Encyclopedic: Weathered Volumes

Nanette Wylde with Kent Manske & time

Above: View 1–4



Above: View 5–8



Above: View 9–12



Above: View 13–16



Above: View 17–20

The American Educator Encyclopedia was first published in 1919. It was discontinued in 1977. This ten volume set of encyclopedias was used by Kent in his youth from the mid 1960s to around 1978. In the late 90s Nanette turned the books into art objects, painting them pure white. After exhibiting them a few times she put them outside in the garden where they were left for several decades.

At some point it was decided they reached an aesthetically pleasing degree of decay, needed rescue, and were brought indoors. In 2023 we determined it was time to document the books, thus, Encyclopedic: Weathered Volumes was photographed to create this conceptual body of work.

Series of 20 views presented as archival pigment prints on Arches in an edition of five each

The original set of encyclopedias before being altered.