Don't Judge These Covers: The Book Art of Jennifer Kring
Jennifer Kring is using her talents to merge the visual and literary arts.
When we think of book art, a lot of different ideas come to mind, ranging from colorful picture books to artistic book covers. Jennifer Kring has flipped the idea on its head though, bu turning books and the pages within themselves into art.
Jennifer believes she has always been an artist. As a child, she was always creating something. Regardless of if she was decorating mud pies or putting paint on canvas, she found pure joy in moments of creation.
While Jennifer has dabbled in several different art forms, her claim to fame has become her unique book art. She carves the literal pages and covers of books into amazing pieces in a display few have ever seen.
“I inherited a library full of ‘Reader’s Digest’ novels,” Jennifer said. “I just kept looking at them and wondering how I could write my own story into them with my drawings. Eventually, I got the nerve to carve into them.”
The process of creating one of her pieces starts with ideas. Jennifer finds inspiration in those ideas and then collects the images she will use for the piece before drawing them. She then will start actually carving into the book and adhere her drawings to different pages so that they almost float in the book. Once satisfied they are sealed with plexiglass and given her seal of authenticity.
“My process always starts with ideas and they can come from anywhere. A song, maybe something I saw on a hike or just a story that grows in my daydreams.”
Jennifer says she gets her best ideas when she is caught up in immersive activities. She says these activities are able to stimulate and calm her mind at the same time.
“I like to let my mind wander free when I listen to great music, read a fantastic novel, or get out in the wilderness.”
Jennifer loves being a part of the Chattanooga art scene and is doing her best to help showcase other local artists. She has just begun her own podcast, Chatt Art, which will be an interview-style show focusing on visual artists of the area.
“I love our city and the wonderful people that I am privileged to live a creative life with. I am very interested in building a community for visual artists in Chattanooga by developing platforms to foster communication and support.”
Artwork by Jennifer is currently on display at an exhibit at St. Elmo Firehall in honor of National Woman’s Day for the month of March. She can be followed on Instagram, @jenniferkring, and make sure to visit her website.