Lyra, 2020
Various mosses, shells, springtails, soil, and plastic container
5 x 7 x 2 ¾ inches

Apollo gave Orpheus a tortoise-shell lyre with which he charmed all those for whom he played. This harp was immortalized in the constellation Lyra which includes the brightest star of the Southern Cross, Vega.

Constance was a guiding star during my time at Hunter. I first took her Artists’ Books class which piqued my interest in the interactive object as she challenged the boundaries of what was once a fixed definition. Books could be more than folios; they could be time-based, causal objects. Things gained a book-ness about them. Constance’s sage advice and cutting wit as my thesis advisor guided me through the indulgent freedom of the graduate thesis project. My writing and my making have loosened and grown wings with her support, leaving space for the poetic and associative qualities I love so much in her work.

Christopher Lin
MFA ‘15
www.christopherlinstudio.com