2023 into 2024

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” –John Muir

These prints have something to do with seeking solitude away from the manufactured chaos of the Christmas season; something to do with seeking something more. The tranquility and open embrace of nature seemed alluring at the time and hiding out in the workshop to toil away on something special for friends and family – while the madness of December unfolded elsewhere – was quite cathartic.

If you didn’t get one and would like to be added to the list for 2024, hit us up with your address and we’ll hook you up.

Happy New Year!

Four-color screenprint on 80# French Factory Green Cover.

Prints: Untitled, 2021

After the better part of the year making sense of the archives, cataloging work, and sketching out new ideas, it was a treat to get back out to the workshop this fall and actually pull some ink and make some new prints.

This series uses a directional motif that I’ve been thinking about lately and haven’t been able to shake. So, of course, I had to work it out of my system by making it real. Some people have said it reminds them of a castle or flags or mountains – interpretations that are all fine by me.

Each piece features a slightly random sampling of colors, topping out at six colors on some prints. Colors were mixed and applied on the fly and in the moment, so most pieces are unique one-offs while a few ended up in editions of two. Most are printed on white cover stock while a few are on gray, kraft, or chipboard.

All prints “Untitled, 2021″ at 8″ x 10” each.

2020 into 2021

One chapter ending, another just beginning. Celebrating the end of a dizzyingly bizarre year with a simple gesture via our Christmas card was quite cathartic. And looking ahead is now so very satisfying. 

Prints: New. Improved.

Some prints get wrecked in the printing process. It makes sense that hand-printed works are more susceptible to flaws than mechanically printed ones, but knowing that still doesn’t make it any easier to take. Inconsistencies – whether it’s ink flow, a knick in the stencil, a fingerprint or smudge – can ruin a perfectly good print. It happens. It’s just part of the process. I know this, yet I still take the flaws pretty hard.

But I got tired of feeling this way and sought to do something about it. Rather than looking at flaws as a door closing, I decided to look at them as a window opening. By doing so, there’s an opportunity to add new ideas or, in this case, make corrections. I embraced the flaws and just canceled them out. Literally.

My first step was to unearth slightly less-than-perfect prints from the depths of purgatory (i.e. the neither-here-nor-there void of the flat file) and assess the damage. Next up was fixing them. That’s achieved here by masking the flaws with a big, blunt mark. Simple as that. Rather than just erasing the flaws, I chose to acknowledge and celebrate them.

In some cases, crossing out the mistakes added to the composition. In others, it was just a means to an end. While making perfect compositions was certainly not the goal, there are some beautiful moments to behold.

There’s beauty in everything. Finding it is just a matter of perspective. Clearly my interest in signage, typography, and found objects influenced the direction, but, in retrospect, there are other references that come to mind, like the butterfly joint in a George Nakashima table or even the knots in a piece of plywood.

These days, it’s about accepting what comes your way. Taking each day as it arrives – with all the highs and lows – and making the best of it. That, in a sense, is what the Correction Series is all about.

Pictured: “Untitled (Correction)” 2020, “Untitled (Correction)” 2020, “Untitled (Correction)” 2020, “Untitled (Correction)” 2020. 

Prints: Monoprint #27, 2020

Here’s a monoprint that made a cameo appearance in a recent video for Grant Design Collaborative. I was wavering on whether this one was complete, but with a slight trim (and some much-needed time/distance) this one is officially complete. Nine colors on white.

Prints: Strange Days

On March 29, Kurt printed a variation of an old design that had been sitting dormant and neglected, having never seen the light of day. Until now! It felt like a good way to start off 2020 and a much-needed bright spot during these otherwise unusual days. The edition features a randomized mix of colors in a tight edition of 19. All signed, dated, and numbered.

Prints: Untitled (Composition)

Somehow never got around to posting this little gem from 2019. Another one that was years in the making and finally wrapped up late last year. Four colors on mustard yellow stock. In the shop if you want it.

Prints: Untitled, 2019

This one turned out to be a total pain to print, but, in the end, was well worth the effort. Bright and vibrant in five colors on white. I was hoping for an edition of five or six, but due to my exacting – and slightly OCD – standards, I settled for variations of three.

Prints: Monoprint #26, 2019

Seven colors on white. Alternately titled, “Untitled” (Composition).

Prints: Autumn 2018

Now that Autumn 2018 has officially come to a close and the doldrums of winter have unceremoniously set in, let’s make the most of the downtime and brighten things up with a recap of the print action from last season.

I’ve got my coffee ready. I’ll wait for you to brew yours. (…) Okay, let’s go.

 

Untitled, 2018

Untitled, 2018

Untitled, 2018 / Untitled, 2018

Untitled, 2018

Untitled (Sunset), 2018