Book: Clamshell with Glass Button

ExperimentsARTBook

Dec 24

Video:

Clamshell boxes:

Why do we (humans) love boxes so much? Is it because we find modularity logistically efficient? Maybe their stability and protection reminds us of shelter.

Most obviously, the joy of boxes comes from the act of opening them. Who doesn’t like receiving a present? So much is our adoration for opening boxes that even the second-hand thrill of watching somebody else open a box whose contents are already known to us (unboxing videos) has become beloved entertainment.

A box creates anticipation, and a beautiful box brings the promise of something at least as beautiful within.

Enter the latest sidequest in Bounty Archive’s mission to create thought-provoking book art via saucy techniques: Clamshell boxes.

Practically speaking, a clamshell box is an archival tool for the protection and upright storage of a book or other media. A clamshell box is a loyal servant made bespoke to protect its book from its main enemies: dust, light, and friction.

About the Project:

The centerpiece of this project is a blown glass button made by Noriko Naito of Glass Studio Tsubomi.

When we met briefly this summer in Japan, I told her the button would inevitably be part of a book.

“It must be a special book” said the semi-robotic Google Translate voice from the phone she held up to me.

Good things come in small packages. In this case, a 9cm x 12cm line-ruled journal. Yes, the book is special. But like anything else, its special-er when presented in a box.