Dreamland: Lagoon to Foredune

Celebrate Earth Day with Anna Clem and learn about the Dreamland: Lagoon to Foredune artist book project currently on display in the library.

Artist Statement: Dreamland began with years of observing the Basin Head sand dune system at the edge of the Northumberland Strait in Canada. My mother and I called this place “Dreamland” many years before we commenced this collaborative project: The dunes are other-worldly with many personalities, partially generated by the weather or time of day, but also dependent upon the visitor.

Lagoon to Foredune is a set of six one-of-a-kind cyanotype books made in Dreamland. On six separate outings, I walked across the heathland, stopping to place an open book in branches and under brush, turning to a new page each time, until all pages were exposed. This process allowed the sun, wind, and other elements to interact with the light-sensitive paper without further mediation from me. Back on the beach, I plunged the book into the waves, resulting in its development. Each soft cover was printed with a photograph made in Dreamland, and the books were toned with different botanicals that can be found there, resulting in colors varying from cyanotype’s usual Prussian blue.