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Some views of prints in production at the University of Iowa from the artist’s Etsy shop:
 The original Heidelberg.
The Baltimore based letterpess collective Gilah Press & Design received a great write-up on the Metropolis magazine website. The article/interview was conducted by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson as part of her on-going Letter from Baltimore series of postings. It’s an inspiring story of a focused group of artists/designers making good on their dream. To read the whole article follow this link. If you required further proof that Baltimore is fast becoming an art and design hub check out this recent NY Times travel article on the subject, next they’ll raise the rent on studio space for being hip.  Nathalie Wilson, Kat Feuerstein, and Whitney Cecil outside Gilah Press in Hampden, Maryland
Mike Dacey of Repeat Press of Somerville, MA created some custom letterpressed coasters for Highsnobiety and Selectism to hand out for the holidays. Set to “I Fought Piranhas” by The White Stripes, check out the beautifully shot video that documents the process from beginning to end. more about “Letterpress Coasters“, posted with vodpod The video was shot by Stebs. UPDATE (11/25): Here’s a link to the new web home of PROCEED & BE BOLD!. Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. is the subject of Proceed and Be Bold!, a really great documentary that takes viewers on a journey through this unique letterpress printer’s life and work. Interviews with the artist himself, as well as his family, friends, and acquaintances, come together to form a compelling portrait of a complex man. Here’s the trailer…
Having just watched the film a few days ago, it’s quite inspirational and I highly recommend it. The film documents Kennedy’s amazing racially and socially-charged posters and performances, and it communicates his serious commitment to tradition and the handmade object. With Kennedy as the common ground, the story intertwines two seemingly disparate elements- the civil rights movement and the history of letterpress printing. Using the language of the past, Kennedy’s work speaks volumes about the present. There are some seriously funny moments, too, and a cameo appearance by Hatch Show Print. Track down a copy of this DVD. The full-length film is produced and directed by Laura Zinger of Brown Finch Films and was released in 2008. Unfortunately, BFF’s website appears to be down currently but you can click here to see Kennedy’s prints. You can see some pics of Kennedy’s posters after the jump… Continue reading Proceed and Be Bold!
Boxcar Press is a Syracuse-based letterpress founded by Harold Kyle. Aside from being a pretty large operation that does quality work, Boxcar is noteworthy as an environmentally progressive letterpress. Their green mission and commitment to sustainable printing seems so timely that we decided to ask Harold Kyle a few questions. Our interview follows…. JU: Let’s start at the beginning…. Why letterpress? What’s the appeal of letterpress to you and what’s the appeal to your customers? HK: For me the appeal is wide-ranging: the precisely machined cast iron; the endless problem-solving; the lineage of techniques stretching back to Gutenberg’s workshop; the warm community of printers carrying the torch; the crisp bite of type into paper; the beautiful letterpress papers. And it’s true, I also really JU: You started out in Minneapolis but ended up in Syracuse. What role does the city of Syracuse play in defining the identity of Boxcar Press? HK: Well, we could afford running a business here! The rust belt has treated us well by keeping expenses down and keeping us focused on our work. Since we bootstrapped everything, this was crucial. Living and working in Syracuse is so much easier than in any of the other cities that we’ve called home. We toil away inside one of Syracuse’s large old warehouses, which has today become a lively center for artists and graphic professionals—we love sharing cheap space with kindred spirits. Syracuse is a down-to-earth, modest city without flashiness but with a lot of history and know-how. We try to carry these values into our everyday work.
Jimmy Luu has been developing an interesting body of work called The Office of Printed Ephemera. The work consists of letterpress translations of various electronic communications. The tension between analog and digital is a favorite topic at Printeresting so we thought we’d share some images of his recent show at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX; the pictures don’t do the work justice but they should give you some sense of the project. I had a few questions about the work and Luu was good enough to share his thoughts. I asked if there was a physical office and how quotes were chosen for printing. Here’s Luu’s response… So, no there is no physical office. Unless that office is my studio. Which it could be. When I started the project, I was thinking of the word office in a couple different ways. Between being a fictional physical office in the way that most people would read it, and “office” in the other sense, to mean “function” or “authority” as well, so what purpose does printed ephemera have, and why am I choosing to immerse myself in it.
For the rest of Luu’s response, more pics of the show, and a full exhibition essay, follow the page break.
Typeface is a documentary film directed by Justine Nagan and produced by Kartemquin Films. In case there is any confusion, yes this is a film about type & letterpress printing. What took so long? The filmmakers describe the film:
The museum in question is the Hamilton Wood Type Museum that was mentioned here not too long ago. The film uses the museum as a site of inquiry into the thriving midwestern letterpress scene. Typeface is currently touring film festivals and type/book events around the country, to find out it’s next screening near you check here.
Here you can see an exciting shot of the film being made with cameras, microphones and woolen hats.
This is poster and the one at the top of the post are available on the site, they serve as both great posters and fundraisers for the project. The top poster is by Dennis Ichiyama and this one above is by the design collective, The Post Family. Thanks to C.S. for the great scoop! This post authored by Leslie Mutchler.
Perhaps evoking aspects of Walter Bejamin’s Arcades Project, artist Abra Ancliffe’s Asbury Project contains hundreds of letterpressed memories and maps hung in and around Escuela del Sol Montessori (once Asbury Community School 1978-1985).
These fragmented bits of memory, translated from happening to textual information, meticulously hand-set, letterpress printed, and hung strategically throughout this evolving institution recontextualizes and materializes memories that we all collectively remember. (Or in some cases try to forget).
Today’s students of Escuela del Sol Montesorri live with these fragments; from arriving to school, to hanging up their bags, to using the bathroom. I can’t help but think these students must see these memories as moments close to their hearts as well. Perhaps these translations serve as teaching tools- connecting today’s students with students from another time. So much has changed, yet, as we are often told, so much continues to remain the same.
There is an analysis of human behavior here, albeit not one of fancy machines or complicated data. These facts are the minute and banal occurrences of our everyday lives; beautifully printed using a labored process almost as forgotten as the memories themselves. For more images of this project and information about the artist- click here. |
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