Vantage Point
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Vantage Point, a Luminice Press book, is a book of contrasts. Most of the book describes, in pochoir images and letterpressed text, familiar sights like lightning bugs, song birds, and the rising moon that we have enjoyed watching in the evening over 28 summers. At the end of the book we relate how we observed an object in the sky that we could not identify, as well as our efforts, with data and AutoCAD software, to present a reasoned hypothesis about the object's possible placement, trajectory, and flight paths.
Vantage Point deluxe case part open
Vantage Point book fully open
Specifications - Edition of 10 (5 with Deluxe case)
Case (Deluxe) - Laser cut black acrylic, 10.5" diameter, laser cutting by Freefall Laser
Book - 9.375" diameter, opens to 72". Eight pages and envelope on Stonehenge print paper;
envelope contains digitally-printed insert, four panels, opens to 18" x 8.25"
Binding - Radial hinges
Illustrations - Oil-based pochoir, 50 colors/50 stencils
Inks - Dry pigments in burnt plate oil and alkyd medium; hand-painted accents in acrylic ink
Text - Original text hand set in Janson, Janson Italic, and Goudy Italic; letterpress printed on the
Luminice Press
Thomas Parker Williams - Concept, design, illustrations, printing, binding.
Mary Agnes Williams - Concept, design, text, handset type, printing
Collections
Copies in private collections
Vantage Point, video
Book pages
Vantage Point Title page
From the vantage point of our screened-in patio, we have watched day morph into night for 28 years.
From April through October we are treated to a show that never disappoints. Relaxing at the end of the day, we grill dinner,
enjoy some wine, and watch as the evening’s activities unfold before us.
The scene is framed by the varied roof lines of our neighbors’ homes and two splendid boxelder trees. The sky is both backdrop
and main attraction. Stars, clouds, and birds are warm-up acts before the rising moon peeks above the rooftops and takes center stage.
We are also treated to hijinks closer to the patio by ground-level lightning bugs, sparrows hopping in the grass,
and hummingbirds jostling for a prime spot at a nearby feeder.
Over the years our vantage point has stayed the same. But we never tire of the show – there’s a new performance every night!
It’s always fun to see lightning bugs in July and August when they turn on their bioluminescence to search for mates buried underground. They swirl above the grass just a foot or two in front of us. Before we enclosed the patio, lightning bugs would come close to visit, and perch on our fingers.
As night falls, our neighbors shine a welcoming light on their hummingbird feeder. We’ve seen these tiny ruby-throated creatures jostle as they try to get close to the sugar water, which is often stoutly defended. When hummingbirds are shut out at this feeder they quickly dart past our patio, no doubt searching for a new place for dinner.
The boxelder trees provide shelter for a variety of birds including finches, robins, sparrows and cardinals. Their songs begin at dusk, some singing solos, others engaged in a musical call and response. We’ll often see them flying in pairs or more likely chasing each other in swooping arcs around and into the trees. They may alight on a branch or roof for a moment. They they’re off racing again.
Bats have made an appearance in our sky only a few times, and we didn’t recognize them at first. They flew extremely fast, and seemed to be rushing in different directions, back and forth, over the rooftops. Later we learned that bats can fly up to 100 mph! It is likely that the bats we saw were evicted from neighboring attics, so our sightings have been limited.
Living in a major metropolitan area, we often see helicopters in our sky. Local reporters get a birds-eye view of rush-hour traffic and events like the annual arts festival. We also watch as planes pivot toward the airport, sometimes circling a few times. Much higher in the sky, cloud-like contrails follow airplanes bound for points north or the great circle route to Europe.
No matter how often we have seen the moon rise, it is always thrilling, as if we were witnessing it for the first time. A full moon, especially, still has the power to enchant when it peeks in and out from behind the tree and rises majestically above the rooftops. We had no idea when we purchased our home that our singular vantage point would give us so many hours of joy, fascination, and wonder.
May 16, 2020 - What was that!
Insert, Data Description Paper containing a possible explananation for what we saw.