Coffey Residency for Book Arts

A Supposed Direction of Gravity
Jay Fox, Fort Smith, Arkansas
2024. Edition of 10.

The artist’s book A Supposed Direction of Gravity was created by residency artist Jay Fox. The artwork analyzes and questions the authority and intent of another text, Natural History, General and Particular (Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière), Count De Buffon, Volume I, 1781 (574 B929hEs). During Mr. Fox’s research in the Special and Area Studies collections during Fall 2023, he discovered this book and was struck by the author’s perspective that provides support to many theories of natural history that were prevalent at the time of writing, but also discredits evidence-based facts. As an historical object that has been handled by people over time, a blend of intention and negligence have captured the shape, textures, and weight of bookmarks, pressed flowers, folded pages and other physical interactions with the book, all of which are legible should one stop and notice. These indentations serve to frame and interrupt the fantastic claims of the author and become evidence of use that relate the quiet truths of the book’s utility and the physical world.

Mr. Fox puts his attention to the physical markers, allowing them to take precedence over the theories. The text of Natural History is then interpreted as poetry and becomes another type of world-making device. A Supposed Direction of Gravity includes a slim book to be used as a tool for citation that is paired with the main text to decode and provide meaning to Buffon’s text. This companion book, or tool, is shaped to the border of the main book and actively works to contain and reason with the original text while experimenting with styles, notation, and shorthand for the developed narrative. The covers of the book are made of steel plates embossed with the title and covered in blue book cloth which is gently sanded to expose the letters beneath. This, too, speaks to the nature of utility found in objects and in the physical world.

The artists book A Supposed Direction of Gravity and the reference text Natural History, General and Particular are part of the Special and Area Studies Collections in the University of Florida Libraries.

The artist book was printed and bound by Jay Fox during the 2023-2024 Marjorie S. Coffey Residency in Book Arts at the University of Florida. Exploration and research occurred in the special collections at the George A. Smathers Libraries in the Fall of 2023. Printing and construction of the book was completed at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith in the Book Arts Studio.

God’s Battle Axe
Sauda Mitchell, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
2023. Edition of 5.

God’s Battle Axe, pays homage to Zora Neale Hurston’s inspiration and creative process for her last unpublished manuscript ‘Herod the Great’. Through research of the Zora Neale Hurston Papers, (in particular, Hurston’s sketch book for ‘Herod’) at George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and published works that reveal the influences of religion in her early life, this work is an ode to Zora Neale Hurston’s courage to deviate from her accepted canonical work.

The enclosure for God’s Battle Axe seeks to capture the essence of Zora’s impeccable fashion as can be seen through examination of the Zora Neale Hurston Papers (MS 006) photographic collection. Through the use of materiality, the application of multiple mediums, and the conception of religious reliquaries, this work reimagines Zora’s vision for the environment, historic setting, and years of research resulting in her six volume manuscript for ‘Herod the Great’.

Through an embedded QR code, God’s Battle Axe, links to Zora’s 1955 handwritten and signed letter to Margrit Sabloniere in which she describes ‘ Life of Herod the Great’ as such.. “ I am trying something more difficult than ever before.” [Hurston,Z.N. Handwritten Letter], Zora Neale Hurston Papers, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Size:
Dimensions: 7” x 10” x 6” H

Weight:
4.5 pounds

Media:
Wood, concrete, caulk, pigments (water color, pen and ink, acrylic), textile (velvet), faux ostrich feathers, artifacts (vintage brooch), glass (mosaic tiles), linoleum, printmaking ink, paper, black and white archival photo prints.

Sauda Mitchell is a community leader, certified archivist, educator, and multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years of engagement with the arts, libraries, and diverse communities. Through primary source research, Sauda’s work focuses on utilizing printmaking and QR code technology as a creative non-traditional access method, linking viewers to archival repositories, curated exhibitions, and aggregated data. Each work serves as a visual response to archival collection materials representative of the many stories that can be found deep within the archival landscape.

