Tennille Shuster

Oakland Park, Florida

Lyrics by Modest Mouse, Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns is meant to communicate the concept of sacrifice, using an easily recognizable symbol. This book was letterpress printed in an edition of three. The pages are overprinted off-register purposefully, to look as though the word “take” is being sacrificed — it’s taken away a little each page, until all you’re left with is one simple statement in red — take what you want from me, you deserve it all. The pages were then roughly trimmed and bound in piano hinge format, using acrylic stained dowel rods. A crown of thorns was attached with hemp cord and the structure is then displayed on an antique wig stand. 30 x 30 x 30 centimeters. Created 2005.

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Living in South Florida, I am inspired by the tropical setting and diverse cultures that surround me. My artist’s books, whether emotional or informational, aim to express and celebrate the appreciation I feel for living in such a dynamic environment. I was formally trained as a graphic designer, but studied and practiced to obtain a solid foundation of fine art skills. Bookmaking serves as a satisfying combination of my artistic abilities, wherein I am able to draw on a variety of skills — as any given book requires. A single project may use many different techniques including screen-printing, watercolor painting, letterpress printing, weaving and computer design. I find it liberating to flow through the process of creating a book, and consider form and content to be dependent on one another in order to construct a book as a cohesive communication tool. During my career as a designer, I have been honored with Communicator and ADDY awards, and was recently honored to be the recipient of the 2005 Florida Artist’s Book Prize for Crown of Thorns. I have exhibited artwork in the Bright Hill Press Word and Image Gallery in Treadwell, New York and the Bienes Center for the Literary Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and have commissioned work in homes throughout South Florida.