Letters of Triangles

письма-‐треугольники - Letters of triangles There was a time in which soldiers, having a prolonged absence from home, were thought to suffer and sometimes die of Nostalgia. This malaise later became known as homesickness. During WWII Russian soldiers sent triangular correspondence to their loved ones. In these письма-треугольники, the letter and envelope were one, allowing censors to access and omit any sensitive material without compromising the structure. The simple design meant the content and address never became separated and made the letters easily identifiable as priority mail to the postal service. 

Letterpress printed edition of 40, of which the first 10 letters are housed in a handmade clamshell box with handkerchief printed linings and special edition triangular letter. Published by Battenburg Press in April of 2013.

During the launch of the new work at the Arnolfini Gallery as part of BABE (Bristol Artists Book Event) the limited edition clamshell box of  'Letters of Triangles' was kindly purchased by Special Collections at Winchester School of Art Library, The Center for Fine Print Research in Bristol and Rare Book dealers Reed Contemporary. The TATE Library also purchased a copy of the edition of 40.

Out of a Printing Pickle

I was saved by super printer and all round good egg Mr Phil Chrisp of EE Chrisp Printers very recently. It happened to be the 114th Birthday of the business on the particular day I visited, and I am most grateful for the wonderful results his Heidelberg Platten press consistently provides. The pressure,  precision and beauty the letterpress gave the work lifted my heavy heart after a fruitless morning trying to pull a print from a proofing press. I have worked with Phil since I wondered into his print workshop back in Castlefield in 2005, and he has printed all of my larger editions of letterpress work. He was one of the first friends I met when I moved to Manchester and he's a tip top fella. Barney the pup is also a sweetheart. x

'Letters of Triangles' drop in monoprinting at BABE Arnolfini

Celebrating the launch of my new artist’s book ‘Letters of Triangles’ I invited visitors to BABE to create a simple one or two word contribution using the name of a person, place, object or feeling that they missed. Inspired by the ‘triangular letters’ Russian soldiers wrote home during WWII these secret longings formed a collection of anonymous nostalgia notes by close of the book fair. I had 40 contributions and met some very special people. 

Thank you to everyone who came along to BABE and who gave the project a dose of their time, contemplation and printing talents, it was much appreciated. x

Fly by weeks

From Citroen HYvan steam cleaning, to searching for signs of Spring, to composers visiting the studio to record my typewriters, to beachy girls' world weekends, to time with animals and dreamy holidays with friends. Time is flying by and the days have been full to the brim with pleasure and work in equal measure. Now my skin is warming it's time for getting all of the transition to the new season down on paper.