photo of handmade paper with "engage" written and embossed in Braille, placed on a bench in front of the U.S. capitol building

This project has evolved from my exploratory fusion of handmade paper and writing. In tandem with the materially rich process of making paper, individual words are perceived as creative elements, as design motifs, and as dynamic utterances and ciphers. Each Signpost begins with a 3.5 × 5-inch handmade paper. Each paper is embossed in (grade one) Braille and inscribed in lower case text with a synergistic word. These papers are then placed innocuously (and temporarily) in public locations and photographed in situ. They are left in place, that passersby may notice, read, retrieve and/or discard them.

To date these actions have occurred primarily within my immediate surroundings in ubiquitous public spaces. Like the relationship between material and text, our visceral connection to commonplace locations is distinguished by the inclusion of the handmade, handwritten note. Signposts is a year-long activity presented as a series of mnemonics, emphasizing and supporting our best public and personal determinations.