What is Existent Books?
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. Learn all about the origins, evolution and, of course, the 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
Meet the Presses!
What would IS Projects be without presses? An inert library of tools, ink and type.
If you’ve ever visited IS Projects, you know that our presses are at the heart of our shop. While we are grateful to be printing a steady stream of custom orders, the truth is that press activity is much quieter these days. So, we thought we would take this opportunity to highlight the equipment we hold so dear and share some insights into each press: how old it is, what it’s used for and how it came to IS Projects.
What would IS Projects be without presses? An inert library of tools, ink and type.
If you’ve ever visited IS Projects, you know that our presses are at the heart of our shop. While we are grateful to be printing a steady stream of custom orders, the truth is that press activity is much quieter these days. So, we thought we would take this opportunity to highlight the equipment we hold so dear and share some insights into each press: how old it is, what it’s used for and how it came to IS Projects. Whether generously donated, discovered through serendipitous happenstance or scrolled by on Craigslist, each press has its own story and as their caretakers, we feel responsible in upholding that history.
DID YOU KNOW?
Our presses have come from all around Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, and Canada!
Each press in our shop is named after its previous owner in an effort to preserve its history.
Our oldest press is one of our smallest and the first to be acquired for the shop.
Our lightest press weighs in at 18 lbs and our heaviest at 2,800.
Only one press in the shop was moved by professionals and the rest by Ingrid with the help of friends and family.
To date, we have 18 presses and counting!
Let’s begin in the
LETTERPRESS ROOM
TERRY
Blick Magnetic Sign Press
Purchased in 2018
Terry is one of our main travel presses and can be seen making wood type masterpieces all over Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County. Used for printing: posters, cards, books, etc.
Terry was purchased from an eBay auction that happened to end during the lunch break of a bookbinding workshop that was being taught at the studio. Ingrid had run out to grab additional supplies for the workshop and pulled into a Wendy's parking lot in order to bid on the press in the final minutes of the auction. The press was shipped from Michigan via UPS and received some damage on the journey. The damage was repaired with the help of a metal file and a vice grip and this press has gone on to be one of our most used and most beloved presses in the shop.
BILL
6.5x10” Craftsman Superior, Circa 1973
Purchased in 2014
Bill was purchased on eBay and is the first IS Projects press from Florida. The man who I purchased Bill from and the presses namesake, Bill, had purchased the press from a storefront in Fort Meyers, Florida, that had previously been a print shop. Bill bought the press from the shop when the shop changed owners. During the price negotiation, I mentioned that the press was missing it’s chase (the metal frame used to hold the type in the press) and after describing it to Bill he thought he may have one in his garage. Mind you, chases are not easy to come by, they can sell individually for over $100 and each press requires a specific chase that fits its unique dimensions. So when Bill said he happened to have one in his garage from years before I was reasonably skeptical, but to my surprise it was, in fact, the correct chase for the press! What are the odds? Used for printing: greeting cards, business cards, coasters, postcards, etc.
BONITA (left)
5x8” Kelsey Excelsior Model O, Circa 1910
Purchased in 2014
Bonita was found on Craigslist in Annapolis, Maryland shortly before I moved back to Florida to start IS Projects. The couple who had the press beforehand, Bonita and Tom, were very sweet and excited to hear that the press would be printing again soon. The press had belonged to Tom’s father who was a journalism professor and used it to print greeting cards and small notes. Used for printing: business cards, greeting cards, postcards, etc.
TERRI (right)
5x8” Kelsey Excelsior, Circa 1898
Purchased in 2014
Terri is the oldest press in the shop and was also the first printing press acquired for the shop. Named for Terri Hunter, former proprietor of Fine Point Press in Annapolis , Maryland. Terri had an immaculate letterpress studio in her suburban home where she did custom printing solely from hand set type. Her main printing press and the apple of her eye was her Chandler and Price 8x12 Old Style and the star of her type collection was her nearly complete set of the font Eve, she had over 200 pounds of it in every size, weight and style available. While I was unable to acquire her collection of Eve, I did invest in some beautiful ornaments, borders, and monograms from her fantastic collection that she salvaged from an old print shop in San Francisco when she was in her 20’s. A large portion of her collection went to the Maryland Institute College of Art Printmaking Department after I introduced her to Allison Fisher, the manager of the Globe Collection and Press at MICA. Used for printing: business cards, greeting cards, postcards, etc.
