Courtesy of the artistVirginia Green & Mervi Pakaste
"Typographic Visions"
Jan. 27–March 4, 2021
Exhibition statement:
During this time of an onslaught of screens, we wish to offer people an opportunity
for quiet exploration
and discovery of typography and its possibilities for expression. Typography is one
of the main components of visual communication, carrying within it a long history
and tradition. Our work explores the tactile and historical assets of type in contemporary
fashion. The juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary helps us create visual
intrigue that is difficult to achieve through digital media. We aim to create visual
dialogue through the versatile use of typography and the materials. Part of the magic
is the tactile experience we go through during the printing and binding processes.
The physicality that is involved in setting type, operating a press, or binding a
book creates a bond between the work and the maker, which is then, in turn, passed
on to the viewer. For viewers, this exhibition is an occasion to experience typography
in a different fashion.
About the artists:
Virginia Green was born in Staten Island, New York, and raised in Pennsylvania. She eventually migrated to Texas, where she earned her BFA at The University of Texas at Arlington and her MFA at the University of North Texas, both degrees in the area of Communication Design. Green joined the Baylor art faculty in 2006 to teach Graphic Design. In addition, she is the principal and creative director for VGreen Design, a freelance design studio, and BlackHare Studio, a letterpress, artist book and fine art studio. Her creative passions include typography and letterpress printing, a medium that allows for custom graphic design, fine art print editions and artist books.
Born and raised in Finland, Mervi Pakaste now works as an associate professor at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Pakaste earned her bachelor’s degree at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, after which she moved back to Finland work in design. Eventually, she decided to pursue her master’s degree and graduated from Penn State in 2004. Pakaste brings a multicultural perspective into her work, and she has lectured and exhibited both nationally and internationally. Pakaste truly enjoys challenges that multicultural environments present for designers, and her work is heavily influenced by cultural differences and divergences. Pakaste works in letterpress and book arts.