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Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am
Already a sensation in the UK and winner of the prestigious 2008 Design & Art Direction award for outstanding achievement in illustration and book design, Sara Fanelli's Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am is an extraordinary new creation, a book unlike any other.
Known for her often-imitated, never duplicated experimental techniques, renowned illustrator Fanelli finds inspiration not only in the visual arts but also in literature and theater. From Dante and Goethe to Calvino and Beckett, Fanelli draws on her favorite quotations and aphorisms to create a work of utter originality, previously unpublished sketches, collages, paintings, and drawings, at the heart of which lies a beautiful miniature book-within-a-book. Famed art director Steven Heller provides an illuminating introduction while critic Marina Warner introduces each of the book's five chapters, "Devils and Angels," "Love," "Color," "Myth," and "The Absurd." Eclectic, dynamic, and full of creative energy, Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am speaks to the power of inspiration and the capacity for books to embody it.
Known for her often-imitated, never duplicated experimental techniques, renowned illustrator Fanelli finds inspiration not only in the visual arts but also in literature and theater. From Dante and Goethe to Calvino and Beckett, Fanelli draws on her favorite quotations and aphorisms to create a work of utter originality, previously unpublished sketches, collages, paintings, and drawings, at the heart of which lies a beautiful miniature book-within-a-book. Famed art director Steven Heller provides an illuminating introduction while critic Marina Warner introduces each of the book's five chapters, "Devils and Angels," "Love," "Color," "Myth," and "The Absurd." Eclectic, dynamic, and full of creative energy, Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am speaks to the power of inspiration and the capacity for books to embody it.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2007
2 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Sara Fanelli
32 books17 followersSara Fanelli was born in 1969 in Florence, where she studied for a Diploma di Maturita at the Liceo Classico Michelangelo before coming to England, where she studied at the City and Guilds of London Art School, Camberwell School of Art, and the Royal College of Art, London.
She has undertaken illustration work for various publications, including the New York Times, the Independent on Sunday and the New Scientist. Her clients include The Royal Mail, BBC Worldwide, and Tate.
She has undertaken illustration work for various publications, including the New York Times, the Independent on Sunday and the New Scientist. Her clients include The Royal Mail, BBC Worldwide, and Tate.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 21, 2012
The art of contemporary collage is a medium alive with young artists and innovation; "Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am" is an excellent overview of the work of Sara Fanelli, who is in the foreground of the current scene.
I have a particular affinity for her use of old ephemera; the patina of old ledgers, stained photos and India ink speak to me. I especially appreciate that she doesn't use vintage portraits to simply lampoon the subjects. I cannot think of a more simplistic or offensive use of old portraits than repeatedly putting party hats and other silliness on people staring resolutely at the camera to leave something to the future.
The use of single body parts, an eye here - a mouth there, at least removes the identity of the subject and allows Ms. Fanelli to incorporate the parts, Frankenstein-like, in the creation of a new character.
If you enjoy children's book illustration or collage, this book is definitely worth a peek.
I have a particular affinity for her use of old ephemera; the patina of old ledgers, stained photos and India ink speak to me. I especially appreciate that she doesn't use vintage portraits to simply lampoon the subjects. I cannot think of a more simplistic or offensive use of old portraits than repeatedly putting party hats and other silliness on people staring resolutely at the camera to leave something to the future.
The use of single body parts, an eye here - a mouth there, at least removes the identity of the subject and allows Ms. Fanelli to incorporate the parts, Frankenstein-like, in the creation of a new character.
If you enjoy children's book illustration or collage, this book is definitely worth a peek.
Want to read
April 3, 2013Couldn't find this on the library website, under any of the authors' names.
January 5, 2018
I want to frame every page from this book, would be lovely for children to pick a picture and create their own story or poem!
July 5, 2018
Colecção de ilustrações, recortes e outras invenções gráficas da artista Sara Fanelli, completadas com frases poderosas de grandes escritores e artistas. Um mimo visual.
January 15, 2017
3.5?? cute, i wish there was more than just a brief description offered of each section though
June 26, 2015
“Sometimes I think, sometimes I am.”
- Paul Valéry
This quote and the ones below were chosen from the numerous wonderful quotes in Sara Fanelli’s book "Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am.” I’ve been a fan of Sara Fanelli for a good while now. Her illustrations have a sense of lightness and playfulness that I especially love when juxtaposed with texts of a serious nature. Her book “Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am” is both a visual delight and a thought-provoking journey where we may find ourselves personified on any given page playing make-believe, expressing our passions, accepting our destiny, or recognizing our own madness.
“I feel that there is an angel inside me whom I am constantly shocking.”
- Jean Cocteau
I’ve paged through this book many times on many different occasions and always come back to the title, the quote from Paul Valéry. It always makes me pause. The age-old question “What am I?” seems to have found a direct and open-ended answer there: Sometimes I am what I think, and sometimes I am what I am.
The way I see things, to be what I am is to focus only on the truth of what is, free of interpretation. It is to feel happy to be alive, fulfilled and peaceful in the present moment without struggling or striving for anything else, just happy to be me breathing and taking up space. On the other hand, to be what I think is to interpret the truth of what is. It is to choose what I think about with the awareness that my thoughts are creative, that I am creating my tomorrow by what I think today. It is to tell myself a story and then believe it.
I’m hard-pressed to believe my own story since I know it’s an interpretation, a creation of my own version of reality. And yet, I cannot stop my mind from thinking, from brimming over with words, from distorting everything. And a part of me doesn’t even want to, because maybe in the process of interpreting I find a way to align what I think, feel, say, and do.
