The Assignment

Madeleine Miller*
Claremont, CA

Title: To One's Taste

Number of Copies in Edition: 109
Size: 9.5 x 6.5 inches
Number of Pages: 106

Medium: Made with Japanese Yatsuo paper in a variety of colors to represent the different spices. Imagery produced with linoleum blocks. Case binding with foredge flap and bone clasp.

Price: $200

To purchase, please contact Laura at 23 Sandy Gallery.

*Additional Artists

Madeleine Miller, Cassia Denton, Simrat Dugal, Amy Vasquez, Kelly Natoli, Chanda Phelan, Cal Siegal, Helen Veyna, Melissa Chen, Eliot Gardepe, Moira Tagle, under the supervision of Professor Kitty Maryatt

The Assignment

Explore the historical, cultural and personal connections to spices. Develop a book that evokes the power of these ancient goods and tells the story imprisoned within the spice jar.

Artist Statement

Inspired by the spice trade along the Silk Road and spice route, this collaborative book ignited personal connections to spices. Some authors chose to use memories and recipes to enliven spices while others gave spices a life, voice and persona of their own. I chose to focus on two journeys: the physical journey of nutmeg along the spice route and the emotional journey to my tongue. The differently-colored quires create the illusion that the book is synonymous with the spices themselves. Despite various methods the authors succeed in creating a cohesive, spicy artist book. The book was printed by letterpress on Vandercook printing presses. I participated in all aspects of binding the books and completed ten books.