When Looking Down is Looking Up is an ongoing investigation of the shift from outer space to page as a re-envisioning of matter and printed matter. It centers on how when contemplating what is known and unknown, one usually finds themselves either staring down at the page or up into the sky.

The Secret Astronomy of Tristram Shandy is a book that reproduces over one hundred, self-reflexive black pages from multiple, paperback editions and copies of Laurence Sterne’s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. When taken out of context and accumulated, these once playful, visual metaphors reveal the printing inconsistencies of ink on paper (varying density, hickeys, oxidation spots, and moiré patterns). The hidden nature of the page, that which was unread, can now be read. In this case, astronomical imagery is revealed; that of stars speckled across an inky blackness or the soft haze and ripple of a galaxy. Since the 1760s, readers, printers and publishers have been forced to grapple with the black pages of Sterne’s novel; this struggle with discovery, meaning, and craft is at the heart of The Secret Astronomy of Tristram Shandy.

The Secret Astronomy of Tristram Shandy is funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
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About the Artist
Abra Ancliffe makes printed matter, books, and libraries about the pursuit of knowledge and the inevitable mistakes and misunderstandings inherent in this pursuit.

abraancliffe.com
personallibrarieslibrary.com

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

The Secret Astronomy of Tristram Shandy Book Launch + Opening
Saturday, December 12, 5-7pm
at c3:initiative | free and open to the public