On March 8th I ventured out for an evening of mingling with some light intellectual discussion on the topic of book arts plus some delicious all-natural snacks. Bound Together is the solo exhibition displaying works by Guild member Athena Moore. The exhibition is hosted at the Washington Street Art in Somerville, Massachusetts from March 8-29, 2014.
Can you talk about your inspirations for the overall show?
For my first solo show, I wanted to do something that felt honest and personal. It didn’t take me long to center on the idea of focusing on my family because, really, what’s more personal than that? I’m close to my parents and siblings and I’m hugely grateful for that, but we’ve had some serious struggles over the years. The work in this show focuses to a large extent on the loss of both my younger sister in 2007 and my older brother in 2010 - the circumstances behind both of these losses were truly tragic and were difficult for both me and family to deal with. I remember being really struck by how much support I got from friends during those times, so many of whom I had only met since moving to Boston in 2005. I was really touched by this emotional outpouring and felt genuinely connected to these people at a time when I needed that more than anything. Through books and paper objects, I wanted to demonstrate the interconnectedness of these people in my life. I want this work to express the significance of both the families we’re born to and the ones we choose to form.
Was it difficult to expose yourself in this way?
It was very challenging to work on this show. I spent much of my time going through old family material, dredging up feelings and reacquainting myself with the pain of past events. In a bigger way, though, it was really cathartic. Because my sister’s was the first serious passing I had dealt with, it took me a little while to realize that part of what was the most difficult for me was feeling like I couldn’t share certain thoughts or emotions with people. Everyone has a different level of comfort in dealing with tragedy and I struggled with how to navigate that once I felt ready to put my feelings into words. Creating this show and knowing that it would be on view to loved ones and strangers alike was scary, but felt like a kind of necessary exposure therapy.
Can you talk about one specific piece from the show?
I started work on the large dos-a-dos Coptic first and generally considered that the center piece. Each of the textblocks represents either a member of my family or of my fiancé Ben’s family. We lived through these difficult experiences together and feel intimately connected to one another’s loved ones, so this felt like the heart of what I was hoping to convey for the body of work at large. Each of the textblocks has material sewn in that’s representative of the person I’ve dedicated it to, though I intentionally left two blank. I created separate bindings for my brother and sister because I wanted them to be seen within the context of the family but to have their own space to tell a story.
Washington Street Art is a collaborative space that houses over 20 different artists who range in disciplines and mediums. Athena was so kind to give myself and Jeanne Goodman a tour of her space. When you walk into the building you are immediately inside the gallery space. Athena brought us up to the second floor, where she has her own personal bindery space.
What type of work are you producing in this space and how long have you been located here?
I tend to use my studio to work on book art or design bindings, though I’ve been approached to take on projects that fall outside of that kind of work but within my skill set (I created a set of new menu covers for the restaurant Tupelo, for instance). I have a friend who runs a nearby letterpress studio Repeat Press and have collaborated and/or consulted with him on several projects. Recently I worked with Maine-based artist Melissa Sweet on a children’s book due out this fall - she illustrated a wonderful story by Jen Bryant about Roget and his thesaurus. I collaborated with her to create custom leather bindings and pieces to be used in her assemblages. It’ll be out in September, so keep your eyes peeled or bookmark it here!
Outside of the studio you work at the Northeast Document Conservation Center, which I imagine is different type of work.
My work at NEDCC is almost entirely bench book conservation. Because we’re not a collecting institution, it’s hard to predict what will come to us to conserve on any given day. I’ve treated everything from 20th century scrapbooks to oversized maps to incunables. I do a small amount of training, demos and presentations and often travel to conferences to both keep my knowledge and skills fresh and to help advocate for ethical conservation.