Overview

MFA, Visual Communication, Kansas State University, 2008
BFA, Graphic Design, Wichita State University,1990

A life-long Kansan, Jeff Pulaski was born and raised in Newton, Kansas. He was educated in Kansas and currently serves a professor of graphic design and director of the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries. In addition to his teaching and administrative duties, he is an active letterpress printer, lecturer and collector. He has presented internationally at various conferences including CAA in Chicago; SOTA in Los Angeles; the International Conference on Typography & Visual Communication in Nicosia, Cyprus; the British Printing History Association in Birmingham, England; the International Conference on Design Principles and Practices in Rome, Italy; and ATypi in Dublin, Ireland. His letterpress collection weighs in at more than ten tons and includes various platen and cylinder presses, a Prouty Power Press newspaper press, a small iron press, a Model 31 Linotype, a Ludlow caster and a large assortment of metal and wooden type.

Artist Statement:
My work utilizes wood and metal type and is created with letterpress printing presses. Letterpress is a form of relief printing and was used commercially from the early 1800s through the 1970s. I enjoy the tactile nature of letterpress. Each element and letter in the design has to be picked up and placed on the press by hand. Each color is printed individually, so you create the image slowly, building it with color as you print. You are limited by the number of characters, fonts and sizes that you physically have on hand. Some of the letters have been heavily used and the scars of their use show up in your design. This is a far different way to create work than the often-instantaneous nature of the computer.

Information

Areas of Research Interest

Artist Statement:
My work utilizes wood and metal type and is created with letterpress printing presses. Letterpress is a form of relief printing and was used commercially from the early 1800s through the 1970s. I enjoy the tactile nature of letterpress. Each element and letter in the design has to be picked up and placed on the press by hand. Each color is printed individually, so you create the image slowly, building it with color as you print. You are limited by the number of characters, fonts and sizes that you physically have on hand. Some of the letters have been heavily used and the scars of their use show up in your design. This is a far different way to create work than the often-instantaneous nature of the computer.