WILLIAM HARROFF’S WATERWORKS OF ART
“It' s like being in a snowglobe, so pretty and strange and unreal - as if it’s not happening now, it’s only a dream of something that happened once.” Kurt Busiek, Marvels
Each “reading” of a snowglobe is an entirely new experience, yet it is as inviting as any traditional book. Words are liberated from the printed page and control of the order is shifted away from the creator and is, instead, subject to the physical manipulations of the viewer. The nature of the globes causes the viewer to concentrate on both the meaning of the individual words or phrases and the visual beauty of the bending, twisting letter forms in space.
My snowglobe bookworks often make people laugh, then think. Both are healthy, life-affirming methods of addressing the difficult, contemporary issues represented in the objects. Humor and playfulness act as gates that help individuals open up to new perspectives, while anger and confrontation function only as barriers.
From 1989 - 1996, my life was profoundly restricted by a serious illness causing chronic pain. I began a slow recovery through faith, the love of those dearest to me, and extensive physical therapy. Each work included here originated and was developed during this “painful period.” In 1995, my snowglobe bookworks were recognized with
a National Endowment for the Arts / Arts Midwest Visual Art Regional Fellowship.
