WONDERLAND
Abbey Gregory
How does an avant-garde book form manipulate the way we interpret an otherwise recognizable storyline? Wonderland is an exploration of craft and book form through the lens of the 1951 Alice in Wonderland film adaptation.
The opulent psychedelia exhibited within the 1951 film adaptation of Alice In Wonderland has been a lifelong influence of mine, within my personal style and my design practice. The quote “nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t” appears within the first minutes of the film, and serves as the crux of Wonderland. In saying so, Alice fantasizes about a world where everything is whimsical and wondrous.
In Wonderland, I employ Alice’s fantastical perspective to explore three avant-garde ‘book’ forms. The first exhibits the full script through the form of a Risograph printed card deck. As the cards are shuffled, the narrative scrambles, and in turn offers an unlimited array of reading experiences. The second presents the film’s stills and script in the form of a gown. The flatplan of the book is printed onto the fabric of the dress with the pages scattered amongst the many skirts and pleats. The third highlights the title of the project and is then embedded onto the surface of tea cakes, which features an original typeface inspired by the hand-drawn letterforms within the film.
The exploration of the three books—playable, wearable, and edible—culminates in an installation where guests are immersed into the world of my own personal Wonderland.