spade work: letterpress print

7.25in x 5.5in letterpress print. Limited edition, signed & numbered.

Combination of blind debossed (an impression without ink)
& pale green ink on either white or tan 100% cotton rag paper.

The story of this print is very special to me:

A few months ago, my partner dreamed that I made a print that said “spade work” and asked if I would make it. I tried drawing it, to no avail, and then wandered away from the project a little. Last week they asked about it again, and I promised to make it, with a new idea in mind: I could use ornaments (tiny designs that can be used to decorate hand-set type in letterpress printing) to make the spade, and then I would hand-set the text. The result is this print, which combines a decorative spade with a beautiful old century italic typeface.

“Spade work” is a term that Black liberation organizer Ella Baker often used to refer to the small, daily tasks that make up deep organizing work. It is a reminder that every single organizing engagement—no matter how small—is a fundamentally important part of how we build toward collective liberation. I find this idea endlessly inspiring: that the magic is in the mundane, and that moving with care in all relationships is the most effective—and the most ethical—way to practice our values.

Here’s to taking the time to do our spade work. Thank you, Ella, for your clarity of vision.