Notes From The Zeitgeist: February 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Landsugar

I know this might not be a pop icon yet, but for me it might as well be.

Thank you to everyone who's supported my work by purchasing a print. After a few days of friendly-labor (thank you Kenji & Minal), poring over spreadsheets (thank you Jess), and doing a bunch of math, I have seem to have miraculously gotten out the first shipment. There are a few outstanding shipping fees to sort out with a few of you, but I think I finally have it under control. I didn't realize I was going to have 280 prints to mail en masse.

When you get your print some of you might put it under glass. It's not that I don't think that's great, but these prints are fun to touch. A plastic sleeve allows the absorption of the tactile without harming the work. If you are collector, I dropped a small thank you note in your envelope which is not acid-free, so don't keep it sealed.

I've also added an email box on the right to stay abreast of new work and when things go on sale (thanks Caleb!).

Monday, February 14, 2011

Get Your Sugar

After nearly 10 years living in the Mission, I was inspired to design a series of Calaveras, sugar skulls, popularized by the Dia de los Muertos celebration. I got a lot of positive response and more than a few requests for prints.

While lasers are cool for cats, they are not that impressive for printing, so I decided to get these letterpressed. After some research I decided on the Cranky Pressman in Salem, Ohio. Keith, the pressman, was awesome and faithfully entertained my print requests.

Unlike some of the printers who use plastic polymer plates, The Cranky Pressman works in metal. Sure it takes longer, but there's something nice about transforming digital into Magnesium. Because of their size, they were manually pressed on their classic Vandercook press with vegetable based ink.

The paper comes from Crane & Co., one of America's oldest paper manufacturers. How old? Paul Revere engraved banknotes for the Colony of Massachusetts Bay on Crane paper to help finance the American Revolution. The paper stock is Crane & Co.'s 100% cotton, Lettra line, made specifically for letterpress.

This is a limited edition, six designs, 50 prints per design. Each is 12 inches square. Mailed flat.