project details —
When I read or write in quiet environments tinnitus corrupts my attention and I struggle with concentration. Once my attention shifts to tinnitus, I have to stop, go back, reread what I have just read or written, and continue where I left off. This is an instance where a loss of silence has debilitating connotations.
Obstreperous is a handmade Japanese-stitched hardcover book with heavyweight French-folded pages. It’s strategically designed to use one unbroken length of string, representative of tinnitus as an inseparable chronic condition, as both content and binding method. It’s materiality asks for an unusual amount of effort to flip through the pages. The book cannot rest open on a spread; it closes on its own, making a reader lose their place. The string is measured to pull tight before the book opens flat. It’s a constant and tense interference.
I represent reading and writing without semantic content by using asemic writing, the act is more important than specific textual content. The book visualizes progressions of frustration through building string coverage paired with asemic writing, shifting from calm to frustrated over time.