Sorted Books: BookPace
Kinds of Love, from the series BookPace, 2002, from the project “Sorted Books,” 1996 and ongoing. Digital chromogenic prints, 12.5 × 19 inches.
"Sorted Books" is my longest ongoing project. It began in 1993 and has taken place on many different sites over the years, including in the private homes of friends, in rare book libraries, and in the archives of important literary figures. The process is the same in every case: I sort through a collection of books, make note of particular titles, and eventually group the books into clusters so that the titles can be read in sequence. The final results are most often shown as photographs of the book clusters, but on occasion, I exhibit the grouped books themselves. Taken as a whole, the clusters are a cross-section of that library's holdings that function as a kind of portrait.
Art patron, artist, and philanthropist Linda Pace (April 17, 1945 – July 2, 2007) was the founder of the residency program and exhibition space in San Antonio, TX called ArtPace. While I was in San Antonio for an exhibition there, Linda invited me to work with her books and create a new "Sorted Books" series.
Her home showcased her extensive collection of contemporary art. There were also huge numbers of books in the house, in both the public and private spaces (including more books, organized on large shelves, than I've ever seen before in a bathroom). Books in the public parts of the house tended to be large art catalogs and publications related to the artists in her collection, whereas the books in the private quarters were often very personal in nature, dealing with dreams, grieving, and myth, to name a few examples. Combining books from different parts of the house—mixing the public with the private—became the focus of my book sorting project there. When complete, the book clusters were installed upstairs in a private room with a small library.
Cinderella, from the series BookPace, 2002, from the project “Sorted Books,” 1996 and ongoing. Digital chromogenic prints, 12.5 × 19 inches.
Family Values, from the series BookPace, 2002, from the project “Sorted Books,” 1996 and ongoing. Digital chromogenic prints, 12.5 × 19 inches.
Paradise, from the series BookPace, 2002, from the project “Sorted Books,” 1996 and ongoing. Digital chromogenic prints, 12.5 × 19 inches.
The Secret Language of Dreams, from the series BookPace, 2002, from the project “Sorted Books,” 1996 and ongoing. Digital chromogenic prints, 12.5 × 19 inches.
The Way It Is, from the series BookPace, 2002, from the project “Sorted Books,” 1996 and ongoing. Digital chromogenic prints, 12.5 × 19 inches.