Spiabooks

MANGLES

RED MANGROVE

The second artist book in the series of plant books is another fascinating tree from my childhood. The Mangrove. The mangrove is a perfect example of form following function. It grows in mud, so in order to stay upright it spreads its base. This base then performs many other functions as I continue to discover with every visit to my favorite lagoon in Mexico. I make artists books because making a book raises your level of awareness about a subject.

My process includes many initial in-situ studies, the research for the text, deciding on a binding structure, layout and execution of the drawings, and finally producing a limited edition. I chose this binding because it reflects the process of discovery of the plant itself. The book, when folded, follows a narrative sequence of the many roles the mangrove plays as the skeleton species of the tropical estuary and features the dried "seeds" or young plants in the mangrove reproductive cycle; when open, the back panel shows the entire tree in pencil with the "seed" detail in watercolor.