ARTS & CULTURE

mapping the other but expanding and deepening the meaning of each other; and in key places and moments, provoking questions and presenting complexities of interpretation,” says Contro. “Theorem posits that we have experiences, and memories of these experiences, that we spend a lifetime trying to understand, calculate, feel, and see.”

I’m particularly interested in the inclusion of maps in the writing and in the imagery of Bradfield and Contro’s works. Collaged maps, and text alluding to direction, fill up a few pages of the book. Bradfield explains that she loves the physical and applied use of maps. When I ask her more about the tie to maps, she says, “Place, too, is something that looms large in my writing. The nuances of how place influences memory, experience, and even ‘truth’ obsess me. What does a pitch pine mean on Cape Cod, where I live, compared to a muskeg in southeast Alaska, another place I hold dear? The resonances are di erent. How do we map those geographies? I don’t have an answer, but I think the pursuit of such an answer is valuable.”

There’s also a distance between the two artists—one from the Cape, the other from Chicago—which I find interesting in their relationship. Collaborating via the post o ce, mailings, technology, and FaceTime calls were all a part of the design and production process. Though they weren’t collaborating side by side, their process and means of communicating culminated in a dialogue of words and images.

Theorem begins and ends with a red image. When I finish the text, it almost startles me. After pages upon pages of fine drawings and muted hues, the red color cleanses my palate. Contro says, “Red saturates the two final images of the book. We both wanted a concluding image that was powerful, emotional, engulfing, transportive.” The saturated page makes me feel like I’ve just finished a long walk. The words are lyrical as they carry you along the journey of Theorem . Bradfield’s recollection of time and Contro’s smart drawings propel readers into a contemplation of the self. I found myself sighing, stopping and reflecting, radiating, and by the end of it, I felt—most importantly—at ease. v

@snicolelane