Author Archives: Laura Whipple

Print Matters

Open Engagement: This is what you’re doing.

By Laura Whipple | Published: May 10, 2011

This is what you're thinking.

Portland State University is hosting a free conference this weekend (May 13-15). It’s called Open Engagement and it’s an ambitious initiative of the Art and Social Practice MFA program. This year’s plethora of activities explore five major themes: Peoples and Publics, Social Economies, In Between Places, Tracking and Tracing, and Sentiment and Strategies. Artists Julie Ault, Fritz Haeg, and Pablo Helguera will be present, and the Bruce High Quality Foundation University will be staging an exhibit called Bureau for Open Culture.

Activities and presentations span the city.

As part of the event, MFA student, artist and general awesome person, Jason Sturgill designed a duet Scout Book + custom pencil (pictured here). I for one would always like to be doing and thinking more and I am very grateful that Open Engagement will assist in that process.

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Book Report

Jillian Tamaki + Penguin Threads

By Laura Whipple | Published: May 4, 2011

Literary Embroidery

Brooklyn based illustrator Jillian Tamaki recently created three amazing book covers for Penguin USA. Crafted over the course of two months, the illustrations and lettering were all painstakingly embroidered for the literary classics Black Beauty, Emma, and The Secret Garden.

The results are stunning, and I am very eager to see how the incredible texture, and handmade qualities translate into print. Available for sale in October of 2011, the book covers will be embossed and include full wraparound images with french flaps. Looking forward to updating my library with these amazing editions.

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Print Crush

Carson Ellis, Illustrator Extraordinaire

By Laura Whipple | Published: April 22, 2011

"Don't think too hard. It's only drawing."

It is important to have heroes. It is also helpful when they are real people. I have my share of individuals who continually inspire me with their amazing quality of work, thoughtfulness, and uncanny ability to make it all come together (many of them have been highlighted here on Bangback). Artist Carson Ellis ranks right up there at the top of my list.

Carson is a full-time illustrator who creates beautiful work for children’s books. She is also the artist-in-residence for The Decemberists. She is prolific and kind and we had the extreme pleasure to work with her when Pinball was producing the paper goods line Tenth & Grant. She was born in Vancouver, BC and raised in suburban New York. She studied painting at the University of Montana in Missoula, where she received her BFA in 1998. Currently residing in Portland, with her husband Colin Meloy, son Hank, and two cats, she has been working at a feverish pace to illustrate The Decemberists’ latest album and also finish up the eighty-five (!) illustrations for the book Wildwood. Luckily, we grabbed a few minutes with her this Spring to hear about her latest efforts and inspirations.

P.S. She is going to be speaking at the Portland State University MFA lecture series this coming Monday. Don’t miss it. It’s free and starts at 7:30.

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Print Matters

Flatstock 29

By Laura Whipple | Published: March 14, 2011

The Grackle!

Thanks to a surprise visit from one of our favorite PDX poster designers Mike King, we were reminded that Flatstock, the poster convention dedicated to rock posters and all their glory, will be taking place this week at SXSW. Mike King will be there, as well as many other amazing poster designers and printers.

This year’s poster design for Flatstock 29 – SXSW is by Pittsburgh based artist strawberryluna. It features a famous bird from Austin – The Grackle! This beauty is hand screenprinted in 4 colors, in a limited edition of 115 posters.

Sponsored by the American Poster Institute, Flatstock takes place from March 16-19, 2011 at the Austin Convention Center. And y’all, it’s free for the public to attend, so no excuses!

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Print Matters

I Heart Maira

By Laura Whipple | Published: March 1, 2011

If you happen to be in NYC between March 11 and July 31, 2011, you are in luck!

During that time, Maira Kalman, the amazing illustrator, author, designer and all around creative wonder will be having a major show at The Jewish Museum in New York.

Titled Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World), It is the first major museum survey of her work. On display will be the original cover artwork used for The New Yorker magazine, Ooh-la-la (Max in Love), drawings from The Elements of Style, and more.

Plan to attend the opening next week? Then you can also check out the Houdini: Art and Magic show that is up until March 27 at the same museum. Double awesome!

Image courtesy Maira Kalman.

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Print Matters

Reading Frenzy + Crap Hound #5

By Laura Whipple | Published: December 13, 2010

Reading Frenzy is not merely one of Portland’s beloved bookshops and art galleries, it is also an independent publisher. Chloe Eudaly launched Show and Tell Press in 2005 with the release of Crap Hound #5: Hearts, Hands and Eyes. Issues #4, #6 and #7 of Crap Hound followed, as well as a zine titled Alien Boy about James Chasse. Fast forward to December, 2010 (that’s today, friends), and Show and Tell Press is poised to release the third edition of Crap Hound #5. Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, the project has officially received the green light. We can expect to see the new edition roll off the presses in the very near future. Perhaps even before Christmas.

Editor’s update: You can pre-order Crap Hound #5 here!

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Print Crush

Reading Frenzy

By Laura Whipple | Published: August 27, 2010

Portland's Independent Press Emporium

Much more than a simple dispensary of books, Reading Frenzy is a call to action. This modestly-sized storefront simultaneously functions as an art gallery, event space, literary watering hole, zine distribution point, indie publisher, friend to free speech, and an inspiration to many. Defying the odds, it has persevered for nearly sixteen years. No doubt this can be credited to a large degree to the intelligence and tenacity of its owner Chloe Eudaly. As the store kicked off its 500 friends of Reading Frenzy Kickstarter campaign this summer, I had the pleasure of learning more from Chloe about the past, present, and future of this Portland icon.

Read on! Get inspired! And please get involved! It just takes a few clicks to support an important cultural establishment and pillar of the independent publishing community.

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Fresh Ink

Ryan Brinkerhoff is Really Into Productivity

By Laura Whipple | Published: July 20, 2010

As am I!

Printer: Seizure Palace
Item: Silkscreen Poster, 9″ X 19″
Paper: French Speckletone 80#C Madero Beach
Ink: 3 Spot Colors
(orange, peacock blue, black)
Designer: Ryan Brinkerhoff

I want more arms (really, it’s even in my bio!). This Productivity poster design by Ryan Brinkerhoff at Bandito Design Co. gets it right by showing how much we could all do if we had six more arms (and were octopi). Apparently, a lot!

I love the typography and whimsy in this design, and the screenprinting by Seizure Palace looks amazing (once again!).

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Fresh Ink

World Map from These Are Things

By Laura Whipple | Published: July 13, 2010

Modern! Beautiful! Cartography!

Printer: Seizure Palace
Item: Silkscreen Poster, 20″ X 30″
Paper: Cougar Natural
Ink: 4 Spot Colors
Designer: These Are Things

Quite often, it’s a basic desire that becomes the inspiration for great projects.

Case in point; These Are Things wanted a simple, modern map, and when their search yielded nothing but glossy posters or uninspired reproductions, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Being graphic designers, they went ahead and designed their own world map, and passed the baton on to the Portland-based silkscreen experts at Seizure Palace to produce the design as a four-color screenprinted poster. The results are stunning to say the least, and available online (signed by the artists!). Fortunately for all of us design and geography geeks, their mapmaking endeavor is growing. Check out the maps for USA, Europe, and a new letterpress World edition.

Special thanks to Fran at Seizure Palace for the project tip!

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Print Crush

Levi’s Print Workshop

By Laura Whipple | Published: July 8, 2010

Time to work!

Just to further prove that interest in the art of print is alive and kicking, Levi’s opened the doors this week to their new Valencia Street printing workshop in San Francisco. Slated to operate for eight weeks in the temporary (but beautifully set-up) 3,000 square foot storefront, it offers hands-on training in letterpress and silkscreen printing, as well as many print and literary oriented events. The first of what hopefully will be many workshops, Levi’s is focusing on craft and craftspeople, as well as bringing together community through the act of creating. Read More »

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