You Will Have Luck
Celebrating the American tradition of fortune cookies, a personal collection of fortunes was curated and explored through physical traits, internet language translation, syntax, and word counts. Designed as an unbound series of booklets, each unfolds to display graphic content on one side and computer generated ASCII art on the reverse.
Collected fortunes were photographed, analyzed, and sorted according to ink color (black, red or blue), printing (double-sided, single-sided), paper type (glossy, smooth, rough), text content, and physical condition (stained with soy sauce and/or grease). Google Translate was used to translate English into traditional or simplified Chinese, then back into English, showing how much syntax can change and meaning lost (or gained) through the process. Each unfolded booklet closely resembles the size and shape of a placemat, further connecting the reading of a fortune to an entertaining dining experience.
Awarded a project assistance grant and an exhibit honor award by the College Book Art Association (2012).
2012. Exhibited at Bibliotech, College Book Arts Association (CBAA) Juried Members Exhibition. Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA.
© Jessica Barness