Vanessa Shimon
Reverence
Class of: 2024
Major: Communication Design BFA
Medium: Mixed media (markers, color pencils, papers)
Faculty: Tamar Samir
Prompt: In this project, we were to use the format of the One-Minute Book to create an artist book that introduces ourselves and our personalities. This is connected to the “Alt Memoir” project in Integrative Seminar 1, where we wrote about a life experience with a mix of fantasy and reality. We were free to use all kinds of media in this project.
It is in the nature of humans to worship things we deem greater than ourselves—to obsess, to admire, and to devote ourselves to this higher power.
My one-minute book explores my infatuations through a religious lens, presenting myself as the devotee and my infatuations as my “God”. To convey this, I drew inspiration from the works of Alphonse Mucha, a pioneer in the Art Nouveau movement, as well as the stained glass windows of Gothic churches. To juxtapose the grandeur of my compositions, I chose the humble mediums of markers, color pencils, scrap and origami papers.
The poster side depicts a self-portrait of myself in prayer, with a halo behind her head as pages of the scripture and silver papers seem to burst out of it like sun rays. On the bottom left are three camellia flowers, which symbolize adoration and admiration. Altogether, the composition follows the shape of a lancet window typical of Gothic churches.
The book showcases four compositions (each tall and narrow to once again emulate stained glass windows), which illustrate the stages of infatuation or devotion in sequence. It speaks of the ever-changing nature of infatuation, obsession, the breakdown of a belief, and at last, surrender.
