The individual covers make up a map of Louisiana, showing the relative locations of the parishes
The book’s custom, handmade slipcase
In 2017, I was commissioned by photography collective Southerly Gold, to design a book bringing to life their photographs documenting the parishes (counties elsewhere) at Louisiana’s six corners. Because of Louisiana’s boot-like shape, there are corners at the northeast, northwest, southwest (the heel of the boot), southeast, then additionally at the top of the boot’s toe, and at the boot’s ankle. These six parishes represent the very different landscapes of Louisiana, from disappearing wetlands to ancient burial mounds, and from piney woods to coastal oil refineries.
Southerly Gold is a photography collective of Aubrey Edwards, Ariya Martin, and Elena Ricci. Their work as a collective has been shown at The Ogden Museum of Southern Art and The Grand Maltese Gallery, and their individual clients include Spike Lee, HBO, and the United Nations. Their members’ work has been shown at the Louisiana Purchase National Biennial, the Contemporary Art Center New Orleans, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and Louisiana State Museum, among others. In 2016, they received the Platforms Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation to publish a collection of their photography.
At the outset of the project, Southerly Gold had collected the photos and knew they wanted them to be separated by parish, but weren’t sure quite how. I worked with them to plan the splitting up of the books, choose a size, design, prototype, and create a template for a handmade slipcase, and more. The project culminated in a six-volume set of books of photography, called God’s Country, with one book dedicated to each parish. The covers, when laid out together, form a map of Louisiana showing the locations of each parish. They were printed in a limited edition and released on February 19, 2019.
Southerly Gold is a photography collective of Aubrey Edwards, Ariya Martin, and Elena Ricci. Their work as a collective has been shown at The Ogden Museum of Southern Art and The Grand Maltese Gallery, and their individual clients include Spike Lee, HBO, and the United Nations. Their members’ work has been shown at the Louisiana Purchase National Biennial, the Contemporary Art Center New Orleans, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and Louisiana State Museum, among others. In 2016, they received the Platforms Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation to publish a collection of their photography.
At the outset of the project, Southerly Gold had collected the photos and knew they wanted them to be separated by parish, but weren’t sure quite how. I worked with them to plan the splitting up of the books, choose a size, design, prototype, and create a template for a handmade slipcase, and more. The project culminated in a six-volume set of books of photography, called God’s Country, with one book dedicated to each parish. The covers, when laid out together, form a map of Louisiana showing the locations of each parish. They were printed in a limited edition and released on February 19, 2019.
Covers, together, forming a Louisiana map
The Louisiana map showing the parish is repeated throughout each book. Endpapers with white printing on vellum 
Each book begins with practical and lyrical information about the parish
Selected photos are marked with an icon and expanded upon in the back of each book.
Additional information about selected photos at the backs of books© 2019 Daniel Lievens