More GCT process. This week we spent most days in the letterpress room. It is certainly a lengthy process to typeset a rather small amount of text. We have an introduction in our "Wish project" catalogue (the project is to create a fake exhibition, the catalogue goes along with the exhibition). There was lots of idle time whilst we waited for Nick, the letterpress technician to help us. I had my camera so we could finish distributing 1,000 cranes (which we did, hoooray!) so these are some images from our time doing letterpress.

Above: the many drawers of various (sized) typefaces.

Our drawer (we used Walbaum) so for those less familiar with the letterpress process, we had to pick out each individual letter and space block dealio, then set it in a ruler type device then wedge in space blocks in each line until our paragraph was a nice uniform block (see below).

Above: One of our paragraph blocks.

The trusty letterpress.

The letterpress doing it's magic. Step one: paper on the machine.

Step two: paper goes against the text/press bit.

Step three: It gets pressed, and then presto! our type appears on the paper.


Above: Our pages post-press.
The images below are the handiworks of others..



We finished and printed out our exhibition poster, see below.


Currently we have finished the layout and are in the midst of printing the pages. Then it's only binding the giant book, getting the cover embossed with a plate we had specially made (£40 later) and having the title letterpressed! So close to completing something that seems to have no end. As much as I love this project, I can't wait for it to be over. I will post the finished product after Monday.

the GCT

It has been a busy start to the new year at Uni.

The week prior to the commencement of school, Emilia and I began working on our project "The Great Crane Trade." Over the course of the holidays collectively we folded 1,005 origami cranes. Emilia was inspired by the Japanese legend that when one folds 1,000 cranes a wish will be granted. I know it's part of some story, but I am unfamiliar with anything beyond the gist. The idea was to hand out 999 cranes to the public and record their wishes (as well as capture a photograph of the individual with their crane). We planned to assemble it into a book. This we would attempt to tie into the brief we had been set before the holidays of planning an exhibition around the theme of "Graphesis & Mathesis."

For 5 days we stood outside in the depths of the unseasonably frigid/snowy London winter shouting at passerbys to come and take a crane and write down a wish. We started in Covent Garden, when asked to leave by the owner we relocated to Charing Cross Rd (outside the other CSM campus) and eventually ended up scoring a booth at Camden Market. They were very kind to us art students! We had some big help in the form of other stall holders, my cousin Carol, interested participants and a few dear friends. We met a lot of fantastic people from around the world - lots of visitors from Australia, South Africa, Italy, the US and France. A number of the wishes are in different languages.

In the evenings we harassed bar hangerouters at the Hubbub across the street along with canvasing our complex. 3 houses (out of about 20) answered their doors, despite lights being on. How unfriendly!

We managed to collect 724 wishes by the end of the 5 day period.

Here are some of the images from the fun yet exhausting process.

1000 cranes.

Mimi in the cranes with her Holga.


Our sign, which was later edited to include the words "Free!"

The mock-up books ready for wishes.


The first day in Covent Garden.


Our stall in the Camden Lock Market


If you want to see more of us doing our best in Camden, our dear friend Hussain has posted some photos from his venture to our booth (bless him) in one of his many lovely picasa photo albums. To see them click here.