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Student Narrative
My project was to create a artist book in the form of a zine depicting my first semester at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). I was inspired by online fandoms, Tumblr posts, and fanzines. I combined illustrations, screenshots of direct messages and online posts, comics, photographs, and text made by me in order to create this piece.
The book mimics looking through a Tumblr dash (where you look at new posts). Images will go from deeply personal comics, to funny jokes, to uncomfortable topics, to intimate direct message screenshots, to fun information. The intention is for the viewer to be uncomfortable and confused, knowing that everything has significance to the creator while also not having enough context to get the full extent of the meaning. Just like I feel when scrolling Tumblr. The pages being cut from color laser prints adds to the digital social media aesthetic, as the images before being printed were digital, and the prints are smooth like a digital screen. The flipping of the pages also contributes to a scrolling sensation, as there is a physical aspect in both flipping pages and scrolling to reveal new information. The inclusion of personally made Tumblr-posts between chapters helps to reinforce the social media theme.
But, I also call this a fanzine. This is because it includes many elements referenced in fanzines, such as comics, Tumblr references, character sheets and photo collages of characters. Overall, I wanted to see my life through a random assortment of snapshots in the form that mimics social media posts and takes inspiration from fanzines. This reflects my life right now, as all that I feel that I really do anymore is RISD related things and fandom related things.
Publication Date
Winter 12-1-2025
Description
Entry for the 12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, 1st Floor Main Reading Room. Juror: Gabrielle Reed.
Keywords
artists' books; Baker & Whitehill
Disciplines
Book and Paper
Student Status
Undergraduate student
Year of Graduation
2029
Major
Experimental and Foundation Studies
Faculty / Course
Faculty name: Yukine Yanagi, Course Name: FOUND 1003-05 - STUDIO: DESIGN
Materials + Techniques
Materials used included digital illustrations / photo collages that were then printed out with a color laser printer. I then bound the book with a spiral bind.
Recommended Citation
Besch, Helen; Collections, Special; and Library, Fleet, "Helen Marie Besch… Sure is a Student at RISD" (2025). 12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2026. 4.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/bookcontest12th2026/4