A Living Taxonomy
Hand-Bound Book and Exhibition
A Living Taxonomy is an exploration of self and personal tendency. It takes an objective and non-judgemental look into my propensity to keep and attach sentimental value to objects that I’ve acquired over the course of my life. These objects serve as memory triggers, physically preserving and holding onto my past, thus taking that burden off of my own mind. The goal of this endeavor was two-fold: to create a sense of mental and physical organization as a means of personal cleansing, and to make a visual statement validating the feelings and tendencies that almost everyone experiences to some extent. In a way, these objects define my life’s timeline, allowing my vague emotional memories to be given a concrete reference, both physically and temporally. They represent people I know, places I’ve been, and emotions I’ve had.
Taking the idea of the curiosity cabinet as a guide, I’ve chosen to display my items in an apothecary style, labeling them as a scientist would label specimens. This creates juxtaposition with both the emotionalism of my writing and the eclectic and humanistic nature of my drawings. The book in which everything is documented metaphorically becomes the cabinet, holding onto both images and stories of each object. Each section of the book is labeled with the person, place, or time period that is associated with each object or group of objects. The viewer is intended to get a sense of who I am and how my experiences have guided me to where I am today.
