Waking Light

2022

Designed by Éilís Murphy at Folded Leaf

Authors: Kerri ní Dochartaigh & Mícheál McCann

Photographer: Michelle Moloney

Publisher: Skein Press

Printer: Impress Printing Works

Funder: Arts Council of Ireland

Categories: Printed Publication

Industry: Cultural

Tags: Contemporary art / Photography / Visual art / Publishing / Craft

Commissioned by Skein Press, this publication is a collaboration between writers Mícheál McCann and Kerri ní Dochartaigh, photographer Michelle Moloney and I. The limited edition book is a mixture of poetry, imagery and lyric fragments, combined together in a beautiful double accordion structure. 

As book artist for this project, I developed the concept for the book structure and design, responding to the work of the other collaborators. The book structure is inspired by themes of duality in nature and life, the cyclical flow from light to dark, from dark to light.

I designed this double sided accordion structure to mimic this duality: each side reflecting an alternative version of the other. This binding structure means that the book can be read in multiple ways, different pages opening at the same time.

The two-tone bookcloth on the cover changes tone depending on how light is reflecting on it, on what time of day it is. This is contrasted against the flash of a silver branch trailing across the cover. 

I handmade a limited edition of 300 copies of Waking Light.