Margery S. Hellmann’s Wavewords from James Joyce’s Ulysses (7 7/8 x 4 3/4 x 1/2 in,
1996, paper cover over boards) falls into a long tradition of book artists using texts by other writers to inspire their work. This book does not simply present Joyce’s words though. Part of several collections including the James Joyce Museum in Philadelphia, this work takes his stream-of-conscious prose and places it in a framework that is enhanced, not overpowered by the text. The form of this flag book (a structure pioneered by Hedi Kyle) is heavily influenced by the text while the text moves beautifully within the structure. The pacing of the text is regulated by both the typographical choices and the structure of the book. The letter spacing, italics, and baseline of the letters all vary depending on the words and sounds they are paired with. The variation does not cause any sort of confusion or disjointed image, but instead seems to meld the meaning behind the text with its physical presence on the page. The color of the binding and the pages also serves to blur the distinction between text, subject, and material. The rhythm and content of the text fit seamlessly with the pages cut to look like waves and the turning motion from page to page. These aspects of the book are unified under Hellmann’s statement:”The goal of my books is to use innovative book structures and unconventional placement of words and letters to create a dimension beyond the text, an added visual language.”
