I wrote two sets of notes. The first set are the ones I took looking at the piece for an hour, and the second ones is a rewritten version for the purpose of legibility and organization.

1st Set

Before organizing and making more legible.

Before organizing and making more legible.

Before organizing and making more legible.

2nd Set

Notes after organizing

Notes after organizing

Notes after organizing

Some of the artists I looked into I was introduced to in the Making Africa exhibition at the High Museum last year. Other have just stuck with me through time, and some I encountered in my research of the artists that I knew. At first I was really interested in the Ikire Jones brand and the use of black bodies in classical scenes, in particular the idea of wearable art. Casey helped me tremendously with finding a book on WorldCat and ILLing a book entitled Dandy Lion by Shantrelle P. Lewis. Although looking into black dandyism was interesting, it was not what I was looking for. I liked the concept presented through black dandyism, of using elements that are historically Western in nature and mixing it with an Afrocentric motif or narrative. The idea of subverting an image or using a style deliberately to inserting the black body and narrative into the mainstream narrative through the use of certain medium and aesthetic.

During my research process, I mostly bookmarked pages with information on them that I found relevant and started a bookmark folder for them. When I started reading Dandy Lion, I relied mostly on notes that I will probably transcribe into my word document of ideas. I also inserted images into my word document or saved them in Google images and Artstor. My research style is a bit more interesting. I tend to do a brain dump in the beginning of to just get some sense of where my interests are and where to begin looking. Truthfully, I have not really figured out what elevates one idea over the other. It seems that the ideas that made me ask questions or linked to another field of thought stood out and promoted more research. The intertwining of race, representation, and art became a big one for me. Then it became a game of narrowing it down, which I am still in the process of.

List of possible artists to explore:

Kara Walker

Firelei Báez

Ikire Jones (Wale Oyejide )

Omar Diop

Rashaad Newsome

Kehinde Wiley

I know that I tend to think in sporadic bursts that prompt me to rapidly scribble down ideas on paper or online before they disappear. My research becomes more methodical once I have found something I wanted to explore and I am asking specific questions. That can become one of my weaknesses and strengths. The strength is generating ideas and making connections between subjects and academic fields whereas the  weakness comes from trying jumping from idea to idea. I jump from one idea to another, and sometimes I forget where I was going with the original idea.

Huot’s smallest book he made, just a little bigger than a thumb nail (excuse my nails)

Walking into Huot’s shop was very exciting. As soon as I saw the antique cast iron book presses and shelves of bound books, I was excited. Hearing Huot enthuse about book binding and seeing him present some of his work re-enforced my interest in bookbinding and conservation. I have been interested in book binding for over a year now, and to be able to walk into an actual workshop was an amazing experience. Huot gave us a tour around his shop while introducing the tools of his trade and the machinery he used to create his prints. The whole thing was remarkably packed with cool information, and I was particularly interested in his work restoring and conserving older books like family bibles and beloved books.

                             We even got to handle the proof press machine and create our own print.

Translation: “Agnes Scott College went out the perimeter to visit big River Bindery”

Proof Machine

Huot’s background in art and conservation is one that visibly comes together in bookbinding and book restoration. Like creating prints, the act of conservation is an artform.  Bookbinding and conservation is really delicate work where decisions are being made in order to transform parts of something in order to create a whole which really delves into what art is about. The act of creation in any form evokes some sort of connection with artistic expression. I would like to try my hand at binding my own book, and from examining Huot’s work, there are so many ways to expression yourself in the act of bookbinding. Hopefully, I will be able to take Professor Beidler’s bookbinding class senior year. I can see why we went to see Huot’s workshop because physically walking into the space sparked so much conversation and inspiration.