the sense of the teeming life contained within the many-storied towers.