Storm Print City started with a spontaneous idea to make a relief print directly from the street. That sparked a newfound love for graphic design, history, overlooked objects, and making tangible art. I’ve spent over a decade exploring the country and parts of the world searching for antique, ornate, and symbolic pieces of iron in the street. Using block ink and raw canvas, I unearth, reimagine, and pay homage to artisans of the past by preserving these relics through the prints. Each print has a story: The people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned, the surroundings in the moment, and the relationships built along the way have all inspired compositions, color palettes, and design choices.
The larger, multi-layered pieces are a series I've neem working on for the past few years. First, I’ll go out on the street and find the covers I want to include. Next, I create digital mockups, explore palettes, and finalize the composition. Then I go back out on the street and recreate the mockup one print at a time. Between each layer, I let the canvas dry, take photos, and adjust the plan accordingly. During those weeks or months, I am challenged, frustrated, and forced to make decisions at the moment, on the street. The location, the weather, the iron, human interaction, and unexpected variables can affect the end result.
No matter what happens, I’m able to take that piece of history, industry, and memory home with me. After the prepping, the planning, the cleaning, and the painting, it all comes down to a few seconds. Once the canvas is laid down, there is no going back. The adrenaline, the pressure to execute, and not knowing the outcome until I peel up the canvas all have been driving forces for the project.
Represented by:
Jackson Junge Gallery
Find prints at:
Sacred Art (Chicago)
Collectiv (Chicago)
Homespun (Indianapolis)
Exhibitions:
PUBLIC SPACES Group Exhibit
Jackson Junge Gallery
Chicago, IL
May 3 – June 23, 2018
ONE WALL
Jackson Junge Gallery
Chicago, IL
July 27 – August 8, 2018
ArtPrize10
Founders Brewing
Grand Rapids, MI
September 19 – October 7, 2018
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