#paper engineering

The book is complete! It's too long to include every page (let alone show all the many, many flaps) so here's some highlights :)

These images come from Catoptrum microcosmicum by Johann Remmelin, a copy of which can be found in the John Martin Rare Book Room at Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.

Earlier works had incorporated flaps of various kinds to demonstrate layers of anatomy; however, Remmelin was interested in creating a complete anatomy using flaps. His Catoptrum microcosmicum was originally published in 1619 (also in the JMRBR collection) and included nearly 120 flaps (although a version of this book was initially published in 1613 by a printer friend of his, even though Remmelin did not think the book was ready). Interestingly, Catoptrum microcosmicum demonstrates a moral conflict with the presentation of bodies, adding modesty flaps, sometimes in multiple layers, over genitalia.

For this week’s Staff Pick Saturday, I have chosen to present Garden of the Mind by Paul Johnson, which was created as a part of Johnson's Book Art Project in 2008. This is from our collection of small artists books, and certainly fits, clocking in at only 6cm tall. 

Paul Johnson (b. 1943) is a UK-based book artist, known especially for his pop-up books. His books are particularly notable for the frequent use of bright fabric dyes and of an assortment of paper dovetails, joints, and hinges to create the structures in his books, rather than other paper folds and glue.  

Garden of the Mind, although colorful, is much more reserved in style compared to his larger pop-up works. Divided into 4 sections, with cut-out windows between, this book takes the reader through a garden landscape, with text focusing on reflection and meditation.  

Although this book is about an internal garden rather than a physical one, it felt like a good fit for the approach of planting season this spring! 

See more posts on Artist Books. 

Check out more Staff Picks. 

Mae from night in the woods shaker doll. It shakes! And judges my work.

Don't believe me? Enjoy this short 10 fps gif: