Artist Statement: To read Helen’s side of the Iliad was in a way, late 8th-century gossip: seemingly everyone had an opinion and eyes on her. This is represented by soft, crazed, and indifferent eyes in the form of tattoo and brass. The brass foredge piece unlocks sacred gossip that everyone so desperately wants to be a part of. The rectangles on the front and back cover mimic the text margins in the book to remind you that this is, after all, a story.

Materials: All the lilac colored eyes are tattooed onto the leather using a tattoo machine and the brass is hand cut using a jewelers saw, lots of filings and sanding. The brass foredge piece (the part that curls around the opening of the book) was so much fun to figure out. I love clasps on books, but this is more of a slide-in-place clasp. You have to physically take off the brass foredge piece to open the book.