SAM
1963 Vandercook SP20
Purchased in 2018
Jon came from West Orange, New Jersey along with Vote For Letterpress, formerly owned by Jon Selikoff. The story of how this press came to the shop is a long and serendipitous one, which we will save for another day. Needless to say, this press is beloved in the shop and inspired our specimen poster series. Named after Jon Selikoff’s son, Sam Selikoff. With it's large bed size, this press is ideal for printing poster projects and broadsides.
CB
1965 Vandercook SP15, Circa 1965
Purchased from Don Black Linecasting in Toronto, ON in 2014
This was the press that started IS Projects. I put a deposit on this press in February 2014 after months of scouring the internet for an SP Series Vandercook. The SP in SP15 stands for “Simple Performance” referring to the presses simplified design making it easier and less costly to maintain. It was shipped to my grandmother's garage in Boca Raton, FL from Don Black Linecasting in Toronto, Ontario in March as the renovations to the soon to be home of IS Projects at 15 NW 5th Street, Fort Lauderdale began. CB has been the main workhorse press for IS Projects ever since and has printed fine art books, business cards, posters, coasters, invitations, patches, and everything in between. It was named for Craig Black who restored the press, son of Don Black. Craig has since lost his long fight with cancer and this press now stands as a memorial to all of his knowledge of and care for these machines.
A brief note about Craig "When I met Craig in 2014 to inspect the press it was clear from the first minute that he actually knows everything about these presses. His gruff demeanor subsided after my 4th or 5th extremely nerdy letterpress joke and I got him to crack a smile. I'm not sure if the smile was at the joke itself or how hard I was trying to impress that I share a love for the machines and maybe even a tiny fraction of his knowledge. Craig was the one to call if the press was ever acting funny. He was always incredibly patient and full of tips and troubleshooting ideas. His presence will be sorely missed here at IS Projects and in the letterpress community at large."
JON AKA THE BEAST
10x15” Heidelberg Red Ball, Also known as the Windmill, Circa 1965
Jon came from Vote For Letterpress in 2018 and is Jon Selikoff’s namesake. This is the only press that we've ever had professionals move. Everything else in the shop has been moved with friends, family, and a lot of patience and care. Jon lovingly referred to this press as “The Beast” and it was the main workhorse press at Vote For Letterpress printing business cards, wine labels, coasters, postcards and everything it could. Used for printing: large runs of letterpress cards, typically business cards and invites.
LAWRENCE
14x22" Nolan Proof Press
Generously donated by Lawrence Ressler in 2020
This press was generously donated by Lawrence along with a couple other presses and some fantastic type. The studio is a haven for presses in need of a home. I’ve spent several nights and weekends on trips to save presses from an uncertain future and bring them into the fold. We don’t keep every single press we acquire, some are repaired or restored and sold to help other printers dive deeper into their practice and help build up the community of printers here in South Florida. Used for printing: posters, cards, etc.
L
3x5" Baltimorean
Generously donated by Lawrence Ressler in 2019
The cutest and lightest press in the shop by far! This baby weighs about 18lbs and was beautifully restored. L made it’s debut at our first ever holiday party in 2019. Used for printing: business cards and small tags
LARRY
5x8" Kelsey Excelsior Model P circa 1965
Generously donated by Lawrence Ressler in 2019
Larry is the newest model Kelsey Excelsior in the Shop and it was beautifully restored by Letterpreservation in Ohio before Lawrence acquired it. Used for printing: business cards, postcards, greeting cards etc
GEORGE
10x15" Chandler & Price, Circa 1911-195
Generously donated by George Cuevas in 2015
A graphic designer walked into the shop during our grand opening party in 2014 and hinted that he may be looking to re-home the C&P that was living in his garage in Coral Gables. George was looking for a small press on Craigslist to print holiday cards and other experiments with when he came upon this press. He cut a hole in his garage to move it in and spent long nights cleaning and restoring it to the beautiful condition it is in today. When it was time for his family to move he wanted to make sure that it would go to a safe home where it would be appreciated for years to come. About a year and a half later he had it transported to ISP where it has been a staple to our custom printing operation. Used for printing: book covers, handmade paper, invites, business cards, etc
CARLOS
Write-A-Sign Model 711
Purchased in 2017
I found this press on craigslist in Davie, FL and initially wasn’t sure if I wanted it because it uses non type-high magnetic rubber type, but it’s lightweight and ease of use makes it a total rockstar for offsite demonstrations. This press is so cute it even came with it’s original vinyl cover! Used for printing: greeting cards, postcards, zines and signs.
