Watercolor Pops

History Mountain Multi-media Art Book

During a big reading binge this winter, I raced through Chalice and the Blade, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Sapiens, Homo Deus, Janson History of Art and other books tracing the beginning of the hominid and the technology invented along the way.

Spread 1—Pristine Nature and the emergence of the hominid as sun worshipper, discoverer of fire, maker of agricultural tools, animist, and farmer.

Reverence was shown to the Sun God.

Spread 2—Discovery of Fire

Once the energy seekers captured fire and learned to nurture it for clearing forests, cooking food, and later smelting iron, warmth and comfort, the technological race began. Homo sapiens began to tame Nature, and domesticate Nature for its own uses.

Reverence was shown to the power of Fire.

Spread 3—A Bird Sees a Plane

At this point in our development as a global culture, the integration of technology and nature fight for a balance. Plastic gadgets and pollution have collected into full scale islands and mountains. Our entire modern history is an archeological wonder. At this point, birds recognize airplanes and humans see beauty in blight. Nature vs Tech, a fight for balance.

Reverence was shown to gadget accumulation.

Spread 4—Second to Second Future

Technology has taken over and is evolving and shaping the entire planet. Yearning for space travel, our own earth has become alien, our home has been lost. Distractions from visual and audio blight become addictive products. Life looks grim.

However, like the cock-roach (420,000,000 years old), sapiens still fight for life and maintain a "kite-flying" inner core of happy survival no matter what the circumstances.

Reverence is shown to the Tower Gods.

This book was created for the Rotunda Show of the Book Arts Group, Santa Fe.

Sally Blakemore

4 spreads

93 inches when extended, with folding 11.5 inches by 18 inches, paper engineering extends to 13" in height.

Watercolor paper, with paintings

Cut Paper Art

Handmade papers, Tyvek, 10 pt. industrial black and white paper, oil canvas painting chapters, Xerox printed original art, 10 pt,

mylar, acetate.