An artist’s book is a work of art in book (or book-like) form. An artist’s book may be a unique, one-of-a-kind piece but it might also be produced in an edition. 

My passion for language and my passion for photography led me to want to learn how to make artists’ books. I signed up for a workshop with the truly incredible Susan Kae Grant. 

“Antidote” is my first artist’s book, made with my very own hands. Doing this work requires the artist to make choices about every aspect of the project: from the “story” or message being communicated to the material considerations of how best to create the experience in book form. 

I began with a deep writing exercise. In this work, the pen does not leave the page, even if all you can write is “shit, shit, shit, I hate this!”. Keep going. At some point, thoughts do percolate. Then, I used some mind-mapping to help me figure out what it was I really wanted to say in my book. I had thought I was going to tell the story of surviving Covid. But instead I wrote about how finding a love of light — and photographing it — healed me in a time of depression. 

The following is a selection of pages from my artist book, “Antidote”.  This summer, it will be available (in its entirety, of course) in an edition of six. If you are interested in purchasing one of the editions, let me know: amy.selwyn@gmail.com.