Sunday, September 15, 2013

first impressions

"It is a truth" I'd personally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of my favorite books.  This year marked it's 200th anniversary.  Though there were many classics part of the English lit curriculum back in the days, this one was not one of them.  A genuine belief in everything in it's due time, this very belated post to my chagrin, I discovered and fell in love with this book as an adult.  So quite naturally, I knew that I wanted to pay homage to Austen for the group show piece for BOS 2013 (back in April).  The brainstorm translated to gathering the materials, some sketching, making of certain components, and a visualization of how the complete piece will be executed.
the general visualization


the "page"

model of the "book" component (closed)

book open
components done

close up to inkwell and quill clasp

displayed on shadow box
The link components of the chain is the following quote:
"A person may be proud without being vain.  Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." -Jane Austen

The original working title of the book was First Impressions.  I am not above the fallacious character of certain individuals, my first impressions have been proven wrong. I have allowed my pride, in more than one occasion, holding on to an impossible ideal only to implicate myself in an unhealthy emotional turmoil.  It is only through an acceptance, and the healing of a bruised ego, did I find the balance to be humbled by vanity.