Tony Smith
Anthony Smith : Letterpress printer
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Type and typography have been the overriding interest at Cobtree Press, my letterpress workshop. Much of my earlier work revolved around regular letterpress commissions utilising hand set metal types and photo-engraved blocks where illustrations were required. My future intentions are to employ much more autographic media such as linocut, woodcut and engraving alongside the typeset text.
Over the lifetime of the press there has been a growing collection of wood letter assembled. Once used for display posters from the middle of the 19th century onwards, this holds a real fascination for me as a working material. Not only does it add impact to regular letterpress work but, through its size and variety of letter style it becomes a printmaking medium of immense versatility. It is often used as an element in prints produced at the Press.
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The examples shown here are part of a sequence of free experiments involving simple or complex overprintings of wood letter and other typographic elements which will serve to develop future ranges of editioned prints.These experimental printings are not for sale but the editioned series of prints will be. The edition run is anticipated at 25 copies of each print.
