Complete Arithmetic by Julie Shaw Lutts

The title, Complete Arithmetic, comes from an old arithmetic book which is used in and also inspired the piece. The old paper pages fill the top of the box. The numbers and symbols are mounted on wood and lightly waxed. These pieces can be used to “play” with the book and set up mathematical problems of your own. Julie Shaw Lutts Thoughts on ‘Boxes and Containers’ My artist books are often housed in vintage boxes or containers, which I have found at flea markets and tag sales. I love the idea of wondering “what’s inside” and the process of lifting the lid, or opening the box to explore the unknown. When working on a piece I often have the theme or narrative worked out and then choose the box or container in which to house the book. This choice often dictates the size of the ‘pages’, or how many parts, pages, or found objects will fit nicely inside. The box choice gives me parameters to work within and helps drive the finished work. Then the challenge is to make all the pieces of