Book 20  Existential Crisis. Penn, C. and van Heyzen, S.  (2009) (Fig. 18). Existential Crisis.  Unique collaborative artist’s book.   41 pages, mixed media. Including painting, drawing, digital prints, stamped text.  32.5cm x 43cm. Book  20.  Collection:  Cheryl  Penn.

I had met van Heyzen at the Garret Artists group where we drew under the guidance of Jeannette Gilks.  I  felt a kindred spirit with van Heyzen  and after much persuading she decided she would work with me on a collaborative book. In a journal in August 2008 I wrote that “something we spoke about struck a chord and I started to take photographs of myself in very unflattering ways, made up as a death mask.

It was more about what goes on inside, than the made up externals. Because the nature of a book is intimate, I hope that she will also explore the ‘inside’, not just respond in a superficial way; lets see…”. This book took about seven months to complete.

The result is a complex set of drawings with one word or line stamped onto the pages I gave her, and van Heyzen’s reaction to the word or image on the opposite page.  I think if I did this book again, or when I do this book again, I will make it a smaller intimate volume.  In a diary note (1 February 2009) I wrote that “I am going to enjoy photographing and making a photographic book of these images.  I think it will work well small.  The subject matter is very intimate and personal to me”.