Chapter Zero
water, text on clear transparency, vellum
4 x 4 x 1¼
unlimited edition
© 2002
$85
This book with text on clear transparency and vellum is to be immersed in water for reading. Housed in a one-sheet origami-fold envelope with printed instructions and Taoist story about a man dreaming he is a butterfly.
Sculptural book in miniature to be read with a magnifying glass.
In his 1808 Atomic Theory, the English scientist John Dalton described the world as composed of molecules and atoms much like a book is composed of letters and words. The text is on silver paper and the images are on transparent paper in magnifier boxes. This is a series of 100 miniature books with images of Dalton’s elastic fluids drawings that look like the eye.
Irene Chan is a multidisciplinary artist who works conceptually in print media, papermaking, installation, small sculpture, fiber, storytelling performance, and book arts. Her books and works on paper have been exhibited internationally and held in more than 65 public collections. In 1995, Chan established Ch’An (ch’ ahn) Press through which she has self-published prints and 29 limited-edition artist books to date. She is the recipient of grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Washington D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities, fellowships to 12 artist residencies, and has exhibited and performed in 79 venues in the last ten years. Irene Chan holds an MFA with honors from the San Francisco Art Institute and a degree in architecture (BArch) with a Minor in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
