We Are... Words and Music by Ysaye M. Barnwell.

Item Details

Easton, Pennsylvania:, Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette College, 2003, Portfolio

Limited Edition, Fine

This limited artist's book combines an original song by Ysaye M. Barnwell with eight color illustrations by printmaker Curlee Raven Holton. We Are... celebrates ancestry, generational continuity, shared identity, and hope through Barnwell's lyrics and Holton's expressive watercolor imagery. 

A COLLABORATION OF MUSIC, POETRY, AND VISUAL ART.
Barnwell, best known for her work with the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, contributes the words and music; Holton, founder of Lafayette College's Experimental Printmaking Institute, provides the visual interpretation and design. The accompanying text includes the complete lyrics and Barnwell's statement on the work's origins and message. Published in an edition of only ten copies, this is copy 1/10, accompanied by an original color proof of the cover illustration and Holton's significant 1999 letter documenting the project's development.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Large folio, approximately 15.16 × 22.17 inches, issued unbound in a brown cloth-covered portfolio with ribbon ties. Contains six printed text leaves and eight color plates reproducing Holton's watercolor illustrations, each hand-captioned, signed, and numbered. Printed on Copperplate 100% rag paper, using digital preparation in Adobe Photoshop and FreeHand and an Epson 7600 inkjet printer. Portfolio constructed with Ashashi silk Japanese book cloth. Accompanied by an audio CD containing Barnwell's musical work.

COLOPHON CREDITS: Art and design: Curlee Raven Holton; master digital printer: Patrick Masters; student apprentice: Charlotte Smith.

CONDITION: FINE. Printed leaves and color plates are fine, each accompanied by a loose glassine protector. Portfolio shows minimal handling; ribbon ties present. Audio CD included (unplayed).

COPY 1/10 — ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF AND CORRESPONDENCE.
This copy is numbered 1/10 and signed by Curlee Raven Holton. Accompanied by an original color proof of the cover illustration and an original typed letter signed by Holton to Ysaye M. Barnwell, dated November 30, 1999, on Lafayette College letterhead.

The letter documents the early development of the project. Holton submits the proposed cover image for Barnwell's approval, discusses the visual interpretation of the song, and outlines plans for a limited-edition artist's book. The accompanying proof is the image submitted for her consideration. Together, the letter and original proof provide an unusually revealing record of the creative collaboration, predating publication by approximately four years.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: TWO DISTINCT VOICES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL EXPRESSION.
Ysaye M. Barnwell is a composer, arranger, educator, and performer whose work has been closely associated with African American musical traditions. She was a member of Sweet Honey in the Rock from 1979 to 2013, contributing as a vocalist and composer while developing a substantial body of educational and community-based musical work. 

Curlee Raven Holton is an accomplished printmaker, painter, and educator whose work has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art and other national and international venues. He founded the Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette College, establishing a collaborative environment in which professional artists, master printers, and students explored traditional and contemporary printmaking. His work is represented in major public collections, including the Library of Congress, Yale University Art Gallery, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

THE CREATIVE COLLABORATION — FROM CONCEPT TO PUBLICATION.
The publication is significant as a collaborative artist's book bringing together music, poetry, and visual art in an exceptionally limited edition of ten copies. 

This example, numbered 1/10, is distinguished by an accompanying original letter from Curlee Raven Holton to Ysaye M. Barnwell, dated November 30, 1999, together with the preliminary color proof of the proposed cover illustration submitted for Barnwell's approval. 

Predating publication by approximately four years, the correspondence documents the development of the project and the artists' collaboration, adding an important historical and documentary dimension to an already scarce production.

GENRES: Artist's books, limited editions, contemporary fine printing, illustrated books, African American literature and art, musical works.

SUBJECTS: Ysaye M. Barnwell, Curlee Raven Holton, Sweet Honey in the Rock, African American music, African American art, contemporary printmaking, watercolor illustration, ancestry, cultural heritage, family, identity, music and poetry.

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