Sal Taylor Kydd’s handmade artist book, Keepsakes, is itself an art object. Absent a conventional essay (as is the case with many artists’ books), her poem is the only text. Housed in a clamshell case, the book consists of 13 folios featuring archival pigment photographic prints, the title poem set in letterpress, and botanical print-transfers. It is a visual exploration of how we hold onto our memories, as keepsakes of our experiences. The pace of the poem follows the sequence of the images in a series of steps—the act of turning the pages is evocative of the sense of childhood discovery and wonder of the natural world. Photographs of lakes and marshland lead to images of secluded pathways through tall grasses, followed by pictures of open skies. The narrative ends with a single portrait. Acting as a portable exhibition of sorts, each folio of photographs can stand on its own as a keepsake, or be experienced collectively with the others in the book.
Keepsakes by Sal Taylor Kydd
Artist book, 2016
Softcover letterpress in custom clamshell case
13 folios, $975
Moth at Sunset
Fresh Eggs
Enduarance