BOOK ROOM
WB
Kensol K50, Circa 1960s
Purchased in 2019
This was acquired from an auction in Ohio for our in house custom printing business Nocturnal Press. It took a lot of work to get this press back up and running and we were lucky to find and work with Eddy Fontus who did a fantastic job bringing this press back to life. Used for printing: luxury stationery, business cards and invitations
ETCHING ROOM
MARY
43x96" Custom Etching Press
Generously donated by Mary Fisher in 2018
By far the largest press in the shop though not the heaviest! Mary is a custom built electric etching press. There were only 3 of these presses made, one resides in Tampa and the other in Boston. When I was a sophomore in college I met the man who owns the press in Boston and fawned over cell phone pictures he showed me while explaining how his press was so nice that they had artists paint directly onto it for monoprinting. Flash forward 9 years and my uncle and I are wheeling this press onto the liftgate of a 26’ box truck to move it from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale. Used for printing: monoprints, linocuts, woodcuts, etchings, drypoints, and chine colle.
MYRON
36x72" Praga Etching Press
Myron was purchased with funds from a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014
Myron came down from Don Black Linecasting in Toronto, CA after a successful Kickstarter campaign in the first month of IS Projects being open. I drew an outline on the floor in chalk for Myron's spot when we first moved into the studio with the kickstarter url written in its place. The press was named after our largest Kickstarter contributor Myron Munger. The press has moved in the studio 5 times since acquisition and now resides about 6 feet to the right of where that original chalk outline was drawn. Used for printing: monoprints, linocuts, woodcuts, etchings, drypoints, and chine colle.
FRAN
12x24” Ettan etching press
Generously donated by Francie Bishop Good in 2017
Donated to ISP by Francis Bishop Good, founder of the Girls Club Collection here in Fort Lauderdale. We fabricated a temporary MDF bed for Fran until we can have a steel bed machined. Used for printing: Small relief and drypoint plates and monoprints.
SCREENPRINTING ROOM
JORDAN
25x38” Cincinatti Screen Printing Press, circa 1990
Generously donated by Jordan Pettingil in 2019
Jordan coudn’t have come to the studio at a better time, during a huge screenprint order and right as we expanded into 19 NW 5th Street (our current screenprinting shop and retail area). The vacuum table feature and assisted printing arm make screenprinting large images a breeze! Used for printing: large screenprints, long editions
DEB
25x38” AWT Accu-Glide built in March 2019
Purchased in February 2019
Deb is the only press in the shop that was purchased new. So I named this press after my mom, Deborah Schindall, who has been so integral to the creation and development of IS Projects that it seems almost criminal that she didn’t have a press named after her yet. This press is our main workhorse press for screenprinting jobs and believe me, it gets the job done right. This press is only available from the manufacturer in teal which was fine by me because she fits right in to our teal sanctuary! Used for printing: pretty much everything we screenprint except tote bags
Well, that’s the whole gang (for now)! We hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about our presses and how they came to be at IS Projects. In our nearly six years in business we’ve printed thousands of prints, worked with countless local and visiting artists and taught hundreds of workshops with these very presses. Just imagine all they’ve printed in their lifetime and will continue to print long after us. As you’ve now learned, acquiring our trusty tribe of presses could not have been possible without the generosity and support of our donors, patrons, family and friends so I’ll end this with a huge and heartfelt ‘THANK YOU!’ and a video by Johnny Zhang highlighting the beauty of the printing process.