ICA Summer Portfolio Prep Workshop with Ashley Castaneda

Tunnel Book Making – Narrative Overlay workshop by artist Ashley Castañeda in collaboration with The Institute of Contemporary Art’s Summer Portfolio Prep Program.

Tunnel books have an interesting history dating back to the mid-18th century, but how has this practice presented itself in contemporary art? Book-making as an artistic practice is not new, but has manifested itself as a way of preserving oral records, creating stories, and serving multiple purposes. As an object, books can act as the intersection of sculpture, drawing, painting, and craftsmanship for those who participate in creating them and are the audience to them.

With paper-cutting, stories and narratives are navigable through direct and abstract ways. Working with silhouettes and 2D forms is the magic that makes tunnel books an interesting object to explore and interact with. Engaging with the sculptural and drawing components of bookmaking, participants engaged in the conversation of creating books learning how to construct a tunnel book themselves.