It's in the Bag

It's in the Bag

Along with the two conceptual books "Off with Their Heads" and "The Old Brown Cow and Other Moosings," two sets of consumer based journals were also created for the "Tosssed and Found" show at Main Street Art Gallery in Edwardsville, IL opening 6-8pm on April 2, 2010.

The photos above are examples of the first set, “Its in the Bag,” blank journals that were bound with covers made from un-recyclable, stitched and padded, plastic bags reclaimed from our big black trash can before it was set out for collection early one Friday morning. The manure bag was rescued while sorting through our potting shed while looking for a leaf rake. Even the bindings are recycled. The black book spines, for example, were taken from the tear-off tops and bottoms of cat litter bags; while the red chain-stitch threads that originally stitched the bags shut are now sewn into the journal spines with a Japanese-stab-binding. My husband has learned not to ask why. Once I began pulling bags and boxes from our trash can and saving them in a stack in my studio, my husband kindly started leaving empty bags and boxes in the kitchen on the dog kennel for me. Little presents waiting until I arrived home.