Serrah Russell

Serrah Russell

tears tears

Softcover
8.75 x 6 inches
104 pages
Edition of 350
Published by Yoffy Press
2019

About the Book:

In tears tears, Serrah Russell uses collage as a ritual, a meditation, and an act of protest. Using art as the ground floor, Russell creates a foundation to process her surroundings and experiences, a process which began during a political turn that rattled her and became a life raft to sanity. To tear and to be torn. To mourn and to act. To listen and to be heard.

tears tears is an extension of Russell's 100 Days of Collage project, which was developed as a response to the first one hundred days of the 45th presidency.

Collages by Serrah Russell
Essay by Frances Jakubek
Essay by CL Young

Book review by Dana Stirling |

In this project Serrah Russell uses the technique of photo collaging Images. This technique is simple yet always very impactful and interesting. With a juxtaposition of images and the layering of them, these images suddenly get a whole new meaning, aesthetics, and depiction.
Images that are gathered from seemingly different places/magazines/platforms are now coming together to change their original context in making a completely new image.

Russell chose to have many of the images to focus on the image of women. The focus on how the media, the political climate or our cultural environment affect them, their lives and everything that comes with it.  The images create a poetic and delicate juxtaposition that allow for the viewer to re imagine the visuals they are composed of originally.

I think a great aspect of the book is the use of the book format to enhance the collage aspect of the work. Having these gems across the book of pages that are half or layered create a collage in the physicality of the book. We, as the viewers, become part of the art making process and by flipping the pages we become active in the collage. I think this is not only a smart way to design the book but a creative one that really creates a dynamic and engaging experience with the book that you might not be able to experience with the images other ways as a 2D visual.

Another element in the book I wanted to highlight was the book cover. The book cover is made where the title of the book tears tears is cut out from the black background leaving a see-through text to the image below it. This, again, plays with the notion of layering elements like a collage and creating a visual representation of what this book is all about.

But in addition to that, there is something very fragile and delicate in these letters. Because they are cut out, they can be bent, turn, or damaged in any way – if by accident or intentional. I found that to be an interesting analogy to the subject matter and how things can be harmed if we are not careful and how things are not always as they seem. The delicacy of the letters and the harshness of the subject matter created an interesting tension in my opinion.

The book has short texts alongside the images, sentences that are just short and to the point. They are talking directly to someone – it can be us; it can be a specific person the artist is talking to or it can be a metaphorical person that is everything and everyone at one. The text brings yet another layer to the visuals, creating an even more ambiguous and poetic aspect to the book. It is not “informative” or descriptive, it is not a story we are following per se, it is there, and it makes you think about the meaning and how it relates to the images alongside it.

I know the book has a political undertone and it is in fact a big part of why the artist made the work, but for me I see it more as a global subject matter that is beyond a specific time or place, it is something that can touch many regardless of their political view, their country, their status etc. It is a book for all and for all to be part of in some way or another.

If you are interested in getting a copy of the book, please follow the link below to purchase and support the artist.