Starfruit : Epoche * Book Design

book graphic design creative philosophy Bookbinding

STARFRUIT : EPOCHE

> Art Book Design, 2021

In phenomenology, "Epoché" means to suspend judgement and return to the original phenomenon. Two years ago, in my existential crisis, I learnt to escape the shackles of discipline and dogma using Epoché. Facing immediate phenomena, all preconceptions seem pointless.

Starfruit Epoché sets aside the existing definitions, forms and functions of the starfruit to create a myriad of newborn starfruits. This book needs to be destroyed before it can be read, just as our beliefs need to be collapsed before they can be rebuilt.

现象学中，“悬搁”是中止，将信念及判断暂搁一旁，回归直接体验。两年前，一次严重个人危机里，我学着用悬搁逃离规训和教条的束缚。在真实面前，所有的预判都显得羸弱。

《杨桃的悬搁》将杨桃的既有定义、形体、功能暂搁一旁，创作出无数新生的、似是而非的杨桃。它需要被破坏以阅读，正如我们的观念总是在崩塌后重塑。

The first step to read this book is to cut it into two parts, Collapse and Coherence.
> Starfruit Pages: Hahnemühle rice paper, giclee printing
> Yellow Connectors: Resin material, 3D printing, spray paint colouring
> Binding: butterfly-fold hand binding

杨桃书由上下两部分组成，阅读的第一步是将它剪成两半，获得《破碎》与《重组》两册书。
材料与印刷工艺：哈内姆勒宣纸（艺术微喷），树脂材料（3D打印），基于蝴蝶装的手工装帧

Vol. 1
Collapse 破碎

In this part, I created an interactive structure where images are hidden inside. Readers need to open the structure one by one to read the contents. The reading experience is broken, indicating the collapse of notions.

在书的这一部分，我设计了一种交互结构，将图像隐藏其中。读者需要逐一打开这些结构，来阅读每一个图像。这是一种破碎性的阅读体验，隐喻着观念的崩溃。

Vol. 2
Coherence 重组

In this part, I designed a structure where new graphics appear as pages are continually opened up. Readers need to keep opening the pages from the inside out. It is a continuous reading experience. Images are no longer broken fragments, but make up the feeling of wholeness.

This book of fluid images serves as my final impression of a starfruit, the terminal of my journey of observing and exploring a starfruit. I don’t think there is an answer to what is a starfruit. Actually, we don’t need an answer.

在这一部分，我设计了一种图像随着书页展开而不断涌现的结构。为了阅读隐藏其中的图像，读者需要不断从内向外地打开书页。这是一种连续性的阅读体验，图像不再是破碎的片段，而构成了完整的「感觉」。

这些流动着的图像即是我对杨桃的最终印象，也是这一趟观察与探索杨桃之旅的终点。什么是杨桃呢？我不认为这个问题有答案。事实上，我们不需要一个答案。