Cardpress Launch

Last Thursday I was invited to the launch of the new Cardpress project by Print Club and Urban Cottage Industries (UCI). Cardpress combines Print Club London's original silkscreen printed artworks with UCI's letterpress printing which starts with hot metal casting on their newly restored Linotype type casting machines.

The evening began with a screening of Linotype:The Film which was held at the atmospheric Rio cinema on Kingsland High Street, Dalston.

I have reviewed the film in a previous blog post and I can only add that it was even better the second time around! http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/linotype-film.html

Me in Millers Avenue

After the film, we simply crossed the road and into Millers Avenue to the party venue at MC Motors, which is next door to Print Club. But this was a lot more than a groovy party at a great location for over 800 people! Guests were plied with mojitos, beer and freshly cooked pizza together with a DJ and a great party atmosphere ...and most importantly there was a working Linotype hot metal casting machine working. Phil, Dave,Stan and other UCI technicians demonstrated the Linotype. Partygoers were transfixed watching these beatifully crafted machines clicking, whirring and creating lead type. The following pics should give you a flavour of the evening:

Beer

Linotype Machine



Stanley Wilson founder of UCI, showing the lead ingots used for casting



Guests were invited to get their fingers inky by having their own line of linotype text, produced in front of their eyes, and then printing that line themselves on an Adana hand press.

Cardpress is a personalised greetings card business with a difference - it combines Print Club's original silkscreen printed artworks with UCI's type-casting and letterpress printing to create a retro take on the modern concept of online personalised cards. The first designs are by Pure Evil, Alice Stallard, James Joyce, Margaux Carpentier, Anthony Peters and Rose Stallard.

Kate Newbold-Higginson, director of Print Club London, said: "UCI's manual ethos is close to the way we work. It’s really exciting to combine contemporary illustrators with traditional machines. Because we work with layered files too, the process we go through translates well to their machines. Though there’s still a bit of a learning curve - they are learning our way and we are learning theirs."Cardpress customers input their line of text on the website when ordering the card; the text is then cast on a linotype machine in Metro Medium 18pt and letterpress printed to the inside of their chosen card.

Thanks for the invitation to a great party and I wish Print Club and Urban Cottage Industries the best of luck with their new Cardpress venture.

www.urbancottageindustries.com

www.printclublondon.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 22.10.2013

Print Club London at Somerset House

On a beautiful sunny day last week, I visited a studio in Somerset House whilst watching all the kids having a  good time splashing about in the 55 fountains that make it one of the coolest places in town, I spied an exhibition that was on by Print Club.

Dalston based silkscreen studio, Print Club London collaborated with Film 4 to curate a screen print poster exhibition in the newly opened West Wing Galleries. The exhibition shows 16 new silkscreen prints by illustrators from the UK, Europe and USA. Each print is inspired by each of the films screened this year by Film 4 in the courtyard at Somerset House .

Here's a video, about the show and the artists:


I took some pics of the show. All the prints have been produced in limited editions of 200, signed by the artist and are available to buy at £40 each.



MOL - Crazy Stupid Love



Holly Wales - The Red Shoes

Anthony Burrill - The Way Way Back

I met Claudia, who's one of the technicians at Print Club, who was looking after the cash register and she let me wander round taking a few pics. The exhibition will be open daily from 1st -21st August.

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/print-club-london-summer-screen-prints
http://www.film4.com/whats-on/summer-screen-2013
http://printclublondon.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 07.08.2013

Print Club London

I was pleased to receive two lovely prints in the post from Print Club London. They are from a collection of prints produced at  PICK ME UP 2012 (the contemporary graphic art fair) at Somerset House in London at the end of March.
Print Club London's space at the fair was a journey through the print process, from the designers hand to the ink on the table all the way through to the gallery - a physical journey through the process of print. Visitors were invited to "PULL A PRINT" with help from the screenprinters.

They relocated Millers Junction, Print Club's new creative studio alongside the Print Club studios and gallery so visitors could walk through each stage of design with the resident artists. Each day the artists were working and printing allowing visitors to discuss the projects in progress and see print in action. Over 40 prints were especially designed for the show.

Designers included: Arran Gregory, Dominic Owen, Alice Hoult, Pure Evil, Hugh Barrell, Esther McManus, Margot Bowman, Rose Stallard, Tal Drori, Mr Gresty and many more!

...and here are the lovely prints they kindly sent me:

Rose Stallard

Alice Hoult

These prints and all the prints produced at the show are produced on our Redeem 100% Recycled 300gsm.

If you don't know about Print Club London, you should! They are a silkscreen print studio - basically you can be a member, turn up and print! simple as that. Have a look:  

http://www.printclublondon.com/studio/

Thanks very much to Kate Newbold and Rose Stallard for the prints.

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/pick-me-up-2012

 Posted by Justin Hobson 25.05.2012