Book 43   The Tinder Box. Part Two.  Penn, C and Martin, J.  (2009) (Fig. 42). The Tinder Box. Part Two.  Unique collaborative   artist’s book. Accordion bound book, mixed media including drawing, painting, stickers, fabric.  295cm x 30cm.  Book  42.  Collection: Cheryl Penn.

Joan Martin is an accomplished artist who  teaches art at Durban Girl College.  Martin is well known for her painting and drawing skills. When discussing  subject matter for the collaborative books, Martin mentioned that she was interested in the first part of the story The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Anderson.  I suggested we keep that story as a theme for the two books and I would tackle the second half of the narrative.

In order not to just illustrate the tale, I started to insert into the book Jungian symbolic meanings for the characters from the story, as well as some interesting facts about the life of Anderson. Visually the book opens into a long cityscape which is where the second half  of Anderson’s  story occurs.  Windows and doors open in the book each revealing further information on the various symbols, their meanings and the psychology related to the different characters.

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