Studio Visit- with Lisa Fagin Davis!

Last week I was absolutely thrilled to meet Voynich Manuscript researcher (and fellow Bostonian) Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis, for a studio visit and sculpture showing!

Lisa’s study of the Voynich focuses on her paleographic analysis of the manuscript’s text. How can paleography, the study of historical handwriting, be applied to a manuscript that no one, as of yet, is able to read? In her recent article, “How Many Glyphs and How Many Scribes? Digital Paleography and the Voynich Manuscript” Lisa explains how the methods and methodologies of her area of expertise, Latin Paleography, can be applied to the unique glyph set of the Voynich. Her research proposes some fascinating new insights into questions about scribal conventions in the manuscript and how many distinct scribal hands can be identified.

Among her extensive work in medieval studies, Lisa is Executive Director of the Medieval Academy of America, a professor of Manuscript Studies at Simmons University here in Boston, and has taught Latin Paleography at Yale University—the home of the original Voynich Manuscript at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Together with paleography, Lisa also studies codicology, the physical structure of medieval manuscripts. While much of the worldwide research of this manuscript relies on analyzing digital scans of the folios, Lisa has had the opportunity to study the Voynich in-person and up close at the Beinecke, and she has a great appreciation and knowledge of this manuscript as a three-dimensional historical object. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her upcoming research.

My own engagement with the manuscript has to do with its three-dimensionality, but in a much different way! The manuscript’s imagery—which presents just as much of a problem and puzzle as its text—has been my inspiration for my ongoing sculpture project. It was great to connect with Lisa to share the current progress of my sculptures and our enthusiasm for the enigmatic imagery that inspired me.

Since I don’t often have these sculptures all set up in one place, I took this occasion to make a quick video of some finished works as well as a few that are still in-progress. This is meant as an informal virtual tour in the studio, but as I continue to add new sculptures to the series it is my hope to propose an exhibition at the Beinecke Library.

More new ideas are in the works!