20 March 2012

Letterpress Adventure (Part 2)




Ce n'est pas une Chaise. 
This is not a chair.
This is letterpress...

It was quite overwhelming to have so many options of typefaces and infinite possibilities for content. I didn't want to use an abstract arrangement of letters so I decided to play around with the phrase Ce n'est pas une Chaise as an homage to Magritte's Ceci n'est pas une pipe (1928-29). And a nod to my favorite subject matter.

{above} The Chaise layer was printed first with the paper dampened. I set the type for the Ce n'est pas une layer and overprinted it the next day when the paper was dry. 

The majority of the type at the Center for Book Arts is metal, but there are several drawers full of random old wooden type including some 480pt display type. I was intrigued by the large broken "A" and the worn surfaces of the wood type.

These compositions were not set using a grid or layout, but arranged directly on the press bed and held in position by magnets. The above composition was a happy accident.  I had no idea how the layers would overlap. The first layer was a ghost, or second printing without re-inking, and the overprinted layer was done the next day.

All prints in this series were printed in Pantone process black on Johannot paper (sized 11x14").




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2 comments:

ETCIllustration said...

Well done! I think the second Chaise is my favorite :)

Kate said...

Merci! The second one is my favorite too!