What is Existent Books?

The Beginning

Existent Books publishing initiative began five years ago in 2015 with very humble beginnings. Ingrid Schindall, the founder and director of IS Projects, opened the studio in September of 2014 with a mission to cultivate a love and appreciation for print and book media in South Florida. After graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in Printmaking and Book Arts, Ingrid went on to become an assistant printer at David Krut Projects in Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s there that she developed her artist’s book collaboration skills while working with artist, Stephen Hobbs, to create and produce the fine art pop-up book, Be Careful in the Working Radius. This project pushed her capabilities as it had to go from optimistic idea to fully produced edition in only 3 months with no prior interaction or preparation. The book was a major success and has since been collected by the Smithsonian, the Jack Ginsberg Collection, and several other major artists’ book collections.

Fast forward to opening IS Projects, Ingrid set up a space in which future collaborations would flourish and began investigating the local print/paper/book culture and met Edwin Beauchamp at the Miami Zine Fair. Edwin’s illustration and graphic design work stands out in Miami and has been featured on the Miami Zine Fair Branding for years. After some time running into each other at exhibitions and print related events, Edwin approached Ingrid wanting to collaborate on a book with IS Projects. This sort of collaborative project got Ingrid’s wheels turning and she decided to not only create a book but build out the framework for an artist book publishing initiative - thus Existent Books was born! (She even got Edwin’s advice on the Existent Books logo!)

How Far it’s Come!

left to right: ingrid schindall, onajide shabaka, amy galpin, michelle a. m. miller, rachel gustafson

We broke new ground this Summer expanding Existent Books with support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation after winning the Knight Arts Challenge award in Winter 2019. Grant support went towards filling out the program with a paid two-week artist residency for our next two collaborating artists, Onajide Shabaka and Michelle A. M. Miller, and inviting two guest curators, Amy Galpin, Chief Curator of the Frost Art Museum, and Rachel Gustafson, Assistant Curator of the Norton Art Museum, in for a studio visit with our artists during their residency.

ingrid and michelle miller looking at screen prints

onajide setting lead type from the collection

Onajide and Michelle both had fruitful residencies exploring the possibilities of screen printing and letterpress printing, while developing book structures that will purposefully contain the concepts explored within their content. As we move into production on these new books, we’re excited to offer an upcoming chance to pre-order for those itching to get first dibs on the edition. We plan to share many more details, anecdotes and shots from their residency experience in a future blog post.

So What Is Existent Books, Exactly?

Existent Books is a semi-annual publishing initiative which brings artists to IS Projects to experience fine art printmaking and letterpress printing. These artists then design an artist-book that is inspired by our collection of historical letterpress type and image cuts or new printmaking techniques learned at IS Projects. As its found its footing, there’s been some adjustments to the initiative over the years but, originally, Existent Books was meant to focus on publishing books inspired by the studio’s extensive collection of lead and wood type. For example, Edwin’s book, and the first Existent Book publication, features Univer type. However, as the studio has grown and the projects have evolved, we’ve shifted focus to taking inspiration from all the techniques that the studio has come to offer: screen printing, relief, intaglio, letterpress, foil stamping, die cutting, pop-ups, etc.

Since the beginning, the artists we’ve chosen to work with have been invitational only. Initially, Ingrid wanted the project to be semi-annual and alternate between a local and visiting artist (which is how the first two publications functioned - Edau from Miami and then Beth Sheehan from New York). However, she quickly realized how many local artists there were in South Florida alone and how working exclusively with them could ultimately better serve our community. By the third publication, the project decided to stay close to home, working with South Florida based artists only. From then on, selecting artists was driven by those who were either working in print and book or whose work would translate well into book from, thus luring new artists toward the medium.

Existent Books is unique in that it specifically publishes limited edition handmade artist books produced with traditional printing and binding techniques. With a mission focused on building awareness and breaking down barriers to entry in artist book publishing as well as collecting, Existent Books is invested in collaborating with a variety of artists, including those working in different mediums and with limited to no experience in printmaking or book arts. To date, the project has included artists whose primary practice includes printmaking, illustration, painting, sculpture, graphic design, video, architecture, fiber and performance.

onajide examining watercolor screen prints

Christian proofing color swatches

During residency, artists work closely with the lead collaborator and IS Projects staff to hone in on which techniques and materials would best fit their vision, collaborating through demonstrations and feedback on design execution while creating test prints, color samples and plenty of mockups. Working within a supportive and public-access studio such as IS Projects allows artists-in-residence the opportunity to be surrounded by other artists utilizing the space regularly, encouraging community-building and increasing the chances for organic artistic exchange with local creatives.

