Music for Teacups was a series of video works by artists Melissa Haviland & David Colagiovanni (Athens, OH) investigating the destructive moment of a breaking piece of family tableware to highlight family dynamics, upbringing, inheritance, etiquette, and issues of class. “Music for Teacups” is a guttural release from the rigidity of etiquette practices while also indulging in the beauty of their order. It rhythmically dissects the poetic moment of a falling and breaking teacup as it sounds during its last second as a complete object. The work was originally conceived as a way to photographically discover the moment a teacup splits apart. Fortuitously the artists decided to record the sound of the first drops.

The “Music for Teacups” artists’ book was produced at Small Craft Advisory Press at Florida State University in 2012. Haviland & Colagiovanni worked with Press Director, Denise Bookwalter and her staff to produce the book over a month residency.

It is created almost entirely with a laser cutter. It includes an accordion book made from 50 teacup silhouettes and a ‘saucer’ that acts as a sleeve for a 7″ vinyl record of the music from the “Music for Teacups” videos. Both items are housed in a felt-lined, lidded box. Text was laser-engraved on French paper.

Small Craft Advisory Press (FL), 2012

8 x 8 x 3” box, edition of 50