What will emerge

©2020 Barry Smith - Micro poster (post card size) - blue ink on black Arches Velin

Fiona, her dad (G) and I have been having a few yarns lately about what our world might look like when we emerge from the pandemic - however long that takes.

Fiona has ferreted out articles that have helped us to think a bit about questions like: what do we want to keep from this time of pandemic; and what do we want to see removed?

I have been particularly taken by Rebecca Solnit's article in the The Guardian on 7 April 2020 (The impossible has already happened: what coronavirus can teach us about hope).

I have printed a micro poster (really a post card on its vertical axis) with a quote from the article.

I was printing with a strong blue - it looks good on the grey; but Fiona suggested we try the black as well - looks gorgeous - almost shines.

A few process images follow.

©2020 Barry Smith - Locking up the type - attribution to Solnit yet to be added

©2020 Barry Smith - Many proofs - trying to get the ink and damaged type to work

©2020 Barry Smith - Blue on grey - not looking too bad

©2020 Barry Smith - Rack of micro posters drying - F has added the Deckled Edge Press chop 

We had a few issues with the printing  - it turned out that the tray of old font I was using (Plackard bold condensed 30pt) had quite a few letters that had been damaged and were printing a bit patchy; and the white ink I was using as a base for the blue was very dry and therefore was not taking up and transferring as well as I would like. That of course is part of the process - always learning.

I think Solnit's words challenge us to begin the process of thinking about: what is important to us; and to begin to take action now to see if we can encourage our politicians, community and business folk to hold on to some of the good things that have emerged in this time.

©2020 Barry Smith