Sauda serves as the Director of the Painting Drawing and Printmaking Department at the Sawtooth School of Visual Art in Winston Salem N.C. where she develops high quality visual arts programming, curricula, workshops and events. Sauda is an adjunct instructor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Buffalo, where she teaches students the methodology of how to teach with primary sources. Mitchell is currently a doctoral student at Drexel University in the Educational Leadership and Management Program. Her research centers around marginalized student access to archives based engagement in support of cultural competence and primary source critical analysis, as a catalyst for elevated cognitive development.

Select works are currently held in the permanent collections of the SCAD Museum of Art, Harvard University, Smithsonian Libraries, and The Library of Congress. You can view more of Sauda’s work at her website.

April 20, 2023: Public presentation for Sauda Mitchell’s artist’s book, God’s Battle Axe.

Sylvan Secrets
Denise Bookwalter, Tallahassee, Florida
2021. Edition of 20

Denise Bookwalter: Sylvan Secrets is a deep dive into the way the natural world is named and cataloged and what we can discover within the imposed order. Inspired by Encyclopaedia of American Woods by Romeyn Hough, the pages depict the microscopic innards of trees. Volume five, the volume from North Florida, was the main inspiration for the book. (see notation below).

The toroidal book structures are relief printed in gold with images inspired by microscopic photographs of the wood veneers, presenting a unique perspective of looking at these preserved species.

Encyclopaedia of American Woods
Romeyn Hough (1857–1924); Ellwood Scott Harrar; Fred M. White
New York: Publisher: R. Speller, 1957.

Encyclopaedia of American Woods is a catalog of wood veneers collected by Romeyn Hough over a period of nearly forty years. Produced in thirteen volumes generally divided by geographic locations, the species are represented by three different cross sections, scientific names, and common names. Each volume contains twenty-five different species.
QK480.N7 H681 1910 v.13

Denise Bookwalter is a printmaker, book artist, and educator living in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a Professor of Art at Florida State University and Founding Director of Small Craft Advisory Press, a collaborative book arts press at FSU. She has exhibited solo and collaborative work nationally and internationally and her books can be found in numerous collections. You can view more of Denise’s work at her website.

To Hold In Place
Paul Shortt
Gainesville, Florida
2022. Edition of 20.

To Hold In Place was created as part of the 2021–2022 Coffey Residency for Book Arts at the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. It was inspired by and incorporates instructional and moveable elements from children’s books in the University of Florida Special and Area Studies, Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature. Paul Shortt’s artwork is initiated from street signage and directional placards that we all see in our daily lives. His work turns these ordinary, overlooked warnings and directions into brightly colored, even playful, signs and coloring books. To Hold in Place takes its cue from the small instructional texts of children’s books and creates a new form of poetic operation with pull tabs, lifts, and volvelles.

Risograph printed in two colors at Print St Pete, St. Petersberg, FL. Laser cut elements and spiral binding.

(Paul Shortt gives special thanks to Ellen Knudson, Katie Smith, and Ann Lindell for the opportunity and support, the UF library special collections staff, specifically Michele Wilbanks and Steve Hersh, and the former Baldwin curator Suzan Alteri.)

Some of the books used as reference for To Hold in Place are as follows:

Moving Picture Series, Vol. 1: Live Animals
L. Meggendorfer

Rays of Sunshine
McLoughlin Bros. New York
39h2126

Princess Rose Petal and Her Adventures: A Moveable Toybook
Lothar Meggendorfer

The Picture Motion Book
39h 3355

Nursery Tiles: The Boys and Girls Painting Book
D. Lothrop & Co., Boston
15h674

Little Merry-Makers
A.J. Daryll

Paul Shortt has been making zines and artist books and presenting these works through exhibitions and fairs nationally and internationally for the last 10 years. Paul’s books have been published using Risograph printing, letterpress, laser cutters and commercial printers usually in runs of 50-500. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of Art, and Yale University. You can see more of Paul’s work at his website.