Title: Inside The Page—Sculptural Books
Artform: Cut paper folded book art

Goals/Objectives 

Using sculptural book forms, participants convey a visual, multidimensional story of their subjects’ lives. 

Studio Work 

Participants choose and interview a person for their project, aided by JWA resources. (See Artful Disclosure Toolkit Part I.) 

After examining a variety of book forms, participants are introduced to a creative use of book forms employed by different artists. 

The process results in an assemblage—transforming old, often recycled materials into folded, three-dimensional sculptures. 

Materials 

• Used books 
• An assortment of papers 
• Paint, colored pencils, metallic pens 
• Exacto knives 
• Transparencies  
• Images from magazines and the internet that can enhance a theme or story idea participants want to project 

Inspiration 

Unique ways artists use book forms to creatively translate two-dimensional pages into a three-dimensional construction, using folded paper and repurposing used books. 

Sheila Myer Miller and Barbara Ellison Rosenblit, Pentimento: Revealing Women’s Stories 

Exhibition 

Participants reflect on their creative process and why they chose a specific book form to represents their honoree. 

The finished works can be displayed on bookshelves or atop cabinets. In a synagogue or community center or school media center, these artistic three-dimensional sculptural books are a beautiful counterpoint to the notion of “reading” a person. Tented artist statements can stand alongside the Sculptural Books to invite the viewer into the process and person they represent.