"Artist's Book Ideation Cards was designed as an aid to the book artist. Use the cards to jump-start a new project or inform one that is already in progress. There are two decks in the set: category cards and adjective cards. Start by separating the cards in Deck 1 into the seven categories [text, image, structure, paper, layout, technique and color]. Place the cards face down and choose one card at random from each stack. This will give you a basic 'recipe' for your project. Then choose five adjective cards at random from Deck 2. These will give you further information to use however you decide. If you want, you can exchange one category card and one adjective card. Wild cards are included in Deck 2 to offer additional challenges"—Instructions card.
Limited edition of 50 copies, signed and numbered. "Bitter Chocolate was written and designed by Julie Chen. Illustrations of the cacao forest and cacao pods were created by Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder. All other images were created by Julie Chen. All elements were letterpress printed from photopolymer plates on a variety of papers including Old Masters handmade paper from Papeterie Saint-Armand in Montréal, Zanders Elephant Hide and Hahnemühle Ingres" — Colophon.
Commissioned for inclusion in "Just one look," an exhibition of contemporary book arts held in the Special Collections Division of the University of Washington Libraries from March 31-July 29, 2016.
Long distance collaboration between California and Texas that took place during the 2020-21 pandemic. First and last sequences on each side of book designed by the two artists collaboratively and the other eight sequences were designed individually by each artist. — Colophon.
"In an age of electronic media and virtual simulacra 'What is a book?' is a common question. This is the question that Chen and Meador, two veteran practitioners near the top of any serious list of contemporary book artists, address in 'How Books Work.' This elegantly simple book marries structure and content in the best tradition of artists' books. It begins: 'What is a book? A book is an experience.' And ends: 'A book starts with an idea. And ends with a reader.'" — Vamp & Tramp, Booksellers website, December 15, 2016.
Edition of 100, Art Library has copy 80."This latest bookwork from Julie Chen is about the subtle yet powerful influence that memory has on daily life. Personal history, while seemingly rooted in fact, may contain more meaning as narrative than it does as documentation of truth. In the form of a tablet with sliding pages, True to Life offers an innovative physical structure which corresponds to the shifting nature of memory, allowing the reader to create different combinations of text and image and thus alter the content of the piece, deliberately or by chance, with each reading." — Publisher's website.