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Knowledgeable

Diane  Jacobs

Letterpress, linoleums prints, coptic concertina binding.
letterpress, linoleum printing
coptic concertina binding
15 3/4 x 14 1/2 x 3 1/4 in
edition of 26

My books and prints examine institutional testing in the United States. The impetus for starting this investigation of standardized testing came from personal experiences. While growing up, I was labeled "below average" according to achievement placement test scores. This had a profound effect on my self perception. I explore testing on a philosophical level and question who makes these tests and why. Psychological research has historically been dominated by white middle/upper class men resulting in biased test standardization. In my work, I am focusing on standardized multiple choice tests and the Rorschach ink blot test. I have created by own version of a standardized multiple choice test (called Test Book) in which the questions asked are unanswerable. They raise current issues and show the complexities of some worldwide problems without giving tangible answers. "Knowledgeable" is also a standardized test. However, it is a compilation of many types of testing, ranging from an eye test to reading comprehension. The format is playful and the book includes a timing element.

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