Slow Bell Slow Bell refers to the signal "one bell, ahead slow" used in a ship's engine order telegraph system, indicating a slow speed for the engine. It can also refer to a bell rung slowly at a funeral to signify sorrow and commemorate a death, a practice known as tolling.

Slow Bell assembles the original images from a solo exhibition held at the Galveston Art Center in Galveston, Texas.

I grew up in Spring, Texas. Just two hours away, Galveston was the first beach I experienced as a kid. This was where we spent many spring breaks, crammed in the back seat of my best friend’s older brother’s Camaro doing donuts in the sand. Galveston then was full of tar balls (which were really oil) and jellyfish. The water was warm and often left our Birdwell shorts stained a murky brown. Arriving many decades later, the water is much cleaner, the beach was pristine, and there is a thriving local arts culture. Galveston has changed in other ways too; the new horizon line features cruise ships whose outsized presence feels like an alien starship has cast an anchor in the harbor.

When Dennis Nance approached me to mount a show there, I was grieving the loss of my parents, most recently my mother. In a curious familial coincidence, the last time Dennis and I had worked together, my youngest daughter was born during the show’s run. She now drives herself to school.

My mom loved Galveston. I decided to make all new pictures in the city as well as new field recordings and guitar improvisations as Porch Swing Orchestra for the show. This work is dedicated to her memory. I worked closely with the truly talented Dan Schmahl of Rising Tide Projects, who brilliantly Riso printed and assembled the books and the O-Cards for the cassette.

Publication Details Book 6 Color Riso-printed belly band on 80lb Cover Madero Beach French Paper 4 Color, 8.5 × 11, 16-page Riso-printed book 70lb Madero Beach French Paper Each signature is intentionally mis-imposed. Images fragment across spreads but resolve into single full spread images when disassembled. Includes link to accompanying soundscape Edition of 75 books

Cassette C30 cassette professionally dubbed on Cappuccino Swirl shell Housed in hand-assembled riso-printed o-card on 80lb Cover Madero Beach French Paper Cassette limited edition of 50. Book and O-Card printed and assembled by Rising Tide Projects Book and Cassette comes with a download code for the audio

Slow Bell is a Porch Swing Orchestra project.

Special thanks to: My family, Dennis Nance, Dan Schmahl, Paul Stautinger, Eric Schnell, Bill Warden, Jason Reed, Alaina Archer, The staff of the Galveston Arts Center and Galveston Artist Residency, The Hotel Lucine, Rising Tide Projects.