worm, root, wort… & bane by Ann Shelton

Cortese by Mark van Leeuwen is used on the cover of worm, root, wort… & bane. From the website of artist Ann Shelton:

Ann Shelton’s latest book, worm, root, wort… & bane delves into the rich history of plant-centric belief systems and their suppression. Part artist scrapbook, part photo book, part quotography, and part exhibition catalogue, this publication explores the medicinal, magical, and spiritual uses of plant materials, once deeply intertwined with the lives of European forest, nomadic, and ancient peoples.

worm, root, wort… & bane reassembles fragments of historical knowledge alongside the first 19 artworks from Shelton’s photographic series, i am an old phenomenon (2022–ongoing). The plant sculptures photographed are constructed by the artist, who has worked with plants since childhood and long been interested in the history of floral art and its expansive gendered resonances.

The book interior combines headlines in Cortese with body copy in Tiempos (by Klim Type Foundry) and Mikadan (by Typodermic) as well as footnotes in Founders Grotesk (by Klim Type Foundry).