We're delighted to have recently been commissioned by Mr Smith's Letterpress Workshop (www.smithsrules.com) to design two pieces of furniture to be used at his upcoming pop up printing exhibitions.
Mr Smith is a polymath - a craftsman, designer, typographer, printmaker, wordsmith and maker who creates exquisitely crafted contemporary typographic printed matter using a collection of English traditional wood and metal types in his Letterpress workshop in South London.
Mr Smith in his Letterpress Workshop
The brief was to design two solid cabinets, to house all the printing equipment and tools, that he can load easily onto his van and take to pop up exhibitions.
The first cabinet is a 'random' or 'case rack' which will house all the upper and lower case racks. Behind the drawers will be an open area where his prints and proofs can dry by hanging freely on a hanging ball mechanism.
Upper and lower case racks
The second cabinet is the 'stone' or 'composing surface' a cupboard, on top of which lies the incredibly heavy steel Galley Press, where Mr Smith can work.
Underneath there will be a pull out drawer, with either a metal or glass top which acts
as a third worktop, where tools and equipment will be stored.
A Galley Press
Portability and ergonomics are essential factors to consider, and of course the aesthetic, and Tim is still in discussions about the final design. The cabinets will be made out of different sized oak panels crudely nailed together and sitting on industrial casters.
Mr Smith's next pop up exhibition will be at the Royal Academy in March 2014, watch this space to see the finished product.