Invent define destruct

Invent define destruct
Artist book
Zo Damage 2020

Invent define destruct is an artist book comprising 10 abstract images of music venues and creative hubs, captured on 35mm and 4x5” black and white film during Covid-19 lockdowns. This collection is presented as a 10x10” unbound box set of photogravure prints, limited to an edition of 3+1AP. The project title denotes the processes of reinvention, redefinition, and the destruction/reconstruction of my identity and creative practice as both a social documentary photographer and a live music photographer, shaped by Melbourne’s stringent isolation policies during the pandemic.

The box-set concept encourages observers to engage with the handcrafted photogravure prints through physical handling, prompting a deeper interaction with the works of art. In this way, Invent define destruct explores how the materiality of art can cultivate physical engagement and a sense of hope as a refuge from isolation, benefiting myself as the artist and the viewer. Created in 2020 between lockdowns at Baldessin Press & Studio, this project also serves as a tribute to the city’s live music performance and creative sectors.

Figure 1: “Giants of the deep” 1, photogravure print, 254×254mm/10×10”

Figure 2: “Pied herons”, photogravure print, 254×254mm/10×10”

Figure 3: “A beautiful song”, gatefold photogravure print, 254×254mm/10×10” gatefold (508×254mm/20×10” open)

Figure 4: “A beautiful song”, gatefold photogravure print, 254×254mm/10×10” gatefold (508×254mm/20×10” open)

Figure 5: “Looking glass” (triptych), gatefold photogravure print, 254×254mm/10×10” (762×254mm/30×10” open)

Figure 6: “Looking glass” registration with masked photogravure plates (left) and print (right), Baldessin Press & Studio