Paired for Life

Textile and book artist Jo Stealey received first prize for her work “Paired for Life” in the 2015 national artist book exhibition held at Pyramid Atlantic, a contemporary arts center dedicated to the creation and appreciation of hand papermaking, printmaking, digital arts, and the art of the book. This unique sculptural work is an example of an artists' book, or a work of art that takes the form of a book. It signifies the union of the artist and her husband, represented in the form of the two colorful, coiled fiber pears. The codex echoes the shape of a house: the book “cover” lined with pulp cast paper, and the interior “text” is made with tea-dyed silk organza, with phrases inscribed and hand-stitched telling the story about how the artist and her husband met. The book calls to mind diptychs, like hinged medieval altarpieces that would house a holy relic. When closed, the viewer is still able to peer through the book through wire mesh-covered windows which both protect and reveal the precious objects inside.