QIANA MESTRICH

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PROJECTS
︎︎︎ The Reinforcements
︎︎︎ @WorkingWOC
︎︎︎ THRALL
︎︎︎ The Black Doll
︎︎︎ Namesake
︎︎︎ Inherited Patterns
︎︎︎ The Mist in Mystic
︎︎︎ Tenderheaded
︎︎︎ Bloodlines
︎︎︎ Trust Your Struggle

BOOKS + ZINES
︎︎︎ (up)rooted
︎︎︎ Dodge & Burn
︎︎︎ TOPSY TURVY
︎︎︎ Hard To Place
︎︎︎ Some Kind of War
︎︎︎ History of the World
︎︎︎ Indivisible

INSTALLATIONS
︎︎︎NYPL 
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History of the World

(Artist Book)






About This Artist Book


History became popularized when H.G. Wells (yes, the War of the Worlds author) published his two-volume History of the World in 1920. It's quite ambitious to think that you can publish the world's story in just two books, but Wells did. This of course left much to be desired in the way of fairness and accuracy, not to mention little room for illustrations.

I have a desire to re-imagine history.

Using found images, I added my own illustrations to Wells' second volume. Historical and contemporary characters come to life (an Aztec warrior, an African Hottentot, glamour model Coco Austin, Cuba's Castro and Batista) in this pop-up book for adults. I further anonymize Well's text and create my own historical narrative by employing an old practice of covering public school textbooks in brown paper bag to be reused by the next incoming class.