Hope Kroll

Over the past 14 years I have been constructing entire works, including the frames and paper out of used hardcover books.  The aged paper along with the textures and colors of book covers and embossed titles, for me possess a sensuality I find alluring both visually and texturally.  Older hardcover books are especially compelling with their yellowed and cracked pages. The books have already had a history before they came into my possession, having been touched by many hands and having passed through many environments.  For more than 10 years, my book constructions were sealed in epoxy resin.  In these works, a central image was painted onto a patchwork of the smaller pages usually accompanied by writing. 

Over the past three years, I have scaled the work down in size to the confines of the books blank pages.  In this new format, I have limited my drawing and now use images taken directly from the books themselves.  The topics of these books range from science and medicine to mysticism and nature, all of which contribute to my lexicon of imagery.  In some cases, I will assemble these images to express a personal narrative, giving the effect of a frozen drama or illustration for a story.  In other cases they are meant to reflect a physical manifestation of psychological, emotional or spiritual states.