Turntable Tuesday :: Milan Loves Trendy

HIGH TECH IN MILAN

If you’re in Milan, and have an hour to spend, High Tech may be your type of space. It’s an all go to mash up concept store which has samples of the latest trends in stationery to post modern furniture design.

Writing, Design On Your Desk

This is a late post, at least relative to when the event actually occured. Nevertheless for those of you in Milan area next year in May, WRITING, DESIGN ON YOUR DESK  is free and worth a visit. This was a 1st. ed. stationery fair in Milan for paper designer enthusiasts held this year last May. There were print demonstrations, paper “rendering” workshops, booths by small and large studios and inspirational talks about concepting, bookbinding, print in todays marketplace and letterpress as a viable medium in the design arena.

FONTEGRAFICA (upper-top and bottom images) designs for artist gallery shows

THYPE Turin based Cultural Association (center-most image)

 participants final work at their paper rendering workshop 

Rob Roy Kelly /// All American

ATX is where I spent my Christmas holiday with old&new friends and family. Another important point to my visit was to listen to some fine live music, which Austin and Gruene are popular for, and get in touch with some of Austin’s letterpress community. Wow, I think I hit the jack pot! One of the great visits I made was to the Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection. Thanks Laura for that:)

It’s pretty amazing to think that only in Texas can you find a trove of comprehensive all American wood type manufactured in the 19th c. The coolest part of this visit, I think, was the private tour given by David Shields associate prof. of the design devision at University of Texas. Another clever endeavor done by the department was to even classify different modes of planing wood by the different early manufactures of wood type like J G Cooley, American Wood Type Co. and Hamilton Holly Wood Type Co.

New American Wood Type_Virgin Wood Type

I also learnt of two gentleman who are keeping the craft alive by producing new American wood type. At Moore Wood Type specialized equipment has been produced to be able to use the finest of maple wood for cutting. Then there’s Virgin Wood Type out of the New York area who purchased crates full of goodies when American Wood Type Co. went out of business in 2001. They are on the exciting pursuit to sort and put names to type bought with the help of the American Wood Type catalog put together by none other Rob Roy Kelly.

Italian Style (Stile Italiano) Letterpress Studio

Alessandro Zanella’s very cool studio.

This post is long overdue by the way. In early spring I was invited for an informal gathering in a little village called Santa Lucia ai Monti in the province of Verona, Italy. Alessandro Zanella lives and works here from his studio, and is an interesting figure known for his 1854 Stanhope handpress which he prints limited ed. books from.

So, before the relatively small group of 30 interested headed off to lunch in a nearby risto, we had the chance to check out his studio and have an apèritif (my one clearly demonstrated in the photo above). Having started my own printing lab at home, I love looking at other people’s workspace and what makes them tick. I also marvel at the massive organization a printer should have which, I think, reflects on the work they produce.