On Art

Five Books of Moses, by Carole P. Kunstadt

The viewer engages anew with the Hebrew Bible through Carole P. Kunstadt’s manuscript blocks. “The text and illustrations remain hidden with no access to the actual contents of the book,” notes Kunstadt. “The simple physical presence of these varying shapes emphasizes their literal, historical, and spiritual impact. The imprint on our consciousness, not the actual details of the stories, is therefore emphasized.” Using a two-volume set of the Old Testament that once belonged to her grandfather, Kunstadt stripped off bindings, cut, arranged, and then reconstructed text blocks to create her Old Testament series.