It’s compact and dense, showing the month-long Vienna residency from start to finish, mostly in chronological order. From sketches and prepping the space, to painting the floor and walls, to making the paintings, then the final installation and the opening night party, and proper photos of the finished paintings, with photos of Vienna for context. It has it all; never before have I put together a cohesive book like this for a specific project. 

I took lots of photos and videos while I was there because I knew the audience there would be small and I wanted the project to live on in book (and video) form. The show was only viewable for a total of eight hours, so documenting it all was important. For my own sake, I wouldn’t have devoted a month to painting and creating an installation, just for it to all be painted over with just a few people to witness it.

Originally I conceived of this printed piece as a zine. After editing the photos, I simply started laying it out, with no set page count in mind. (Before becoming a full-time artist 20 years ago, I worked as a graphic designer laying out magazines, so editing photos and laying out a book is second-nature to me.) I put it all together in a very organic manner; enough pages and photos to tell the story, but not so many that it felt laborious and repetitive to look through. In the end, I found that balance at just over 200 photos spread across 128 pages. The final book is thicker than I had anticipated, making for a more substantial publication than I thought it would be. 

It’s signed on a random page and accompanied by a show flyer and a special sticker sheet (featuring two paintings and two drawings from the show).

Embrace The Melt
128 pages (plus covers)
6 x 8.25” (15.24 x 21 cm)
Edition of 150
Signed
Printed in the USA

I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the process and the finished show! I didn’t know what the residency, or book, would look like, but in the end, I think that both came together nicely!

Just a reminder: All sales are final. No refunds, returns, cancellations, or exchanges.