Illustration, Graduate Student, Syracuse University
This pyramidal book was constructed from white parchment, clear Mylar, and black paper. The design was created by cutting visual elements out of the parchment and drawing on the interior with markers. The complete image is visible by looking through the cut patterns of birds to see the reflections of the designs on the sides of the pyramid on the black mirrored surface of the base. By opening the pyramid, the image disappears. Box forms suggest concealment. Even though translucent materials were used, cuts and openings allow the viewer inside the container, and give access to the image, which is still in a sense hidden. The picture is concealed by the same walls that create it. Remove them, reveal the heart of the box, and there is nothing left. Created in 2007 in an edition of three.
Jen Betton just finished her second year as a graduate student in illustration in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, where her emphasis is on children's book illustration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in painting at the University of Central Florida. Jen studied at the Illustration Academy and at Syracuse with Mark English, Anita Kunz, Gary Kelley, C. F. Payne, and Greg Manchess. Jen particularly enjoys figurative, emotive imagery, which is evident in much of her work. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally and internationally. Her website is at http://www.jenbetton.com.