Grammatica di Merletto

Erasure poems created from an Italian grammar, handmade papers with lace impressions and botanical inclusions, case binding.
One-of-a-kind.
6 x 9 in.
2016

Grammatica di Merletto was made while teaching in Cortona, Italy. The source book was an Italian/English grammar from the 1940s. The erasures respond to the stilted language of translation and elementary learning of a new language as well as the odd formality found in the dialogue. Bound in a book with handmade papers made in the paper mill at the school with lace-like inclusions of flowers and blind embossing of found bits of lace. Lace is ubiquitous in Italy, beautiful and fragile while also seemingly indestructible. It represents cultural customs, an old world way of seeing persisting despite economic and social change of great rapidity occurring in small hill towns throughout Tuscany.