Linear-Reverse exhibits large-scale relief monoprint works by Chris Chandler of Neu Haus Press. The pieces are currently on display at ARTSPACE in Untitled in Oklahoma City. While the gallery is currently closed due to the ongoing crisis, art viewers far and wide are able to see the show through a virtual tour.
For the exhibition, Chris took advantage of his Vandercook 232P with a 30” x 32” printing bed, in order to experiment with the modular Alpha-Blox font in large form. Alpha-Blox was created as a movable font by the American Type Founder in 1944, and was sold to printers as an alternative to the usual restrictions of lead type fonts. The font never took-off with popularity, but being attracted to the creative possibilities, Chris used the Alpha-Blox type to create large-scale, woodcut versions of the complete set, pushing the limitations of letterpress printing.
Working quickly and responsively through the process of letterpress printing, he embraces unexpected interactions, and revels in the unique monoprint results that emerge. Chris uses the lexicon of his large-scale Alpha-Blox to plan his overall compositions and patterns, yet allows for freedom in his layering of colours, dimensional play through wood grains, and visual reveals of colour and texture from wheatpasting the prints to panel surfaces. The resulting works focus on beauty and simplicity in design, visual associations within abstraction, and the endless possibilities of working iteratively within a modular system.
Linear-Reverse highlights the importance of Chris’ creative process, and the collaborative dynamic between him and his Vandercook press. He simultaneously works within the confines of the Alpha-Blox design, and the freedom of monoprinting, creating a body of work where each piece is individualised and is a record of the constructive conflict between artist and machine, showcasing the beauty that can result from the reproductive nature of working within analogue print processes.
Partake in the virtual tour here.
www.neuhauspress.com
@neuhauspress
(all photographs by Evan Beasley)
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