Bookmaking in progress
2005
Exhibitions & publications
Fit To Be Bound, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (2010)
Art D'Eco, Gallery 125, Trenton, NJ (2010)
Reclaim, Reuse, Renew, Ball State University, IN (2009)
Bibliophoria, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA (2009)
Inside/Outside - Book Arts, Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO (2009)
re-bound, Jeannine Stein, Quarry Books (2009)
Dog-eared, Purdue University, IN (2008)
500 Handmade Books, Lark Books (2008)
Theme Magazine (2007)
10 Years Running, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY (2007)
Various collections
2005-2006
Self-portrait - experimentation
2000. © Dennis Yuen.
Artist's Statement
About Dennis Yuen
Artist's Statement
I adore the physicality of books through holding them, flipping through the pages and touching the bindings. Holding a book is an act of adoration and admiration of its artistry. I want people to hold, touch and interact with my books when they see them. When a book is held, opened and interacted with, it becomes alive. The next step is to hope that people will actually use it. A book can manifest its hidden potential when it helps the owner to think, to write or to draw, it should be able to augment the thought process when used.
I often begin a piece by thinking about colors. I think about how different colors can play out on a book through the threads, paper and fabrics. I often see the visual composition of a book before putting it together, as a graphic designer arranging shapes and colors though materials.
The entire book acts as a graphic design canvas and each element contributes to the final visual and physical form of the book. The cover, stitching, sections and end paper each perform their own functions with their individual colors and forms. The physical book is a graphic object that incorporates lines, shapes and colors. I know a piece is done when I get the chill holding it in my hand. This is the ultimate moment I long for during the process of making each and every book.
I have been making books since I was a kid, and made multi-media book projects as a way to express my longings and intense emotions during my teenage years. I then started to express emotions and feelings with the physicality of books, through their forms, bindings, paper and colors. There is a harmony in my work between perfection and imperfection. Imperfection creates individuality, and it also sparks new possibilities and perspectives in the piece.
My favorite tool is the bone folder. It transforms a flat sheet through the act of folding. Sheets of paper are flat and thin. The collaboration and interplay between sheets gives a book its shape. I take pictures of every book that I make. I find that through photography, books are instantly transformed into graphic art.
Dennis Yuen
July 2009
About Dennis Yuen
Dennis Yuen is an artist and award-winning designer who works with a range of media including: book arts, interactive media, photography, film and video. He is a partner of the consulting business litchinut. Dennis has designed, developed and managed numerous interactive projects for clients including American Express, Tribeca Film Festival, Dorling Kindersley, Devilliar Donegan Enterprises, Public Affairs Television, Food Network, Lifetime Television, PBS, United Nations and UNICEF. Recently he has led the development of mobile walking tours as one of the most cutting-edge content delivery platforms in the US.
Dennis has been making books since he was a child. He practices Coptic, long stitch, stab, pamphlet and flat-back binding, often applying variations on these traditional techniques to fascinating effect. He works combine his knowledge in graphic design and technology with book arts. Dennis's work has been shown in a number of galleries and featured in various publications. Since 2004, he has been maintaining his own paper and bookmaking blog, Cai Lun, which has gained popularity in the bookbinding community.
Dennis holds a Bachelor degree in film from Hong Kong Baptist University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Parsons School of Design.
Visit parallelbarrel.com for Dennis's portfolio for his digital and design work.
Site design by the artist.
