Hard Working Covers

“… A good archaeological report not only informs us about the strata from which findings originate, but also gives an account of first had to be broken through.” (Walter Benjamin. Excavation and Memory, ca. 1932. Analog materials are fundamental my research. As part art practice, I tear, cut, rip, fold, glue together printed images masculine performance male body un-masc reveal its fragility. During making process what’s usually left behind is a jumble non-representational refuse—mainly text, backgrounds, devices used on page, in magazine or book. New Zealand COVID lockdown 2020, limited access new collage material, apart few books car. result, attention shifted leftovers otherwise ended up recycle bin. These discarded bits illustrated gendered language, because material use was intended for audience. It endorsed muscle, size, competing, violence, whatever else you might expect fiction, advertisement, revealing pages that promote so-called ‘maleness’, like film annuals, muscle magazines, sports, adult magazines among others. Some these were donated, many reclaimed opportunity shops as they withdrawn personal, public, university libraries. Almost all book covers project their own stories imprinted both sides. “marks” revealed origins, recounted lives, relayed strain endure countless readers, course myself! By incorporating words visual discourse, collages demand reconsideration text meaning— hint, at same time complicate textual decoding process. Sourced refuse culture, works attempt reconstruct culture— culture consumed by seeking power. They focus materiality, time, disrupt order, embedded meaning. reconfigure meaning recount re-present themselves. Resurrected, assembled aching go back library shelf re-enter circulation format. –– “Hard Working Covers” ongoing brings 90 one-off handmade analog hardbound compile them 300 edition concertina books. The foldout format publication will front works, back(sides).