Shell Pattern Necklace is comprised of twenty-four sheets of marbled paper made using the shell pattern. Shell marbling is a variation on the stone pattern, which is created by holding a paint-dipped brush over the marbling bath and tapping it gently so that small drops of paint fall into the tray, spreading out to create a pattern reminiscent of stone. The shell variation calls for the addition of oil to the paint, which creates the effect of a halo around each drop and a concentration of color in the center. 

Each sheet of paper is made from a single pigment, using a 19th century recipe for marbling paint. The book is arranged to create a rainbow made from pure pigments. The book is an exercise in observing the inherent properties of color, texture, and behavior of each pigment in its raw form. 

The structure for the book was concieved to solve the problem of wanting an accordion book that could be fully unstretched and displayed like a sculpture, but could still be safely handled like a normal book (unfortunately one of my first books, Black Light, tore in half in the hands and perhaps slightly traumatized a special collections librarian, an experience I did not wish to repeat). A spine that could be clasped and unclasped like a necklace seemed like it would be both beautiful and functional.

The unique structure of the book, realized with Small Editions and bound by Sarah Smith, is a reinforced accordion which is held together at the spine by six individual necklace clasps, allows the book to be safely read and handled in standard book form. Unclasped, the book may be stood up and stretched end to end, becoming a sculpture (or “necklace”) long enough to adorn a room. The book includes a sewn-in letterpress pamphlet with the pigments listed in the order they are used, along with an essay by Oppenheim on art and chemistry. Read the essay here.