The Collective Press
HistoryI was gifted a screen printing press by a kind soul in 2008 and a neighborhood/community print shop was the obvious evolution. Several Bloomington-inspired T-shirts emerged while the equipment was shared with others. As life moved forward, my love for letterpress--an older form of relief printing--expanded. I had learned a moderate amount at IU a decade before but I lacked the experience in a modern day letterpress shop. So for the next 3 years I visited my old professor, 1040 miles away, on a regular basis to help keep his shop in order. I began acquiring equipment in 2011, opened my own retail shop and rooted myself in 2 different artist communities over the next 5 years. Many life lessons and 3 moves later, I am now happily out of the public eye and onto the land where I live. Slowly but surely I am renovating an unfinished garage into a private studio for letterpress and screen printing equipment.SpecialtiesEquipment: -Rotary screen printing press -Small magnetic sign press -Vandercook 325G cylinder press -8X10 C&P platen press -1 type cabinet full of metal and wood type, mostly Futura Desires: -To make art that is affordable to purchase -To make art that is affordably made, often using scraps or fall-off -To send out conscious, insightful, forward-moving energy -To help people connect in a tangible, lasting way -To stay within the old letterpress tradition of using metal type, wood type, printer's blocks and carved surfaces. Polymer plates are not used in this shop.
