Abundances (2015, collaboration with Fred Schmalz)

The interactive artist book series Abundances addresses contemporary food and cultural distribution systems—alternatively presented as interactive bound books and as suites of unbound photographs in cardboard boxes. The books’ poems are based on interviews with food executives and restaurant workers. In the interactive installation of Abundances, readers complete each volume by slicing rings from a head of cabbage (provided) and inserting the slices into Mylar sleeves containing the typescript poems. Bound in adapted cardboard food shipping containers, the books reference cartoneras—a social, political and artistic publishing movement in Latin America. One of the first three volumes of the series is available here. In this version, clicking through the photos replaces the act of slicing and inserting cabbage.

Collaboration with Fred Schmalz

Interactive artist book series and installation (cardboard, mylar, paper, cabbage, kitchen knife, cutting board, wooden table and shelf). Each book 10” x 12.5” x 2.5”

Text above based on interview with David Murphy

Originally produced in 2015 for Being There exhibition at Adds Donna (Chicago), curated by Meg Duguid and Philip Von Zwek