Tribeza: Arts Issue
These days, Karen Hawkins spends most of her time sitting in her studio surrounded by piles of discarded books. For ten years Hawkins, an Austin native, has used books, primarily old reference texts, to create elegant and existential three-dimensional works. They are intensely contemplative; however, for her, the content is inconsequential. “I know I’m totally weird, but when I’m sourcing my material the first thing I do is touch it, see how it feels in my fingers and determine the quality of the paper. Each iteration of these processes requires a different feel. For instance, with my totems, the paper quality has to be such that it’s going to be supple and be able to take a crease without cracking or breaking.”
Photograph by Matt Conant
