| Title | The future isn't what it used to be |
| Subtitle | (A manual of prognostication) |
| Artist / Creator | Cathryn Miller |
| Press Name | Byopia press |
| Artist's Nationality | Canada |
| Place of Publication | Grasswood, Saskatchewan |
| Publication Date | 2021 |
| Structure / Binding | Original non-adhesive modular accordion with internal sleeve housing a paper fortune teller |
| Medium / Materials | Paper folding/paper |
| Paper Stock | vellum |
| Number of Pages | 8 |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4.5 x 4.5 x 1 inches. Extends out to 28 inches |
| Edition Size | Unique Artist Book |
| Box / Wrapper | four-sided case in Yupo |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed by the Artist |
The future isn't what it used to be by Cathryn Miller - SOLD
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The largest unseen element in the lives of humans —one that contains most, if not all, of the other unseens— is the future. Many of my works explore the idea of prognostication, examining both historical and contemporary attempts to predict what will come.
The book The future isn’t what it used to be is a manual for forecasting future events, and is as accurate as any other system of divination, past and present. The structure —an original design— is a non-adhesive modular accordion. All the materials used in the construction of both the book and its case are translucent, representing the human ability to almost see what is coming without being able to make out the details. The coloured paper has a metallic finish representing the human tendency to be attracted to and wish for shiny things. The shine is hidden on most of the inner pages so that it might be a surprise to some to find it there. The sleeve formed by two of the pages contains a traditional children’s paper fortune teller. Like the book, it is blank.
Covid-19 seems to have surprised many people by changing their lives and their expectations. It is not possible to predict accurately what the future will bring. The future isn’t what it used to be is a physical manifestation of that.
The book The future isn’t what it used to be is a manual for forecasting future events, and is as accurate as any other system of divination, past and present. The structure —an original design— is a non-adhesive modular accordion. All the materials used in the construction of both the book and its case are translucent, representing the human ability to almost see what is coming without being able to make out the details. The coloured paper has a metallic finish representing the human tendency to be attracted to and wish for shiny things. The shine is hidden on most of the inner pages so that it might be a surprise to some to find it there. The sleeve formed by two of the pages contains a traditional children’s paper fortune teller. Like the book, it is blank.
Covid-19 seems to have surprised many people by changing their lives and their expectations. It is not possible to predict accurately what the future will bring. The future isn’t what it used to be is a physical manifestation of that.
Artist Bio
Cathryn Miller has had a lifelong fascination with paper and books. They have been been active in the book arts since the 1990s: first as a papermaker, then as a creator of both editioned and one-of-a-kind book works, often using completely original structures. Miller’s books appear under the imprint of Byopia Press, and are held in both public and private collections in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.