Say
what you will for the modernization of printed materials, there's
still a place in the hearts of many for the traditional printing
press. Miles behind the innovations of typewriters, computers and
the dominate force that is Photoshop, standard presses pale in
comparison to today's formats. But when first created and utilized to
print bibles and important documentation, the operation of moveable
type revolutionized the world and even became an artform itself with
variations on lettering and styles. Most presses that you see in use
today are strictly for display or educational purposes... Except for
this one shop here in Utah.
--- Smart
& Wiley started up on a corner shop in Indiana by a couple of
college kids fascinated with wood and metal printing. Shortly after
graduating the two moved to Salt Lake City for dayjobs, but brought
along their presses and inks to start up a printing business,
overlooking Main Street in the heart of downtown. Since that time the
two have been featured printers at Craft Lake City and have gotten
their various creations across the city. We got a chance to chat with
the elusive duo behind the small print company, David Wolske and Lauren
Huber, about their careers and starting up S&W, the process
behind making their works, plus their thoughts on the local craft and
art scenes.
David
Wolske & Lauren Huber
http://www.smartandwiley.com/
Gavin:
Hey Lauren and David, first thing, tell us a little bit about
yourselves.
David:
By day Lauren is Marketing Coordinator for FFKR Architects, and I'm
Creative Director for the Book Arts Program at the J. Willard
Marriott Library, The University of Utah. At night and on weekends,
we are artists, graphic and product designers, and letterpress
printers. In 2010, after years of working separately, we started
Smart & Wiley as a creative outlet for designing and printing
cards, notebooks, posters, and art prints inspired by our collection
of 19th
and 20th
century wood and metal type, borders, ornaments, and printing
presses. Most of our work is letterpress printed from hand-set wood
and metal type.
Gavin:
What first got you interested in art and what were some of your
early inspirations?
Lauren:
I've been drawn to the visual since I can remember. The graphic
nature of comic strips with their combination of text, stylized
drawing, and short narrative appealed to me as a kid. I wanted to be
a cartoonist or animator growing up. I've also always had an interest
in pattern, applied art, and the process of making. Starting in
elementary school I used to camp out in the Arts & Crafts section
of my home town's public library and comb through art and craft
how-to books, taking notes and making photocopies. I've been a nerd
for a long time. Go libraries!
David:
Like many designers, my earliest inspirations were cartoons, music
packaging, book covers, and movie posters. As cheesy as it sounds, I
was also encouraged and inspired by my parents, brothers, and a few
really great teachers.
Gavin:
The two of you both attended and met at Indiana University. What
made you decide on that college and what was their program like for
you both?
Lauren:
I went through undergrad and grad school at IU. The variety of class
offerings appealed to me as an undergrad and Bloomington, Indiana is
a great town. Grad school at IU was great. Though my focus was
graphic design, I was able to take courses and interact with
students/faculty from other art disciplines, like when I went to
Japan with the Photo Dept. for a month! I also taught classes as an
assistant instructor (which paid for me to take classes) and did
freelance design work for the IU School of Fine Arts and several
artists.
David:
One of the little known secrets about the Graphic Design program at
Indiana University, Bloomington is the incredible letterpress shop
and jaw-dropping wood type collection. Having access to that kind of
facility is a rare opportunity and I chose to go to graduate school
at IU so I could take advantage of that print shop. It was an added
bonus that the Fine Arts faculty at IU Bloomington are tremendously
talented, dedicated to teaching, and good human beings.
Gavin:
When did the two of you officially meet up and eventually become
friends?
Lauren:
David was the teaching assistant for my first undergraduate
Typography class at Indiana University. We didn't talk much or hang
out until I started grad school and he was in the design department
as visiting faculty. We started dating my second year of the graduate
program.
David:
I convinced Lauren to check out Salt Lake City after she finished
graduate school, then got lucky when she agreed to marry me last
November.
Gavin:
What influenced you to open up a print shop? And what specifically
drew you to the older woodworks lettering style?
Lauren:
We both love paper, type, and design and were looking for a regular
outlet for personal creative work. We've always given each other
feedback on work and discussed ideas for new projects. David has mad
letterpress printing skills and mine are rapidly improving with every
project and D's feedback. We decided to combine forces with Smart &
Wiley. David's passion is wood type, but I tend to work more with
metal type. The scale and detail appeal to me and the type forms are
really beautiful when locked up on press. We both love vintage
ephemera like posters, calling cards, advertisements, packaging, and
antique printing specimen books from about.
David:
My first exposure to letterpress printing and wood type was in
Indianapolis at an exhibit of posters and prints from Jim Sherraden
and Hatch Show Print. The colors, textures, and scale of the prints
created a visceral experience that was lacking in my work as a web
designer. I made up my mind that night to go to graduate school and
become a letterpress artist.
Gavin:
After you were both finished with college, what brought on the
decision to move to Utah? And what was the change like for you
both?
David:
Right after graduate school I taught Graphic Design for a couple of
years at Indiana University. Then I moved to Chicago and did
freelance commercial design while teaching letterpress printing at
Columbia College Chicago's Center for Book and Paper Arts. While in
Chicago, I happened to see a job opening posted at the Book Arts
Program. The job description—they needed a designer who could also
letterpress print—was pretty much tailor made for me so I applied
and crossed my fingers. From the moment I set foot in Salt Lake City
and saw the incredible Book Arts Studio, I pretty much knew this was
the place for me.
Lauren:
After finishing school, I moved to Utah to be with David. The pace of
life in Utah seems pretty similar to my experience in Indiana and
it's pretty easy to get around, so that aspect hasn't been much of an
adjustment. Many of the changes have been good... SLC is much
bike-friendlier than most places in Indiana, more public
transportation options, supportive arts scene, and mountains!
Gavin:
When setting up the new studio in town, how did you come across the
space above Sam Weller's? And where the did the name Smart &
Wiley come from?
David:
A few months after moving to SLC, I participated in a papermaking
workshop hosted by Rob and Georgia Buchert, proprietors of Tryst
Press, in Provo. One of the other participants in the workshop was
Ethan Ensign who runs Scrub Oak Bindery. Ethan was looking for
someone to share his book binding and book repair studio above Sam
Weller's so I paid him a visit. He had done an amazing job renovating
the space and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work above a
bookstore and a coffee shop.
Lauren:
It was a conscious decision not to include the word "press"
in our name. Smart & Wiley is the street intersection where
David's first letterpress shop was located in Indianapolis. It's a
little ambiguous and cheeky and seemed like a very appropriate name
for our studio.
Gavin:
What's the process that goes into creating your works, from initial
concept to final press?
Lauren:
Once we have an idea, we sketch out possibilities and start defining
the parameters that will dictate how the final printed piece will
look. We choose paper based on texture, color (we use a lot of
colored papers), and the size limitations of our presses. We spend
time looking through our fonts and blocks, perusing color swatches.
After selecting typefaces and mixing ink, we set the type one letter
block at a time. One color of ink is added to the press, then each
piece of paper in the edition goes through the press once for each
color. For example, if a design has six colors, each print (every
piece of paper) goes through the press six times.
Gavin:
Considering the traditional fashion everything you do is printed in,
how difficult is it to get the process correct, and how much of it
becomes trial and error?
David:
The experimental part of what we do is not that much different from
any other artist. We'll always struggle with getting just the right
color and creating a balanced composition. Setting type by hand and
printing one color at a time definitely requires patience, but we
love being able to slow down and think through the process of making
an idea tangible. The challenges we encounter are often due to the
age of our wood blocks and the fact that if a press stops working, we
can't just search the internet or make a phone call to find someone
to come fix it; we have to be our own press mechanics.
Gavin:
You officially made you big debut over the summer at Craft Lake
City. What was that event like for you, and what did you think of the
other designers and artists involved?
Lauren:
I think it was a really great event and there was a nice variety of
art and craft represented. The weather and turnout were excellent.
We're hoping to participate again this year.
David:
I agree—I was seriously impressed by the level of organization, the
quality of the vendors and performers, and pleasantly surprised with
the crowds.
