Jodee Fenton
Seattle, Washington

Jodee Fenton studies bookbinding at the American Academy of Bookbinding with Don Glaister. She has degrees from Ripon College, the University of Chicago (Master's degree in Library Science), and the University of Washington (BFA in Painting). She is the Publications Chair for the Book Club of Washington where the emphasis is on well-designed letterpress books. Jodee currently is the Head of Special Collections for the Seattle Public Library. She has attended the University of Virginia's Rare Book School where she studied the history of publishing in the United States and descriptive bibliography. She has published articles about Frank McCaffrey, a local Seattle printer, and the contents of a "lady's library" as described in The Spectator.

Vessel: a Definition

Vessel: A Definition uses the imagery of the Portland Vase, a Roman cameo glass vase from the first century AD. A cameo vase is first blown into the basic shape using a dark glass. Then a second layer of glass is added by dipping the vessel into melted glass. The figures on the Portland Vase were from the lighter colored glass revealing the darker glass. The shape of the vase has influenced designers for centuries. This iconic shape was used to design the textblock into which the Oxford English Dictionary text for the definition of "vessel" is set. Each page of the book has been hand painted. The text of the definitions was digitally printed on acetate and inserted into the hand cut folio signatures. The definition of vessel is held within the vessel itself, and the reader can look through history at all the wondrous ways the word has been used. The Oxford English Dictionary provides quotations from published sources for each definition giving the reader a chance to experience the various usages as they were originally intended. The book is hand sewn on raised cords and laced into boards with handwoven silk headbands. The binding is Hewitt goat with an embossed design on the front and back covers.
Strathmore paper, gouache paint with egg white, acetate, leather.
8.75 x 8.5 x 1.25 inches; 22 x 21.5 x 3 centimeters. Created 2015.