Cathance River, 2011, edition of 5 (sold out)
Threatened and Endangered Books
One summer morning in 1999 I was surprised to see a stunned kingfisher on the sidewalk in front of a local Goodwill store. The bird sat quietly in the shade of the shopping plaza and gradually a small crowd of people gathered.
In an effort to emphasize the concern I felt for that kingfisher, I decided to begin a project on January 1, 2000. This body of work (over 80 titles- to date) has taken shape as a series of artist’s books about the plants and animals currently listed as threatened or endangered by the State of Maine. At this time there are more than 200 plants listed and nearly 50 animals. My intention was not to become a scientific illustrator; instead I wanted to inspire sensitivity for these rare species by using my background in book arts and textile design to interpret what I saw with color, pattern, rhythm, and transition.
On occasion, I have wandered away from the lists of rare species to include the common, the extinct, some natural and human-caused catastrophes, as well as the success stories in managing habitat loss and dwindling species.
Each book is made with a particular purpose. Some books are about a single species, some are personal narratives, and others are about interrelated groups or habitat. The earlier books in the series seem to inform the books that have followed. By working thematically, I am able to develop a vocabulary of methods, materials, and forms that support the creation of new work. As I test new structures for one idea, I will discover a form more suitable for another concept. The paper samples that I pore over for one book lead me to a new material that works well for something else. Sometimes I am designing the next two or three books before I have finished the one at hand.
