600 mg Lithium

“600 mg of lithium” seeks to convey hypomania. There is a feeling of needing to do something, but there is nothing to do or fix that can fulfill this need. The obsessive, futile repetition of dots (the circle of a lithium tablet) functions solely as a physical manifestation of this desperation. The addition of powdered lithium flocking (a crushed 600 mg lithium tablet) softens edges and fills embossments, mirroring the dulling effect of lithium on emotion. Scientifically, lithium has the power to both give and take energy—a duality reflected in the inverse relationship between print and plate.  The small edition and subsequent destruction of the plate reflect the temporality of mania: the feeling of being trapped in a moment, aware of your actions, yet unable to comprehend their future consequences.