Science of the Secondary:
An Atlas of Things
Not Yet Discovered

“Although socks often disappear into our shoes, a book about them can be little more adventurous.”

Just like how the first lines suggest, this book peers into the tangled and seam-filled mess that is the sock. The quirky illustrations and textures attempt to connect the sock to its unexpectedly wider context: the Earth.

AUDIENCE

I made this book for children, hoping that they are engaged with each page that presents a new combination of colors and compositions. Each spread has a different theme to pair with the provided text, from medical forms to zooming into the sock seams through a telescope. Even the way the book is bound is meant to be played with, allowing anyone to make some funky shapes.

PROCESS

Once I had solidified an audience and concept, I went right into the making phase. I found colors directly from my friend’s sock collection, created a flexible grid system, and spent my days with a laptop and scanner, coming up with different ways to show how it feels to touch socks. I even went out to take a photo of a skeleton model for the x-ray card and drew illustrations with a coarse digital brush.

Next Project: The Inventor of the Record Cover