The main goal of Existent Books is to help artists create books that would not have been possible without the production and financial support of a fine art print shop, and now with grant funding, and artist stipend. Ultimately, each completed edition is proof of the project’s success. Existent Books encourages contemporary artists to contribute to the ongoing history of book arts while stimulating the evolution of the medium and breaking down barriers between artist book publishing. All projects ave been made in editions of 60-100 with price points ranging from $20 - $300, thus creating books with approachable price points for new collectors and art enthusiasts looking to grow their collections.

Meet the Books!

disarray by edau, fall 2015

devoted by beth sheehan, spring 2016

swap shop by noah levy, fall 2016

nearing by jen clay, spring 2017

mini golf by brian butler, fall 2017

Textual by elysa D. Batista, spring 2018

the unmade room by christian feneck, summer 2019

Convergence by Michelle AM Miller, Summer 2020, coming soon!

Antillean Lacunae: Points of Departure by Onajide Shabaka, summer 2020, coming soon!

Over the coming weeks and months, we look forward taking a deep dive into each of our nine artist book publications, sharing photos and stories from the collaboration and production process along with more insights into how each of the artists translated their existing practice into an Existent Book.

Stay tuned, friends!
Sammi

How to Run a Printshop at the End of the World

For the first-ever IS Projects blog post, I thought it might be fun and potentially helpful to write about how things have changed at the studio since we closed our doors to the public two months ago. As a business owner, the COVID-19 crisis changed all of my plans and sent what was going to be our year to blast off into what looked decidedly more like a tail spin. Now that it’s starting to feel like we’ve got a couple of good things going for us, perhaps it’s the right time to share how we’ve been coping. 

This new blog is an attempt to document behind-the-scenes stories of what goes into the prints, the presses, the workshops, the books, and the art. This particular post is meant to give us a little space to share, in a time when natural, deep conversations are scarce and to give you something to read, a voice of encouragement and, hopefully, some insight into how to run a printshop at what feels like the end of the world.

1. Breathe and Take Stock

When I opened IS Projects over 5 years ago, I never would have expected that right as the business was truly hitting its stride and expanding to where I had always dreamed it would get to, the entire world would go through a massive setback that it would bring everything I was working toward to a screeching halt. In the beginning, I was in a daze while printing the last few orders for the foreseeable future. It’s okay to let yourself feel the heartbreak of an international tragedy and sit with the feeling of despair and dread that come along with the responsibility of running a business which supports not only yourself but all of your employees. 

Eventually, what I found helpful to moving past the deep sense of loss was taking stock of what resources (staff, knowledge, community, etc) we had to help us weather the storm. I am so grateful to have a team that has been so supportive, understanding, flexible and encouraging throughout the crisis. They handled the transition to working from home with ease and came up with incredible and thorough to-do lists of ways to improve our web presence, tasks that could be done from home, and new digitally oriented projects. Amongst the event cancellations and postponements, my inbox began to receive a steady stream of emails from family and friends offering help and suggesting resources as well as our regular clients reaching out to let us know that they weren’t going anywhere and would send us projects as soon as they realistically could. The energy of the team and the encouragement from the community were a huge morale boost and made it possible to begin to imagine the next steps.

2. Learn All You Can about Available Resources

Our team worked together with determination and compassion to find new ways to adapt and exist in quarantine. After the stay at home order went in place, we spent the first couple of weeks delving into all of the resources available for financial support and increasing our virtual presence. We learned as much as we could about platforms that could help amplify our virtual efforts and make us easier to find and interact with online. Knowing how many other artists and businesses were in a similar position, we created an artist resources page on our website in hopes of creating a succinct space for artists (and ourselves) to more easily locate opportunities.

3. Find a way to share knowledge, provide a reprieve, and see your people (online)

As a public-access studio, the adjustment to quarantine is hugely felt. Not only do we miss our patrons, but so do our presses. Typically, we run anywhere from 4-6 workshops in a given month, and with our expansive collection of equipment, we teach everything from beginning to advanced applications of screen printing, letterpress, book binding, etching, monoprinting, relief and more. Our equipment is also normally available for artists to use through our studio rental program so we have grown used to a constant hum, and sometimes clatter, of print related activity during open hours.

