Artist's book by Barbara Smith featuring tipped in black-and-white images on colored paper accompanied by poetic narrative text. Spiral bound with vaccuum formed / embossed plastic covers with the title on both the recto and verso.
ROPE IS A STRUCTURE ABOUT A RITUAL OF LIFE, AND LIFE ITSELF IS THE SUBSTANTIAL CONTENT OF THE ROPE THE THREADS OF WHICH ARE THE MANY LEVELS OF CONSCIOUS LIFE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL.
ITS COVERS ARE THE ILLUSORY EDGES THAT ARE FIXED ON THE LIMITS OF EVENTS
BUT IN NO WAY INTENDING TO CIRCUMSCRIBE THEM.
RITUALS ARE NOT FINITE BUT ARE EVOLVING INFINITELY.
A RITUAL BINDS ITS LEVELS INTO A SYNTAX,
ASSURING A VEHICLE FOR EXPRESSION AND THE SECURITY OF FORM.
IT "ENDS WHEN ITS ENERGY FULFILLS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO PURSUE THE ILLUSION ALL OVER AGAIN.
IT IS A MEETING OF AN "INTERNAL" VISION AND PASSION WITH THE "OUTER" CONDITIONS OF REALITY.
A MOTORCYCLE RACE IS ONLY ONE OF AN INCREDIBLE VARIETY OF RITUALS WHICH WE
CLING TO AS SECURITY AND WHICH BECOME OUR BONDAGE.
WE LONG FOR FREEDOMS WHICH EXTEND THE RITUALS INTO NEW AREAS OR THE CREATION OF NEW ONES FOR AS YET UNEXPRESSED FEELINGS.
THE RAREST OF FREEDOMS IS WHEN ONE NO LONGER RELIES ON RITUAL AT ALL.
—from publication's colophon