The Printer’s Tray
“Objects are emotional and intellectual companions that anchor memory, sustain relationships and provoke new ideas.”
– Sherry Turkle
Within my practice, I focus on the stories, relationships and memories that an object can provide. In particular, my Grandfather’s printer’s tray from his working days (since the late 1940’s) as a typesetter in Narberth, Pembrokeshire. At home, his printer’s tray has been well looked after and recently encouraged me to converse with my Grandfather about his life and work.
Heavily inspired by these conversations, my practice has come to represent a personal discovery of our lives as printers and also symbolizes the close relationship between us.
I have used a variety of print techniques to create my final compositions including etching, screen-printing, collagraph, woodblock and embossing. I use each method to depict a personal story, memory, interest or discovery between my Grandfather and myself. The compositions are also informed by the formulaic structure and grid format of the rectangular spaces within the printer’s tray.
Through this process of collaboration with my Grandfather, I am celebrating the importance of family and how discovering memories and information from the past informs our future.
