Thursday, December 16, 2010

Looky Lookie: Ghost Diary


Ghost Diary by Book Artist Maureen Cummins is based upon the handwritten letters of the Revolutionary colonel, Jonathan Rhea. Written to his children in 1807 on the anniversary of his wife's death, he documents his times as an officer. He goes into deep & violent details involving his service, which includes the burning of Indian villages, battles with the British & the killing of rebel insurgencies. In between these gruesome recollections, he recalls courting his wife, their time apart during the war, the birth of their children & his wife's struggle with a brain tumor.
The text is printed on glass plates and bound together with glass, vintage photo negatives, causing each copy of the book to be completely unique. The use of glass & the text impresses the fragility of life. It is a troubling look at how life can easily slip away. The Jaffe Center has number 11 of 25.

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