text/gallery

About

text/gallery curates collaborative projects inspired by the printed and written word. we are interested in the space between text and the visual arts: using typography, languages, libraries and archives as a catalyst for creative practice.

text/gallery is an idea of
curator Rebecca Pohancenik

Enquiries should be directed
to press [at] textgallery [dot] info

If you would like to keep informed
about future events, send a blank email
to update [at] textgallery [dot] info

ImaginaryMenagerie

20 OCTOBER –
19 NOVEMBER 2011

44 EMERALD STREET
LONDON WC1N 3LH

About the exhibition

Located in a new gallery just off Lambs' Conduit Street in Bloomsbury, Imaginary Menagerie features new work from leading and emerging designers and studios in the UK and internationally.

19 designers were given an open brief to explore language's difficult, tongue-tripping, unpronounceable labyrinths typographically and in their own language. Drawing from Italian, Spanish, English, Russian and Chinese, these works take on a variety of forms: from letterpress and silkscreen prints, to light-based artworks and sculpture.

Participating designers

Barnbrook Design (UK) / Nod Young (China) / Polina Pakhomova (UK / Russia) / Sabine Bockting (Netherlands) / Happycentro (Italy) / Morag Myerscough (UK) / Graham Bignell (UK) / Liza Ramalho / Artur Reblo (Portugal) / Astrid Stavro (Spain) / Mat Dolphin (UK) / Company (UK) / Atelier Dreibholz (UK / Austria) / Catherine Dixon (UK) / Andreas Pohancenik (UK / Austria) / Ryan Dixon (UK) / Cartlidge Levene (UK) / Jim Sutherland (UK) / Hand & Eye Letterpress / Mary Plunkett (UK / Ireland)

Opening times

Opening times:
Tuesday–Saturday 11am–6pm
or by appointment

The designs are available for purchase
at the gallery and online.

Happycentro (IT)

Sator Square
Latin-based palindrome reads
the same in all directions

Screenprinted type on 5 glass layers
stacked, on wooden plinth
395 x 395 mm

£2,000

Happycentro also made this video for their piece:

Graham Bignell &
Beatrice Bless (UK)

Mikado

Drawn from the complicated libretto of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera.

Letter press limited editon 20

£150,- (unframed)

Mary Plunkett / Hand & Eye
Letterpress (UK / IE)

Red Leather Yellow Leather

New take on two old English twisters.

Letter press limited edition of 20
A2

£195,- (framed)
£125,- (unframed)

Mary Plunkett / Hand & Eye Letterpress (UK / IE)

Tooting Too
New take on two old English twisters.

letter press limited edition of 20
A2

£195,- (framed)
£125,- (unframed)

Polina Pakhomova (UK / RU)

Promises

Taken from a Russian tongue twister about unrealised promises, this piece involves
applying handwritten texts to transparent paper, stacked and photocopied until
illegible.

Giclee print mounted
A1

£ 265,- (mounted)
£60,- (unmounted)

Barnbrook Design (UK)

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

Graphical representation of the word
for fear of the number 666.

Giclee print limited edition 10
A2

£ 140,- (unframed)
£185,- (framed)

Jim Sutherland (UK)

Parastrationspehcomyiastratiosphecomyioides

Inspired by a long word for a small insect.

LED tube light with vinyl text
See the video here

£400,-

Sabine Bockting (NL / DE)

OPI / UM
From a German tongue twister that plays on the words for Opi (grandfather) and opium.

Screenprint in layers
edition of 5
700 x 1000 mm

£490,- (framed)

Nod Young (CN)

Illusion & Doubt

From a Chinese tongue twister that translates roughly as illusion, doubt.

Giclee print
A1

£125,- (unframed)
£185.- (framed)

Brian Webb (UK)

Cross Crossings Cautiously
Based on an American railway warning.

Digital print / letter press
A2

£75,- (unframed)

Brian Webb (UK)

Cross Crossings Cautiously
Based on an American railway warning.

Collage / letterpress

500 x 350 mm

£125,- (unframed)

Liza Ramalho & Artur Rebelo (PT)

The Time Asked Time
A Portuguese phrase about the passing of time ref lected in the repetition of words.

3-D printed letters
700 x 1000 mm

£5,800,-

Morag Myerscough Where She Shines Neon Installation

Morag Myerscough (UK)

Where She Shines
...and where she sits.

Neon installation
1650 x 1778 mm

P.O.R.

Astrid Stavro (ES)

Dime Cuantos
A Spanish twister about the telling of stories.

Signed limited edition of 5 originals
foilblocked in front Spanish, backcover with foilblocked English translation.
170 x 240 mm

£ 80,- each

Andreas Pohancenik / Practice + Theory Cosmic Comets NASA Space blanket

Andreas Pohancenik (UK/AUT)

Cosmic Comets

Screenprinted on NASA space blanket
edition of 29
A1

£275,- (box framed)
£65.- (unframed)

Mat Dolphin (UK)

Kubrick's Cock

Original screenprint
A2

£345,- (framed)

Ryan Dixon (UK)

Pistols Packing Punks
Inspired by a phrase coined bz American news anchorman Irv Weinstein, known for his colourful delivery.

Screenprint in 3 fluorescent colours,
edition of 30
A2

£200,- (framed)
£65,- (unframed)

Atelier Dreibholz (UK/AUT)

Shut up the Shutters
Inspired by the recent lootings,
and Sean Connery.

Vinyl lettering and 4 colour A6 postcard
1800 x 1220 mm

N.F.S.

Catherine Dixon (UK)

I Need Not Your Needles
Based on a traditional twister

Digital print
A1

N.F.S.

Company (UK)

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia Inspired by an understandable fear
of long words.

letter press paper prints

N.F.S.

Cartlidge Levene (UK)

Five Palindromes
Never odd or Even; So many Dynamos,
Too hot to hoot; Live not on Evil;

Party boobytrap

Palindromes are phrases of words which read the same backwards as they do forwards.

Moibus strips in 540gsm GF Smith Colourplan card
Laser cut by Capital Models

N.F.S.

With thanks to:
GFSmith
Capital Models