The Peony is the first in an ongoing group of ten artist's books that mirror the processes and forms of the natural world in images and text. Like my previous books, this one has a performative aspect that emphasizes the theatrical. In this group, each of the books is modeled on a toy or magician's structure that expresses the complexity of possible forms in the natural world.

The books first appeared as story boards in an exhibition titled Ekphrasis at the University of Maine/Farmington in 2009. Artists were asked to respond to the concept of words and images that reference each other. I configured sequences of ink drawings of botanical forms and periwinkle shells arranged on black panels. Now, in converting the story boards into hand held books, I am making the implied text visible. The Peony's panels carry a hand-stamped interpretation of a haiku by Buson that translates as "peony scattering/have piled up/two-three petals." The falling Jacob's Ladder structure mirrors the haiku's words and the slow drop of peony petals in the garden.

The Peony is a Jacob’s Ladder book with six panels, each carrying original drawings and text adapted from a haiku by Buson. Drawings are sumi ink and graphite on Arches paper. Text is hand stamped in gel ink. Edges are Tarei Japanese paper. Attachments are nylon ribbon. Dimensions: 4.25 x 5.0 x 1.25 inches closed; 26.125 x 5.0 x 0.25 inches extended. Limited edition of two copies, housed in the collections of the Bowdoin College Library and the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Images courtesy of Dave Clough Photography