Since going virtual, we have taken a new lens to our offerings, asking ourselves ‘What doesn’t require a press?’, ‘What affordable alternatives can be used in lieu of our specialty tools and supplies?’ and above all, ‘How can we make printmaking and book arts accessible from home?’. With this in mind, we made a plan to transition our workshops into an online format. We decided to run our workshops through Zoom, so they can be easily accessed no matter where you are and at a ‘pay what you can’ rate so that affordability isn’t a concern while so many are struggling financially.

4. Ask for Help

We wanted to make sure we could offer virtual content that matches the standard of quality we expect from our in-person programming, so we teamed up with Johnny Zhang, a professional videographer, to film and produce all of our virtual workshops and create our virtual artwalk and gallery. We pre-filmed the workshops with a three camera setup and professional lighting, enabling us to document even the smallest details of the technique being taught so workshop participants can get a clear view of how to do each step. Johnny documented the entire studio and gallery with a 360 camera and helped us load the resulting images into a virtual tour platform that allows viewers to virtually walk through the space and investigate the details of artwork, presses, items and more. As traditional printmakers, who regrettably lack interest in a second career in videography, we would not have been able to produce virtual video content that fit our expectations without Johnny’s help. It’s easy to get caught in the DIY mentality, especially when funding is tight and uncertain, but it can be beneficial to take a step outside that mindset to examine other options and reach out for help when necessary. 

5. Reach Beyond Your Usual Geographic Boundaries

We’ve since created four workshops - Suminagashi Paper Marbling, Drum Leaf Binding, Monoprinting with Gelli Plates and Accordion Book Binding. We are also offering two fiber-based ‘Visiting’ instructor workshops with our exhibiting artists in Bobbin Lace and Pixel Pattern Embroidery. Our visiting instructors will be teaching from their homes with Christina Humphreys in San Francisco, CA and Sasha Baskin in Baltimore, MD. Before going virtual with our workshops, we would have never thought of a way to have the distance learning and collaborative opportunities that are now becoming the standard. Overall, the reception to our virtual workshops has been amazing. Not only have we connected with familiar faces in our classes, but we’ve been able to meet new people from across the nation and world, allowing both a creative and social outlet for all involved.

Throughout our time in business we have maintained close relationships with local universities and art schools with strong printmaking programs throughout the country. When these schools started to close we received a wave of messages and emails from students looking for options for how to continue and eventually display the projects they had been working so hard on throughout the school year. As a studio full of former art students, we were horrified at the reality that all of the art students who were set to graduate in May were going to have to move their thesis exhibitions online. So we decided to do what we could to help get their work seen by as many eyes as possible and feature student work in our Instagram stories during our Virtual Artwalk programming every Artwalk until higher education institutions are able to reopen and conduct in person exhibitions.

We’re in talks with several artists and arts institutions to discuss potential future collaborations and guest appearances that we never would have thought of before and look forward to being able to share a mountain of new content very soon!

6. Oil the Presses

Any printer will tell you that a press that goes unused is a press that deteriorates. Jim Sherradin from Hatch Show Print coined the phrase “preservation through production” which was drilled into my head when I was just a newbie printer studying printmaking in college. Throughout quarantine our job shop, Nocturnal Press, has remained open for custom printing orders and while the stream of orders has slowed to a trickle, we have made a point to keep the presses oiled and cared for. We have made progress on some long backlogged in-house projects and printed custom orders with fervor. It’s a mini victory each time we’re able to set up the press for a project, so we’ve made it into a little ritual: oil the press, set up the press, print, clean the press, celebrate the successes.

7. Assess, Adjust, and Keep Going

We’ve received a pretty fantastic response to what we’ve done so far and we’re so thankful to have the incredible support of our inky community. As the situation evolves, we’re focused on providing whatever we can to be helpful in whatever way we can. We’re continuing to develop new workshops and ‘stay home’ friendly activities. We’ve completely overhauled Nocturnal Press’ website and released a line of Semi-Custom Wedding Stationery and online business card ordering to make it easier to get quality stationery without having to leave the house. We’ve made several improvements to the IS Projects’ Exhibitions page with lots more web-based updates on the way. We’re making plans for the next exhibition to be virtual and also drive-by friendly. It’s been heartbreaking, challenging, interesting, revolutionary, eye-opening, terrifying, and encouraging all at the same time so we’re doing our best to take it in and turn whatever we can into something positive, like this brand new blog adventure!

Thanks for making it to the end, let us know what you think or if there’s anything you’d like to read more about.

Stay safe!

Ingrid