Gavin:
What was the public response like to the works you had on display,
and were there any odd requests that came your way for work?
Lauren:
Overall, we got a good response to our booth and the work. I can't
think of any particularly odd requests.
David:
Nothing really odd, though I did get a couple of requests for a print
in a different size, or in a different color. These are common and
innocent questions. Once I explain that our time and labor intensive
process is basically the same as that used by Gutenberg in the 15th
Century, people seem to understand that we don't have different
colors or sizes hiding in the back room. Because we don't use much
representational imagery—our work tends toward the literary and
abstract—I'm always a little nervous about how people will respond
to what we make. I was thrilled that most of the Craft Lake City
visitors responded very enthusiastically. We decorated our booth with
some vintage wood and metal type in an effort to give everything
context, but we still had people that (understandably) didn't realize
that our work is not printed on a desktop printer attached to a
computer.
Gavin:
Do you have any plans to expand beyond what you're doing now, or are
you good with what you've got going on?
Lauren:
I'd like to be making more work and documenting it better. It's
definitely a challenge to work full time and run a print studio with
a Web presence on the side.
David:
We definitely have plans for world domination, but we're pacing
ourselves.
Gavin:
Going a bit local, what's your take on our local craft scene, both
good and bad?
Lauren:
It seems like there are an increasing number of opportunities to show
and sell work in and around SLC. The community is very
supportive.
David:
The culture in this city is infused with a strong DIY ethic. There
are so many talented and genuinely supportive locals making great
art, crafts, music, prose, and poetry. As far as I'm concerned SLC is
the place to be.
Gavin:
Is there anything you believe could be done to make it more
prominent?
Lauren:
Individuals taking advantage of the Web to get the word out and share
images of their work with a wider audience can't hurt.
David:
I believe that if we all keep at it—making great work—supporting
each other's successes, the audience will find us.
Gavin:
Who are some other print artists and crafters you believe people
should be checking out?
Lauren:
I love Marian Bantjes. Though not necessarily a print artist or
crafter, I like how Hella Jongerius
experiments with materials and deconstructs traditional craft
materials and processes to create contemporary design products.
Locally, I enjoy work I've seen from Ryan Perkins, Whitney Shaw, and
Mary Toscano, to name a few.
David:
I can't speak highly enough about Laura Decker, Shidasha Holmstead,
Mike Marcinek, Marnie Powers-Torrey, Claire Taylor, Becky Thomas,
Emily Tipps, and Mary Toscano, my coworkers at the Book Arts Program.
I dare someone to find a more talented bunch of people in one place.
I'm also a big fan of locals Trent Call, Spencer Charles, Dan
Christofferson, Stefanie Dykes, David Habben, Stephanie Leitch, Ryan
Perkins, Whitney Shaw, and Sri Whipple. Outside of SLC, Xavier Antin
(London), Jeff Canham (San Francisco), Sonnenzimmer (Chicago), Barb
Tetenbaum (Portland), and Martin Venezky (San Francisco) blow my mind
and make me want to work harder.
Gavin:
While we're kinda on the topic, what are you thoughts on the local
art scene and the work coming out of it at the moment?
Lauren:
I was pleasantly surprised with the local art scene when I moved to
Salt Lake. The artists here seem to be very supportive of each other
and the scene isn't really competitive as it tends to be in other
cities. I'm amazed at the number of artists here that can really
draw.
David:
The local art scene is so strong. I'm impressed and inspired every
time we do Gallery Stroll.
Gavin:
What can we expect from you both, and Smart & Wiley over the
rest of the year?
David:
You can expect Smart & Wiley to put more good into the world in
2011.
Lauren:
We're collaborating on a print show at Alchemy Coffee this June and
will be participating in the Alt Press Fest at City Library this
summer. We're hoping to have a lot of new products in time for this
year's Craft Lake City, including plenty of paper goods and a few
home goods.
Gavin:
Aside the obvious, is there anything you'd like to promote or
plug?
Lauren:
I'm plugging David's awesome blog. He's
spent over a year documenting our type collection and sharing it on a
daily basis.
David:
Come take a class or workshop at the Book Arts Program, you won't
regret it.
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