Life’s Simple Horrors, 2015

This piece came to life during a residency in Assisi, Umbria. Assisi is the birthplace of the well-loved Saint Francis of Assisi and the home of the famous frescos painted by Giotto for the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. The book feels tangible with its pages torn and adorned with gold leafing and illustrations and holes appearing like tunnels into secret underworlds. In this book, Ziborova referred to a tradition of an eighteenth-century English practice called grangerism. In those times, books were a valuable commodity, and it was a common practice for book owners to add additional illustrations and commentaries to their own volumes. For Ziborova, the pages of old books offer a unique way of having a dialogue based not only on their literal content but on their physical appearance as well.

Antique book, hand drawings in ink and graphite and gold leaf.

 7.5 x 5 inches (folded) 14.75 x 19.75 inches (opened)

Unique