Rochester Public Library holds its 14th Annual Juried International Art of the Book & Paper exhibit.
Cristina was thrilled to get 3 books in the exhibition, as well as Honorable Mention Artist Book for her artist’s book, Red Line!
Art of the Book
August 18-November 15, 2025
Red Line
Single signature, link stitch, acrylic paper marbling, linen thread, found red nylon belt with metal buckle rings, #1/1
Red Line is a conceptual artist’s book. It’s a reaction to the latest round of women’s healthcare and reproductive rights court challenges that American women must face and fight against. The book uses a stitched red line as a warning line, a point of no return, and a political metaphor.
The Descent
Flag book, 2-sided acrylic paper marbling on Masa paper, 80# cover, black rayon book cloth, black nylon cording, cover with recessed window, #1/1. Colophon: One signature, detritus from The Descent, link stitch, linen thread, laser-printed text, Hobo Std font, #1/1.
The Descent may seem a strange title for this artist’s book. Most folks see marbling as pure, abstract color and design; it’s just beautiful. They imagine it’s meditative to create, and that’s where they think the story ends. However, marbling is a turbulent art technique with chemistry and liquid dynamics at its core. The surface of the marbling vat can be seen as a street fight with pushing and shoving. Some colors are bullies; others just sink away. There’s a constant balance that must be maintained for optimal results.
The “narrative” of a marbling session contains a tale of decline. The marbling liquids get exhausted or contaminated and eventually stop producing traditional designs.
The flags in this artist’s book are 2-sided marbling with the forward flags designed with a stone pattern and the reverse of those flags printed on dying marbling vats. The staircase of flags propels the story downward with the broken, jagged colors drifting with remnants of stones towards the end.
The Descent‘s story is broadly about mortality, also climate change, and more specifically, the bleaching and death of coral reefs due to increases in water temperature and acidity.
ROLODEX – Climate and Man
Belt artist’s book with 41 hand-sewn signatures, altered book pages, ledger sheets, timecards, acrylic paper marbling, collage, weaving, link stitching, acrylic marbled silk, linen thread, found canvas belt with brass buckle, #1/1. Colophon: 6-panel accordion, detritus from ROLODEX, collage, acetate image transfers, laser-printed, text in Palatino font, braided marbled silk wrap, #1/1.
ROLODEX is an altered artist book using pages from CLIMATE and MAN (1941 Yearbook of Agriculture, House Document No. 27, US Government Printing Office), business forms alongside marbled papers and silk to explore the interconnected nature of humanity and the environment, as well as, the practice of data recording, analysis and prediction.
Rochester Public Library
115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY