Week 1 & 2 Process

The language surrounding bookbinding has guided my iterative experimentation into three distinct chapters. The first chapter looks at ‘The Bind’. This body of work is characterised by building foundational knowledge about specialist bindings, specifically Singer Sewn, Side Sewn, Japanese Binding and Three Hole Sewn.

Fig. 1. Exploration guided by ‘The Bind’.

The second chapter investigates the role of ‘The Binder’ more thoroughly. The binder is often overlooked within the practice of bookbinding, which is being exacerbated by the growth of industrial book manufacturing. The trace that the binder once would have left from their craftsmanship is being standardised, automated, and consequently, eradicated.

Fig. 2. Exploration guided by ‘The Binder’.

The third chapter engages with the concept of ‘The Bound’. The term ‘bound’ has many different meanings. The definitions of relevance to this project are:

1. ‘a territorial limit; a boundary’

2. ‘going or ready to go towards a specified place’

3. ‘past and past participle of bind’.

I investigated what processes are bound within bookbinding (according to the second definition of the word).

Fig. 3. Exploration guided by ‘The Bound’.

The language surrounding my work has helped to iteratively rephrase the critical questions I am attempting to answer throughout my studio project.

Comments