Module 3 – Concertina Books

“A Guest for Mr Spider” is a concertina book that is an adaptation of the 81st episode of the horror podcast The Magnus Archives.
In this book, the eponymous Mr Spider invites a number of flies to dinner.
To adopt a more “story book” approach, the fold of each page is stitched closed rather than allowing it to fold out.
This was also so that each page had an abundance of anchor points when using thread to create the webbing throughout the book.
Each page (with the exception of the last) has two opening panels that give the effect of a pop-up book.
The illustrations are at steel plate etchings, and the text is produced through screen printing.
The printing techniques were combined to create a collage. This accommodated the pop-up nature as well as a problem solving tactic as I had to apply numerous images to each plate.
The accompanying wooden “book box” has a lino cut print of the same door that is on each page throughout the story book.
Prior to weaving the web found in the box, I investigated the process most spiders weaver their web. While I can’t accurately replicate a web given the limitations of thread (doesn’t stick to itself), I was able to utilise the corner anchors that is present in most webs.
All through the book and box there are the remains of various insects. These were collected humanely, long since desiccated and collected from abandoned cobwebs. The orb weaver in the book box was found crushed, away from it’s web.