Oooh... Salty

If you didn't make it to the beach this summer, we have the book for you. Maggie Puckett's Salty reeks of the ocean even though it was printed in Chicago. For the most part, it is an artist's book of blank pages, but they are imbued with meaning... and salt.  It was an experiment as part of the artist's work at Columbia College's Center for Book and Paper Arts.

The artist's statement tells readers that "To experience Salty you must lick it." it goes on to explain:

The salty taste of the paper, embedded with extra coarse sea salt and produced in salty water, is meant to mimic the experience of tasting seawater.

Salty was created out of a desire to experiment with paper made in seawater. The salt may affect the paper's archival qualities, but suggests an alternative source of water for papermaking studios located in drought-stricken but coastal area.

The book is bound using dried squid tentacles. We gave it a lick to see what the experience would be. It was not pleasant. To be true to the book's purpose we will allow visitors to take a taste if they dare. Salt is a powerful preservative, so we think the salt in the paper will wipe out most germs, but it is taste at your own risk.

Close up of the paper

We are in the process of cataloging the book, but the record will eventually be located here. Once it is ready, come in and give it a taste, or just hold it up and smell the sea.