256Fish
2023 [book design]
This book indexes 256 images of fish and fish related objects documenting both my obsession with fish and our evolutionary ties to them. Dispensed on a dollar store toy fishing rod, the book features two parts. The first is a sixteen-page collaged accordion of an imagined timeline, beginning with the first fish to evolve on land and ending with the retaliation of ocean creatures in response to over-fishing and commodification. The 256-page index serves as the second part of the book, and also the bulk of it — reflecting a deep dive into the ocean. Each index entry corresponds to the guide on the reverse of the accordion.
As our evolutionary ancestors, I think the human condition has deep ties to fish. Our relationship to fish — from worship to commodification — acts as a reflection of our relationship to one another.
