Inspired by religion and the density of modern day bibles, I was interested in creating something more stimulating. Initially, I had wanted to deescalate the Bible, but realized I may have misinterpreted escalation for respect. I wanted to maintain everything that the Bible is, but make it a more casual reading experience for the average reader. Genesis was an obvious starting point, and ideally Exodus, Leviticus, and so on would soon follow. Each book would stand on its own, but be designed in a matching style—an unbinding of the bible of sorts. Together, they would create a collection and take a sizable portion of shelf space—an undeniable presence. My concept goes beyond Christianity, with the goal of making many holy books a more casual experience.

With the inverse use of marbled papers, biblical art, hand-gilded gold leaf, and thin margins I reflected on the Bible’s past. But with bold colors, contemporary typography, and active spreads I looked towards the Bible’s future. I relied on paper to provide color and texture allowing the scripture to stand on its own. The paper color changes a few times throughout Genesis reflecting the conversation in scripture, while also helping the reader move along. Dispersed throughout are full spread images of biblical art, and woodblock prints by Gustave Doré to both provide a rest for the reader, but also to make the publication less text dense. God said to be humble, but to be humble does not mean to be flat.

Project Type:
Publication Design
108 pages, perfect-bound
20 x 32 cm.

Completed:
6 weeks, Autumn 2018

Advised by:
Jayme Yen