Stone
Hanna Mattes
The book celebrates the beauty of rocks, stones and pebbles. It shines a light on ordinary objects and questions the value we give to things. What determines the price of a stone is commonly based on beauty (its clarity, colour and cut), rarity, durability, demand, tradition and portability. Based on this logic, it could be said that any rock could be classified as a gemstone if it meets the above criteria. If they are presented like gemstones, perhaps they are?
Why is a mineral or a diamond, that can be bought in a store, more precious than a pebble found on a London street? Provided the latter is connected to a specific memory, place or time it could possibly have more meaning and thus (personal) value to us. Jung explains: “{We} have collected stones since the beginning of time and have apparently assumed that certain ones were the containers of the life-force with all its mystery.”
Title: Stone
Publisher: Self Published, 2022
Author: Hanna Mattes, excerpts from C.G. Jung: Man and His Symbols (1964)
Photographer: Hanna Mattes, Louise West
Graphic Design: Louise West
Format: Handbound Riso print brochure
Size: 15 x 21 cm
Edition: 100 copies
£18