100 Days of COVID-19, Day 64

My Art in the Time of a Pandemic

When Life Slows to a Whisper

Gracious Light, unique book made by Suzanne Coley,  6/2020

When life slows to a whisper, it is easier to notice that which has stood the test of time. Gracious Light, is the latest unique book in my series "Love Sonnets, From Shakespeare to Baltimore."  Conceived and created entirely during the pandemic in one of the hardest hit zip-codes in Baltimore, this textile book continues the style of deconstructionist couture that characterizes the entire series.

The book's cover was the main technical challenge of the work.  The embroidery pattern on the front cover came from one of the vintage wedding dresses in my collection.  I had to re-embroider the entire pattern, which took a lot of planning.  It was necessary to sew every bead onto a bookbinding cloth to ensure that none of the beads would come off in the press.  The embroidery design on the back cover was created and sewn by me.

the backside of the cover, thousands of stitches and beads

Putting more than 6,500 beads onto the covers turned into a weeks-long marathon.  Every stitch was an intentional, meditative experience for me, especially when processing the unfolding events: the wail of ambulance sirens, the daily toll of COVID-19 news, and the last breath of a Black man.

*Coronavirus Disease 2019:
Update in Maryland- 6/2/2020

54,175 confirmed cases 

2,597 deaths   3,855 recovered

Update in New York State - 6/2/2020

373,040 confirmed cases 

29,968 deaths    66,262 recovered

Total in United States: 1,831,821 confirmed cases, 106,180 deaths
Total Worldwide: 6,378,239 confirmed cases, 380,250 deaths

* All numbers are taken from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center