Letterpress as a Sustainable medium of Visual Communication
By Bidisha Biswas
In the world of communication, (now) dictated by a digital forefront, this project explores a medium, which is tangible and classic, which may be outdated, but can never get obsolete, the medium which is the pioneer for mass communication, the medium which gave us Graphic design as we know it today : Letterpress. This MA Artistic research looks into a conceptual exploration of how Sustainable Design principles apply to Letterpress printing and an applied investigation of Letterpress practice as a contemporary craft which produces outcomes which are Sustainable in nature. The result is produced in forms of collaborative and independent Letterpress printed posters, which compiles into the Letterpress Manifesto of 2021 and the Typeshop Workbook, which is a planning tool to aid the pre and post production in Letterpress printing.
Bidisha
Bidisha Biswas is a designer and artist from India, with special focus on Typography. She has developed Typefaces in Indic and Latin scripts, and uses calligraphy and movable Type-setting for establishing digital Type functionalities. She has been working with the historical craft of Letterpress printing since 2018 and exploring the relevance of Letterpress and print graphic to suit contemporary Visual design requirements. Her work is guided by a strong belief in design as a tool to create long lasting, meaningful experiences, which is grounded in heritage, yet futuristic in approach.
She holds a Bachelor in Design degree from National Institute of Design, India and an MA in Visual Communication Design from Faculty of Fine art, Music and Design at the University of Bergen.
