Wrapped Ghost Book, Dog 1 by Liz Steketee

WRAPPED: photography on fabric, wrapped and sewn around rocks, sticks, and books sewn with thread, dyed, and sealed with varnish.WRAPPED is a re-examination of the photographic portrait and how it can be altered with new meaning. I consider every photograph I take a portrait in some way; a tree, a flower, a painting, a face. I believe they all have purpose and a story inside. From a lifetime of shooting, images are printed on fabric and wrapped around objects meaningful to the subject. The use of rocks and sticks honors the earth we come from and my family's longstanding history of protecting the environment. The use of books honors the history of storytelling and contemplation, a gift every human is given at birth. As I see it, each rock and stick is just a small piece of the larger pile that makes up our world. Each book represents all the stories in the world, told and untold. The process of wrapping these objects, then sewing the fabric permanently around them, acts as a meditation