A Burlap Bloom.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama:: Down Home Girl Studio,, 2013.. Edition of 75. 8.75 x 8.25"; 24 pages. Letterpress printed on handmade paper of cotton and abaca fibers. Text and images were printed using photopolymer plates and reduction linoleum blocks. Fonts are Optima Bold and Gill Sans Light. Handbound in quarter-cloth with cover paper of handmade walnut dyed flax. 3.5 x 3.5" illustration inset of quilted papers, which were designed with the artist's mother. Suzanne Sawyer: "The legacy of quilting is ubiquitous in American history, so much so that it has lost some of the meaning it once held. But its history is rich and perhaps best typified in African American culture such as with the quilters of Gee's Bend. The quilters, descendants of former slaves living in rural Alabama, developed a unique, improvisational style of quilting using just remnants of clothing. Their quilts have become world renowned for their simple geometric patterns and have been compared to the work of modern abstract painters. However, the quilts were initially made out of necessity and with whatever materials were on hand. "... I was inspired by the resourcefulness of the Gee's Bend quilters and the strength of spirit and hope inherent in keeping one's hands busy and one's mind focused on something higher; whether it be beauty or craft and whether out of necessity or aesthetic pleasure. In a similar manner, my mother and grandmother ingrained in me a love of craft and creativity to keep my hands busy and my mind focused on something higher. "In my work in general, I explore human relationship themes such as duality, identity, and anonymity through sculpture, handmade paper; books, drawings, letterpress printing, and printmaking. Particularly I am interested in how we are known by others and ourselves, how we perceive one another, or even how we might wish to remain unknown or disguised. I often use plants and other forms found in nature as metaphors for relational concepts. And, I am deeply influenced by my experiences growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. "Eder J. Williams McKnight wrote a collection of six poems for the project . [This book is Sawyer's thesis project for her MFA in Book Arts for the University of Alabama] ... The images of the book were inspired by aerial landscapes and microscopic images of plants, particularly some of the plants that are native to the Southeastern United States and to which I have a deep-rooted connection through memories of growing up in that area. The book includes images inspired by forsythia, wisteria, dogwood, azalea, rhododendron, and jasmine, among others. Eder too is descended from a long line of women crafters and quilters. Her poems connote that history as well as her experience as an African American woman who grew up in the South.