Ingrid Ankerson
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Artist Biography Ingrid Ankerson is a writer, graphic designer, and educator living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has a master’s degree in Creative Writing and Publication Design from the University of Baltimore where, in 2000, she met her first Vandercook. It was at least another ten years before she’d see another one. She hopes maybe someday one (and by one, she means #4) will find her.
Description of Process In the summer of 2017 I took a two week letterpress workshop at Penland School of Crafts with Lynda Sherman (Bremelo Press) titled “Text and Image.” As a graphic designer with no training and very little skill in drawing, I rely heavily on using text as image. Amongst all the talented artists at Penland, I joked that I was only ever good at drawing cubes. Going into this workshop, I wanted to experiment with using type to create shape, shadow, and texture in ways I’ve seen typewriter artists do with the constraint of one color and monospaced letterforms. It made sense I start with the one thing I know how to draw. After a few failed attempts at setting the type with a composing stick, I realized I could get proper spacing and alignment by setting it directly in a galley tray from top to bottom (then left to right) and using leading vertically instead of horizontally. I made this print with a flip turn and every single print-making god smiling down on me. Somehow I got this dang thing right the very first time.
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@ingrid_ankerson