Biography

We live in a world dominated by technology where typewriters are becoming more and more of a fashion statement rather than a means of communication. Generations of typewriter fanatics are fading with the future of these icon machines looking bleak, we look for instant communication in a fast paced environment.

I studied printmaking at Grays School of Art and became obsessed with typewriters. After getting my hands on my first typewriter I loved the simplicity of hitting the keys rather than sitting staring at the word count on the computer screen. I loved the romance of using the typewriter, you had to sit and think before you mindless typed as you simply can’t delete the ink imprinted on the page. I wanted to take the typewriter and incorporate it as a tool in my creative practice. I started to experiment with different keys building them up to create different textures. I then applied this to my studio practise which at the time focused on costal erosion and the geology behind the Shetland landscape. The land has worn away over time leaving the cliffs scared with craters and fractures. This scarification can translate within my work through the imprints made by the typewriter

I created a body of abstract works representing the different textures and formations left behind on the cliffs edge from the harsh weather conditions around the Island. If you look closely you can see the individual marks I’ve used to type the image. I use a mixture of letters and characters to build up my images; each one completely individual and unique even if replicated as it’s impossible to make two images identical. This is what I love about typewriters, the imperfections, the slight misprints of the keys and the mistakes left along the way. I can only type for a few hours at a time as it’s very strenuous on my hands; I wear a protective leather glove to protect my hand from friction burns from the typewriter barrel.  As the keys are struck simultaneously, they leave profound marks creating a beautiful rhythm within the work. Drawing with the typewriter in this way has been a discovery, using a tool designed for linear, uniformed structures as opposed to expression.

Even the typewriter has its irregularities. However, after working so closely with the typewriter I am engrossed in its quirky charm, the crooked lines, the embossing of the letters pressed into the paper and the inconsistent impressions the ink leaves behind. The work flows when your typing it and I get a great deal of satisfaction when people see my work and are in disbelieve it’s been ‘drawn’ with a typewriter.

All the typewriters used in my practice are sourced from second hand shops or kindly donated by friends and family. Most of the typewriters are sourced from the Islands where I grew up. I enjoy the satisfaction of taking a machine that was used to communicate in the Islands and reinvigorate its function and in a contemporary manner.