DIMITRI RUNKKARI
Brussels, Belgium
Artist Biography Hurt the eyes . minimalist . dots & lines . analog . black & white . vlek . records It used to be that short‚ and still is. But, I would like to go a bit further. To get my hands dirty. To have something in mind and ending with something, slightly or a lot, different. To create grain - texture you can‚ get on a display or with offset/digital printing. To spend hours bend on the press setting up lead types, wood types or brass rules. To feel free and to be in your comfort zone until you go out of it‚ this non-exhaustive list is part of why I feel good with letterpress. Even if. Letters‚Text... That's not what I'm best with. On the other hand, it didn't make sense to me to submit a completely abstract artwork. This is for the Hamilton Wood Type contest, and the word "type" sounded very important to me for the selection of the proposed prints. I've decided to submit three projects that aren't related to each other, but where the use of text is central. Prints where I use fonts/wood letters, even if it's in an experimental form.
Description of Process You need to step back (3 or 4 steps) to properly get it :) I love patterns; I like to find new material to print out and to use on the press (check "HOST" for instance). While I was spending time on the World Wide Web, I saw an art installation made of loose ball bearings. I thought I could use that as a new material to print out. The first idea was to get patterns out of it. Then I realised that if I could arrange them the less random possible (its a challenge with 20K balls) it could be the starting point to create a two tone image in one print run. I aligned them the most I could, taped them on a wood panel and mounted it on the press bed. I had to modify the press and I somehow managed to print a two tone image (here, a text) with the same balls bearing (they all are 1/8"). This is far from perfect and not super readable from close, but I was surprised it worked.
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