Whisper to Me: A Conversation Through Time
Artists’ books inspired by Phillis Wheatley and Telicia Darius, Philly’s Youth Poet ’22-23
November 8, 2023 – January 12, 2024
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
Opening
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
5pm – 7pm
Marcia Brown
Whisper to Me
Cyanotype on paper in a drum leaf binding with Rives BFK and Johannot paper
I was intrigued with the aspects of time for this project. The poems are presented facing each other to encourage the viewer to consider them together, although separated by time and separated on the page. Using Cyanotype to print the pages also reflects time. The book is printed with photograms using sunlight, the images vary as the sun changes or a breeze moves the objects.
Ruth Scott Blackson
Whisper to me …words Flag book with watercolor on Johannot paper
The words from Telicia Darius’ ‘Whisper to Me’ poem really jumped out at me when I read them for the first time. I wanted to capture this in the flag book I created where the explosion of words can be see
Lisa G Scarpello
Whisper To Me by Telicia Darius
German Bradel Binding, Caslon Old Style 18pt type with Rives BFK and Italian marble paper
The handset, blind deboss of Darius’s poem is meant to pull the reader close, in order to read the text; as if one is whispering a secret to another. It’s almost invisible, soft and subtle, as a whisper can be.
Erin Paulson
Whisper to me
Hand-embroidered silk into abaca
Typed on an IBM Selectric II
Marbled paper by Monique Lallier, handmade abaca paper by Karen Hardy, and silk thread
Created by Erin Paulson, featuring poetry by Telicia Darius of Philadelphia, to honor the 250th anniversary of the publication of Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley of West Africa and Boston, 1773. The embroidered quote is from Wheatley’s poem “Thoughts on the Works of Providence”, with motifs
Tara O’Brien
Whisper to me: a conversation through time
Pivoting panel structure, inkjet print
Separated by 250 years, I imagine Phillis and Telicia each approaching their writing processes quite differently. Phillis might have sat down at her table, cut a new quill, dipped it in ink and begun writing on a sheet of paper. Telicia might have curled up somewhere cozy and typed out her poem on her cell phone.
Karen Lightner
Whisper To Me
Accordion book with artist-made marbled paper and inkjet printing on Rives BFK
I was inspired by the poet’s repeated use of the word whisper to make a book with a flowing structure and to decorate it with whispery marbled paper
Rosae Reeder
Why Don’t You Whisper To Me
Scroll with Fabriano paper, Digital print, Ribbon
This scroll represents two dialogs coming together. Present forward and past behind, like a whisper, visible but hiding all at once. Separate but then connecting in one continuous movement forward. Moving, speaking, whispering to us all.
Jennifer Rosner
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley. (Reproduction)
Paper-covered binding with handsewn cotton chemise
My intention is to make a connection between the old and new, then and now. I like to imagine that Phillis Wheatley, who sometimes worked as a seamstress, would have
covered her books using this technique from the 18th and 19th century. I used modern fabric scraps from a sewing project that my granddaughter and I did together.
The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers 