Made Up

Made Up is a non-scientific science book about the imaginary cellular composition of the human body. Fourteen cells are illustrated:

Anger, Curiosity, Failure, Fear, Jealousy, Joy, Knowledge, Location, Love, The Past, Success, Talent, Trust, Work.

The cell images are vibrant multi-block and reduction linoleum prints with a diagram explaining how each cell operates. The text is playfully pseudo-scientific and presents theories about the attributes that "make up" a person.

The inspiration for Made Up stems from a general fascination with how things are constructed. I often think about how people are similar and how we are different, and wonder how those similarities and differences occur. I had been drawing cells in my sketchbook and formed the idea of imaginary, emotional cellular structures that might "make up" a person. I listed fourteen types of cells (Anger, Curiosity, etc.) and wrote text for each cell using indirectly scientific language. To further support the pseudo-scientific nature of the books' content, I used a non-digital form of image creation for the cells — multi-block linoleum cuts.

The typefaces used are Spectrum and Franklin Gothic Condensed printed from photo-polymer plates. The cell images are multi-block and reduction linoleum prints. The book is printed on Mohawk 100# text weight paper. The structure is a drum-leaf binding with foldouts in a clamshell enclosure. 12.25"H x 6"W x 1"D.

Written, designed, and letterpress printed by Ellen Knudson / Crooked Letter Press, Gainesville, Florida.  2014/2015.

$800.00