Veda and Meda Rives (pronounced "Reeves) are identical twin sisters who specialize in book arts, printmaking and papermaking. Their art has been displayed in the U. S. and Japan, and Veda teaches at Illinois State University, Illinois. Though they produce work together and separately, they founded Mirror Image Press together, as a play on a printmaking term and their familial tie. The twins were as "twinny" as one imagines, finishing each other's sentences and dressed in the same style of clothing: long-sleeve shirts and slacks.
When they are working on separate projects, Veda prefers monotype with abstract shapes/landscapes, while Meda likes letterpress projects coupled with collage of old materials.
As they led us through their joint work, they spoke about spiritual growth and the sort of finding-yourself-journey that many artists stay away from because of its saccharine, sentimental tendencies. Despite the hominess of their concept, their work was done on a large, interesting scale. In the studio they use both Eastern and Western papermaking techniques in a hybrid style that adds character to the work. By implanting natural items into the paper—such as sawdust, seeds, and ground herbal tea—Meda and Veda give the paper a beautifully layered consistency. They create books, which look like large sheets of paper to the newcomer, and hang them from the rafters, so that the book envelops the viewer. This and the actual work itself saved the twins from being really...normal.
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