Focal Point. by [Anagram Press/Springtide Press] Chandler O'Leary / Jessica Spring - 2013.

Tacoma, Washington:: Anagram Press / Springtide Press,, 2013.. Edition of 147. 10 x 18"; single-sheet broadside. Printed letterpress on archival 100% rag (cotton) paper. Handset wood type. Illustrated by Chandler O'Leary and printed by Jessica Spring. Signed and numbered by the artist and printer. Chandler O'Leary: "Our 19th Dead Feminist broadside, Focal Point, is a big departure from previous prints in the series. For the first time ever, the piece is printed on rich, deep black paper — which makes the brilliant metallic gold of the quote pop into focus. Surrounding the text is an intricate metallic silver filigree of spring botanicals and portraiture, creating a pastiche of the subjects of some of Imogen Cunningham's most iconic photographs. In the eye of the storm of imagery is the all-seeing camera lens, looking out onto the world. "To help sharpen the seeing eyes of the artists of tomorrow, we're donating a portion of our proceeds to Youth in Focus — a nonprofit that puts cameras in the hands of at-risk youth to 'teach them how to develop negatives into positives.' Colophon: "Imogen Cunningham (1883 - 1976) graduated from the University of Washington in 1907, earning a degree in chemistry with her thesis on chemical processes in photography. Shortly afterward she was hired by photographer Edward Curtis, who taught her platinum printing and portraiture. She opened her own successful studio in Seattle, and published an article entitled 'Photography as a Profession for Women.' In 1917, Cunningham and her husband and son relocated to California, where she gave birth to twin boys. Her children and the plants in her garden then became key subjects of her work. Her experiments with double exposure throughout the 1920s and 30s contributed to a growing appreciation of photography as art. She was a founding member of Group f/64, a collective of influential west coast photographers including Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. The group mounted a 1932 exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, united by a manifesto declaring 'photography as an art form by simple and direct presentation.' Cunningham’s vision came through in both her personal and commercial work: unvarnished celebrity portraits for Vanity Fair; documentary street photography; nudes and botanical images — a lifetime of work that continues to challenge and intrigue viewers.