Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum

Selected for the 2022 New Impressions Exhibition at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, WI, USA, this print features a rare 19th century wooden Grotesque typeface made by the Meerloo Type Foundry printed onto Zerkall cotton paper in a limited edition of 20. The message Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum (Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down) from the Handmaid’s Tale has been repeatedly overprinted using a transparent ink mix, with some characters being turned upside down to create an abstract, disorientating mass of texture. Where appropriate, and to add depth to the texture, the reverse of some characters has been used as well. The overall aim was to create an oppressive, dense structure to reflect the subject matter. To reinforce the message a solitary Handmaiden in her red cloak remains confined within her ‘prison’. Available here