FENIX - Conscious use of materials ( Reduce * Reuse * Recycle )

Phoenix are unique books. They were made from the “errors” that occur during making process.

During the production of a book, unexpected events can happen: a small tear in a page while the book is being stitched, a slightly bad cut (argh!) when you are trimming a book that is about to be finished and times when a bit of glue leaks and stains the book's cover. 

I try to learn from moments like this, and I've been noticing that they each time they teach me something new about book-making. Sometimes I research strategies and solutions to solve a problem and other times I look for better tools to support the making process.  There are so many people and artists who share ways and tools to improve the making process. 

Tearing the paper while sewing is something that may happens when we are learning how to sew a book. Nowadays, when it starts to happen more frequently, it's usually because I need to pay more attention and notice the thread's path. I also should notice the thread's tension.  Sewing books means being whole body present.

To improve the trimming process, for example, I look for ways to cut the paper and try to understand what can be improved. Should I change the knife's blade? How was my body posture? Is it the material I am using or the thickness of the book? These types of reflections help to improve future projects. In the case of Phoenix, I can change the format and size of the book. Making a new well-cut notebook. :)

After some time, I realized that to glue the spine it was necessary to use a thinner brush. In this case, I chose tools that make my daily life easier.

Mistakes can happen. They are part of the handmade process. One thing I know is that I don't want to feel that a project was a waste of my effort, my time and my work. And I also know that I do not want to throw away such precious materials.

So I started to think of ways to reinvent a project. I started to see creative potential in the face of the unpredictable events that occur during book making. I called these types of books Phoenix. 

Phoenix are unique books. They were made from the "errors" that occur in my book making practice. So, during the process, I ask myself: "How can I transform this mistake?". I feel immense happiness when I find a way to repurpose something rather than throw it away! I love these notebooks and their possibility of reinvention. 

One day, for example, the glue had spilled a little onto the spine of two notebooks. There was a little stain on the cover of the book.  So I thought:  "How can I transform this problem?" 

These book's covers were made with paper created by the artist LOTUS LOBO, acquired at a SESC POMPEIA exhibition. Read more about the exhibition here (in portuguese): https://www.sescsp.org.br/a-pluralidade-criativa-de-lotus-lobo/

Therefore, the solution to the problem was making hardcover notebooks with a slightly shorter length and size than the initial size. I really enjoyed making these notebooks and seeing the final result.