J. Ben Lieberman Lecture

October 2, 2020, 1 p.m. EDT
Video will be accessible on YouTube. Details forthcoming.
The City Is My Religion: A Typographic Memoir
Jennifer Farrell, Proprietor of Starshaped Press 

In this talk, Farrell will discuss the intersections between her 21 years at the helm of Starshaped Press, the history of Chicago, and contemporary experiences of life in an urban environment. This has influenced her latest work, “The City Is My Religion: A Typographic Memoir.” 

The project features ten prints crafted from metal type and ornaments that cover the themes of printing, women, labor, music, neighborhoods, architecture, motherhood, and perseverance. Farrell, as celebrant, documents a story in image and anecdote within each print, while featuring a grouping of typefaces based on their relationship to the material and connection to the city. This exploration redefines a type specimen that is representative of a modern private press collection.

The presentation will conclude with a Q and A led by designer and letterpress printer, Ben Blount. 

Jennifer Farrell

Since 1999, Jennifer Farrell has operated Starshaped Press in Chicago, with a focus on designing & printing everything from business cards to posters, as well as custom commissions, wholesale ephemera and limited edition prints & books. All work in the studio is created with metal and wood type, making Starshaped one of the few presses in the country producing commercial work while preserving antique type and related print materials. Jennifer’s work has been repeatedly recognized in books, magazines and design blogs, and has appeared in shows throughout the USA and Europe.

Ben Blount

Ben Blount  is a Detroit-born graphic designer and letterpress printer. His work often explores questions of race and identity and the stories we tell ourselves about living in America. A believer in the power of the printed word, Ben used wood and metal type to create books and prints that have an impact beyond the printed page. He learned a lot about design at Washington University in St. Louis, a lot about printing at Columbia College Chicago, and filled in the gaps with mentors and lots of practice. He prints out of MAKE, his storefront studio in Evanston, IL.

Zoom conferencing access was provided by the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection.