Courtesy

SHE IS: Jennifer Khoshbin, 40

BEST KNOWN FOR: Sculptures made out of books. For her über-cool “Book Projects,” Khoshbin breathes new life into old, obsolete books by meticulously carving out concentric circles and other shapes into the pages. The stylized holes act as a frame for words or for her drawings. She also draws images on the surface of the books to reflect, however obliquely, the story inside.

The point is to explore the past and the possible future of the book itself. For Khoshbin, an avid reader, carving the pages is a way to literally delve into the books and, by doing so, to explore the loss and recovery of meaning.

“For me, on a theory level, I’m sort of diving into that knowledge and joining that in the drawings and hopefully coming out with something that’s meaningful,” she said. “My ultimate goal has always gone back to the idea of what’s authentic. I think that’s at the root of a lot of my work.”

Khoshbin and her husband, philosopher Paul Lewis, often work together under the name Refarm Spectacle. For Luminaria, the downtown arts festival that took place in March, the couple created sculpted books and hid them around Houston Street for people to discover.

CURRENTLY: “Off With Their Heads” at One9Zero6 Gallery features Khoshbin’s resin animal heads decorated with delicately patterned papers. Also on display are her book pieces, many illustrated with drawings of human/animal hybrids.

The exhibit, which includes poetry by local writers, references fables and explores the meaning of animal heads as trophies.

“These are all sort of objects and symbols in an attempt to make sense of not just my past but animals’ and humans’ past, our collective past, to make sense of things through stories,” she said.

CHECK HER OUT: “Off With Their Heads” hangs through Saturday, July 5, at One9Zero6 Gallery, 1906 S. Flores St. See more of her work at jenkhoshbin.com. Khoshbin and her brother, Noah Khoshbin, are also preparing to open an art gallery on North Flores Street in 2009 or 2010.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor