17.5.10

Telephone, telephone so much

Another co:lab project for you all. This one was produced during the two week residency of the pop-up shop down at the Toll Clock shopping centre. The theme this time around was red and blue with the criteria being that we use red and blue only and the artwork fits to A6. Here is my effort. I can explain the thinking behind it if anyone cares to ask!

Telephone, telephone so much

Co:lab down the pop-up shop

Co:lab pop-up shop – Don't you ever stop...

The co:lab kids would like to thank everyone who came down the pop-up shop, hung out, chatted and bought prints. We've had a lot of fun seeing you all over the last two weeks. Big thanks also to Karen Bruce without whom the shop never would've happened and all the folk involved with Vunk Fest. Looking forward to the big weekend in July!

Two Ply Gin

Co:lab have once again been at the printing ink. Our latest project is 3-fold and explores the rich seam of interpretation inherent in our alphabet. 26 individual characters being reproduced in countless variations the world over.
In presenting our take on our favourite graphemes we not only show the alphabet in its natural order but also put them to practical use in the context of 3 very different pangrams. Additionally each co:labber has chosen their favourite letter to BIG up.

two ply gin alphabet

I experimented extensively before reaching a style I was happy with and felt would carry through from A to Z with relative ease. The technique involved great reams of toilet paper, lots of water, ink and a big fat brush. In selecting a pangram I decided to search outwith my native tongue and found two potent and very different samples. One Danish and one Portuguese. I went with the Portuguese pangram "Um pequeno jabuti xereta viu dez cegonhas felizes" which as it turned out didn't feature all 26 letters as the Portugese alphabet isn't exactly as it is in the UK. This left me missing w,y and k – a problem I navigated with the naming of my jabuti "Wakiya".

two ply gin pangram two ply gin U

Curiously, despite the Portuguese pangram, the three pieces look particularly eastern. Largely I guess thanks to the method I used to create the letters but also how well they work reading top to bottom as opposed to our convention of left to right.

There were only twelve of each of these printed and we launched them two weeks ago with the opening of the temporary Vunk Fest pop-up shop. Sales of this and other prints were encouraging and I'm pleased to say that my pangram is now completely sold out. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy of this and/or any of my other print. It's much appreciated and I hope you enjoy having them in your home!