M A Y . 2 0 1 2
Maji Moto Book & Foyer Gallery Exhibit
I'm proud to announce the completion of Maji Moto: Dispatches from a Drought; Photographs and Lyrical Essays by Courtney Fitzpatrick. The fifteenth title published by Horse & Buggy Press, Maji Moto is the centerpiece of a multi-media exhibit in the foyer gallery.
The exhibit in our recently expanded foyer gallery includes copies of the fine press book, framed photographs (available for sale framed or unframed), limited edition giclee/letterpress broadsides (for sale as prints), and a large-scale environmental text installation in the storefront window.
Third Friday Open Studios: Friday, June 15; 6–9pm
*the exhibit remains up through June 30.
F O Y E R . G A L L E R Y . H O U R S
Fridays from 11am — 2pm,
Saturday mornings from 9am — Noon,
and by appt. at 919 949-4847
Maji Moto: Dispatches from a Drought
Photographs and Lyrical Essays Courtney Fitzpatrick
a 2012 Horse & Buggy Press Book
Courtney spent 17 months in the remote Amboseli basin of Kenya during 2009 and 2010. As Amboseli descended into, suffered from, and eventually emerged from the worst drought in living memory, her evocative writing and photographs became a personal record of a fragile ecosystem.
I collaborated with Courtney for over a year, shaping this content into a fine press book as well as limited edition broadsides created through an integration of giclee printing (color photograph) and letterpress printing (three colors of text content). Maji Moto is a body of work that bears witness to the transformation of both a physical and psychological landscape. The stirring narrative, carried forth equally by words and images, is presented first and foremost through the engaging intimacy of a hand-bound book, a tactile artifact with enduring emotional resonance.
The large-format, 88 page limited edition book is a unique balance of images (over 40 in full color) and lyrical essays (10) that manages to be both a "document" of a rather unique place and time in a remote part of the world as well as a highly personal and poetic account. The large-format book also includes an introduction by Courtney along with forewords by noted field biologists Harry Greene and Donna Haraway.
Select elements of the book, including the covers, were hand-printed on a Vandercook letterpress and heavyweight paper is used throughout the book including flyleaf endsheets. Each of the numbered 175 limited edition copies is signed by Courtney and includes a hand-printed bookmark, as well as a frameable, photographic print tucked into a translucent envelope inside the back cover.
An artist whose primary medium is science, Courtney completed her undergraduate degree in studio art at UNC-Chapel Hill and taught photography at New York’s Hetrick-Martin Institute before returning to her early interest in evolutionary biology. As a graduate student in biology, she received a Fulbright Fellowship to study sexual selection and primate reproductive biology in the wild. The scientific results of her collaboration with the Amboseli Baboon Research Project are taking shape as a Ph.D. from Duke University. Courtney lives in Durham and is originally from both Oregon and North Carolina.
The book is for sale at $140, the broadsides are $120, and the 12 by 18 inch photographs are $200.
More information, including order forms, and a glimpse at a few images, book spreads, and excerpts of Courtney's writings as well as writing excerpts from the Foreword and Preface, can be found at this blogpost (which will be updated in June to include photographs of the books and broadsides themselves, along with an installation shot or two).
Thanks to Tim Schrand for making custom cherry wall-mounted bookshelves for displaying the books, to Craven Allen House of Frames for framing the broadsides and photographs, and to Mitch Fisher of Fisher Signs and Graphics for installing the environmental text installation.
Open Studios
An open studios event is held on the third Friday of every month from 6–9pm as part of Third Friday Durham. The recently enlarged gallery includes a display of work from the three members of the Bull City Arts Collaborative, as well as an exhibit wall featuring guest artists' work in a variety of media. New exhibits rotate in every two or three months, and I curate the majority of these thematically focused exhibits. Sometimes we even have beer and sodas for reception nights. We pretty much never have wine though.
U P C O M I N G . F O Y E R . G A L L E R Y . E X H I B I T S
Paintings by Janet Coleman (Raleigh)
July & August
Cycles Marguerite: Curtis Dobbins (Durham)
The Making of Hand-Built Bicycle Frames
September & October
Reception Friday Sept 21; 6–9pm
Making Waves: Bob Gordon (Asheboro)
Restored American Radios from the 1930's, '40s and '50s
November & December
Please holler if you would like to be placed on the mailing list (e-mail only).
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
I have designed the Full Frame program guide and broadsheet posters for the last four years. As supplies remain, I'll have old program guides here at the studio at future open houses for anyone who might be interested. They are a great resource for working on your netflix queue. (yes, they are free, please consider making a tax deductible donation to Full Frame, or even better become a member and support this great Durham based festival)
Website Update / Don't You Guys Have Any New Work to Share?
The H&B website update we started on quite some time ago continues holding strong on the back burner. Miles Everett, me and Annie's first child, was born Sept. 23 and is a healthy growing boy. While he has pledged to be our IT support by 2018, he is taking up quite a bit of time right now... so projects like website updates will likely continue to languish on the back burner.
Please know I am working full-time here at the studio on a variety of projects. I'm just not going to be spending as much time updating the website with newer work, that's all. I do expect to post occasionally over on the blog.
To see examples of recent work, please visit the studio during our foyer gallery hours on Fridays, or during our monthly Third Friday open house, to see more recent work. I'm also happy to send samples out in the mail.