Virginia Callen

In creating Dimensions of a Story, I was inspired by the important role books have played throughout my life. From a young age, I have loved stories, so I quickly became an avid reader. I used an EPSON scanner to preserve and reflect upon the books that have influenced me throughout different stages of my life. Starting as an early reader and journeying to my most recent favorites, this series explores the unique ability books have to transform a 2D page into a 3D universe created in the reader’s mind. 

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In each image, I examine the infinite properties of books. As a reader who actively avoids e-books, I am familiar with the unique dimensionality of printed books. I sought to capture the solid feeling of a book in a flat digital image. Books combine dimensions; the words flat on a page are two dimensional, but a whole book is three dimensional, and the stories contained inside are limited only by the dimensions of the reader’s imagination. It was this final space that has always grabbed me as a reader, but as an artist, I sought to explore deeper into how books can warp space and time leaving a lasting impression on our minds. Each image in this series combines multiple books that I loved at different times to highlight the vast potential of stories. As the series advances through time, the number of visible books in the image grows, just as I have amassed a larger and larger library over the years. 

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This series gave me the opportunity to deeply examine what books have meant to me as I have grown from childhood to the cusp of adulthood. I always knew my favorite books had a special place in my heart, but I now have explored just what it is that makes books so unique. I encourage viewers to dive into what they love and search for why they love it. In doing so, they might just discover new, deeper dimensions.