“The beauty of the sphinx is that you yourself must do the interpreting. When you have found an interpretation, you are already cured. The mistake people make is to believe that the sphinx can only give one answer. Actually, it gives hundreds of answers, or maybe none at all. Interpretation probably does not give us the truth, but the act of interpretation saves us.”
- Saul Steinberg
Sometimes, reading the quotes in this book gives me perspective to look at how I am creating my own reality. And yet sometimes, swimming on the surface of Sara’s beautiful artwork, I gain the presence of mind to just sit back and enjoy the ride, surrendering myself to this adventure we call Life, feeling as though I belong without understanding why. Just swimming in her shapes and colors.
“Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet.”
- Paul Klee
- Paul Valéry
This quote and the ones below were chosen from the numerous wonderful quotes in Sara Fanelli’s book "Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am.” I’ve been a fan of Sara Fanelli for a good while now. Her illustrations have a sense of lightness and playfulness that I especially love when juxtaposed with texts of a serious nature. Her book “Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am” is both a visual delight and a thought-provoking journey where we may find ourselves personified on any given page playing make-believe, expressing our passions, accepting our destiny, or recognizing our own madness.
“I feel that there is an angel inside me whom I am constantly shocking.”
- Jean Cocteau
I’ve paged through this book many times on many different occasions and always come back to the title, the quote from Paul Valéry. It always makes me pause. The age-old question “What am I?” seems to have found a direct and open-ended answer there: Sometimes I am what I think, and sometimes I am what I am.
The way I see things, to be what I am is to focus only on the truth of what is, free of interpretation. It is to feel happy to be alive, fulfilled and peaceful in the present moment without struggling or striving for anything else, just happy to be me breathing and taking up space. On the other hand, to be what I think is to interpret the truth of what is. It is to choose what I think about with the awareness that my thoughts are creative, that I am creating my tomorrow by what I think today. It is to tell myself a story and then believe it.
I’m hard-pressed to believe my own story since I know it’s an interpretation, a creation of my own version of reality. And yet, I cannot stop my mind from thinking, from brimming over with words, from distorting everything. And a part of me doesn’t even want to, because maybe in the process of interpreting I find a way to align what I think, feel, say, and do.
“The beauty of the sphinx is that you yourself must do the interpreting. When you have found an interpretation, you are already cured. The mistake people make is to believe that the sphinx can only give one answer. Actually, it gives hundreds of answers, or maybe none at all. Interpretation probably does not give us the truth, but the act of interpretation saves us.”
- Saul Steinberg
Sometimes, reading the quotes in this book gives me perspective to look at how I am creating my own reality. And yet sometimes, swimming on the surface of Sara’s beautiful artwork, I gain the presence of mind to just sit back and enjoy the ride, surrendering myself to this adventure we call Life, feeling as though I belong without understanding why. Just swimming in her shapes and colors.
“Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet.”
- Paul Klee
July 26, 2016
'Sometimes I think, Sometimes I am' is a treat for anyone who loves words, pictures or both! Sara Fanelli is best known as an illustrator of picture books and mainly works in collage, giving her illustrations a very distinctive look. This book is a collection of work based on Devils and Angels, Love, Colour, Mythology and the Absurd! And, as illustration is the sibling of words, her work is accompanied by the writing that inspired it. Proverbs, quotations and extracts from all kinds of sources sit next to her images, accompanying one another. And if that was not enough, the wonderful writer, Marina Warner, gives a beautifully crafted introduction to every section! This book will be a delight to any Sara Fanelli fan but also a fantastic introduction to anyone who is not familiar with her work. There is also the opportunity to discover a plethora of writers you may not have heard of. And as one last surprise, when you open this book something will fall out! (It's nothing scary!)
January 31, 2011
Fanelli is a unique artist making an innovative picture book of her drawings and thoughts. I called this an autobiography but really is a kind of artist's journal with drawings on notebook paper inspired by interesting quotes like "Life is not a matter of holding the good cards but of playing a poor hand well." by Robert Louis Stevenson. The page design and the typography are inspirational making me want to hunt up her other books particularly the one for children,"A Dog Life".
February 19, 2009
I've only skimmed through this book but the wondrous, whimsical illustrations and restrained hand-drawn typography speak for themselves.
I was lucky enough to see Sara Fanelli live at the AGideas design conference in Melbourne last year. She talked in much detail behind the workings of the book. Unfortunately her signed copies ran out very quickly.
I was lucky enough to see Sara Fanelli live at the AGideas design conference in Melbourne last year. She talked in much detail behind the workings of the book. Unfortunately her signed copies ran out very quickly.
July 30, 2011
First of all, the book itself is a wonderful object. It has a smaller book sewn inside of it and yet an even smaller one inside that one. The paper dust jacket has a very soft feel to it. As for the contents, the illustrations, collages and typography are a true pleasure to look at and the quotes and texts are very clever and thought provoking. A beautiful book to pick up again and again!
November 10, 2008
Breathtaking.
Every page is more enchanting than the last.
Every page is more enchanting than the last.
June 8, 2009
Interesting Art work; this is sort of like looking inside someone's sketchbook (albeit someone really talented), - Bonnie-
August 29, 2010
Makes me crazy to journal - makes my journal crazy!
February 15, 2012
I enjoy the art. I liked the format, famous quotes with interpretation.
Read
October 8, 2014I think that the pictures that were drawn were allmost childlike just saying my 4 year old nephew could draw th things she draws!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews