GOVERNING VESSELS, 2019
Artist Book: pressure prints and polymer plate prints on Somerset paper, uncommon hardcover binding
Variable edition of 5 with 2 artist proofs
Dimensions: closed: 4 x 3 ½ x 3 inches, open: 34 ¼ x 26 ½ inches
Governing Vessels is a highly interactive artist book, which playfully synthesizes the architecture and anatomy of a hard bound book with that of the human body. In a series of vertebral blue-prints the book explores ways in which humans embody hierarchical strata. Through unraveling a network of multidirectional cases one discovers a repetition of stacked shapes; a polymorphic abstraction of spines that originate perhaps from different bodies, multiplying and accumulating without restraint. The piece references the Governing Vessel (GV) meridian of Traditional Chinese Medicine which travels from the base of the spine to the head.
The piece was developed with the support of a fully funded yearlong residency at Center for Book Arts (NY), where I was able to attend numerous workshops and courses and be surrounded by an incredibly skilled and generous community. I wish to express special gratitude to Roni Gross for her letterpress magic and mentorship.
Two copies of the edition are currently available for sale. Please email milcahbassel at gmail dot com for inquiries.
