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| Forty copies ready to post. |
August 23rd, 2017: Finished my contribution to the Nordic project: POSTED/UNPOSTED – a book art project with special emphasis on letterpress printing from the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Åland Islands.Around 30 artists, poets, printers and publishers who use (or have the potential to use) letterpress have been invited to
contribute to a collaboration with constraints. We have all had to contribute with 40 letterpress printed envelopes with contents (both being of equal importance). All envelopes had to be C5 size (229x162mm).
Deadline September 1st, 2017.
By the end of September the organisers: Imi Maufe (Norway) and Lina Nordenström (Sweden) packaged the limited edition collection and sent copies touring around the Nordic countries and the world in the months/years to come. Each contributor got a copy of the limited collection.
The collaborative project was launched at the Bergen Art Book Fair October 19-22, 2017. (www.bergenartbookfair.no) and other venues followed.
Past Exhibitions:
Malmö Konsthall, Sweden – 6-12th May 2019
San Fransisco Center for the Book – 2nd Feb-29th April 2019 (see Posted / Unposted ++) This is a extended version with extra works by 9 of the participating artists called POSTED / UNPOSTED ++ and is part of Codex Polaris' Nordic Focus at the CODEX 2019 book fair and Symposium, USA.
SFCB produced a catalogue to go with the exhibition which is available from their website – www.sfcb.org
Grafikk i Väst, Gøteborg, Sweden – 5th-31st January 2019
Leeds Letterpress Conference – 19-20th July 2018
Galleri Pi, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 15 - July 7, 2018
Konstfack Library (the University College of Craft, Arts and Design), Stockholm, Sweden, February 2018
Bergen Art Book Fair, Norway – October 2017
For more details: www.codexpolaris.com
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| All parts of Posted/Unposted by Ambeck Design, 2017. |
POSTED/UNPOSTED
Digital vs. Analog: posting messages/updates vs. keeping it private/only for the few.
When one communicates online via platforms like Facebook most posts have the potential to be seen and read by hundreds if not thousands, as many have a large number of "friends" – not unlike writing a letter on the outside of the envelope rather than the inside – for all to read.
These were my initial thoughts/inspiration when presented with the theme Posted/Unposted.
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| Front of envelope close up. |
Outer Design
To express this idea I sought Facebook posts which I felt expressed this deeper, private level which would have been shared with a much more select circle of people before online platforms existed.
I chose to digitally inkjet print these posts in the official "Facebook blue" using Helvetica Neue – the previous Facebook font before San Francisco – as used today with OS systems.
The posts are all in lowercase and no names are mentioned, though – between comments – a number of friends are randomly listed.
All this is printed on the outside of a standard British Brown Envelope. (1) because I like them and (2) because they have been/are part of my life since living in the UK for a number of years.
The envelope front is left blank, specifically where the stamp and address would ordinarily be placed. The pieces are for no one in particular, but for all who care to read.
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| Envelope with content. |
Inner Design
The inside content is an SRA2 Munken Pure 120gsm folded sheet of paper with the Danish word "Privat" (Private) placed centrally, with red ink using wooden letterpress. The font used is unknown (indeed the word may include more than one font) and the letters were found in the UK.
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| Woodtype set to print & printed. |
The reason for the large folded sheet reflects the "secret folded notes" which I first experienced as a late 1980s High School student in New Hampshire, USA before internet and mobiles became commonplace. The secret notes were used for love letters or just general teenage comments.
Between the outside and the inside the tension and huge difference in the past and present etiquettes and processes of our personal communication exists, and only opening the envelope allows the completion of the message of the piece.
I constructed my own folding as I didn't want the print to be folded, but it needed to fit within the C5 envelope.
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| Front and back of the "secret" folded note. |
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| Note unfolding. |
I used a HumanBook Press for the printing (my body weight and a book); the only press I have available.
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| Printing in progress August 2017. |
Each of the forty copies are numbered and signed with my stamp on the inside of the envelopes.
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| Robo-Girl aka Ambeck Design |
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Red ink.
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| Stacked, ready to go. |
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October 19, 2017 a box arrived by post – my copy of the collection (No. 19) – exciting.
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| A parcel arrived with a box inside. |
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| Inside the box was a catalogue listing each artist's work and then the whole collection of envelopes held together by a broad wrap-around held in place by two rubber bands. The work of Imi and Lina. |
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| Once the rubber bands were off the collection could be viewed. |
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| 24 lovely pieces to be explored one-by-one. |
Below some official images by Imi Maufe.
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| Image by Imi Maufe © 2017 |
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| Image by Imi Maufe © 2017 |
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| Image by Imi Maufe © 2017 |
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| Image by Imi Maufe © 2017 |
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Image by Imi Maufe © 2017
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Public collections which hold the collection:
- Göteborgs Universitets Bibliotek, Sweden (2023)
