Artist Alexis Arnold's creative practice is very unique and thought-provoking. She used borax to treat waste books and transform them into crystals. In this process, the original form of books was preserved, but also gave a new texture and visual effect. This transformation is not only amazing, but also full of deep symbolic significance.

As the carrier of human civilization, books carry rich knowledge and history. However, in the digital era, the status of physical books is gradually challenged, and many people begin to ignore their existence and value. Through this artistic practice, the author transformed the waste books into crystals, as if to remind people to pay attention to those things that are gradually lost from daily life - not only physical books, but also a culture, a tradition, and a unique experience associated with paper media.

Crystallization is usually regarded as a symbol of purity, eternity and beauty. By transforming old books into crystals, Alexis Arnold may be suggesting that even in modern society, books and the knowledge and wisdom contained therein still have immortal value. This transformation process can also be seen as a sublimation of books, making them continue to exist in people's vision in a new form.

Collection coaching training: how to turn waste books into crystals?

© The production process of this kind of crystal is relatively complex, which requires some patience and skill. Here are the general steps:

◆ Preparation of materials: waste books, borax, a large enough glass or porcelain container, chopsticks or similar tools are required to place pages, clothes racks, etc.

◆ Preparation of borax solution: boil water, mix 1 cup of boiling water with 3 tablespoons of borax, and prepare supersaturated borax solution in the container.

◆ Book processing: Conduct certain surface treatment on pages of waste books, and then immerse them in borax saturated solution. Chopsticks and other tools can be used to place the pages of the book to ensure that each page can be evenly contacted with the solution.

◆ Waiting for crystal growth: Leave the books immersed in the solution still and wait for borax crystals to precipitate and grow on the paper. This process may take some time, depending on factors such as ambient temperature and solution concentration.

◆ Take out to dry: when it is considered that there is enough crystallization, take out books from the solution and put them on the clothes rack to dry. At this time, the pages of the book have been hardened and covered with a layer of borax crystals.

　　 ✅ It should be noted that this process requires certain skills and experience to ensure the growth of crystals and the integrity of books. In addition, the processed books will become more fragile and need to be carefully preserved and displayed.

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