The Press: A Selection of Poems

The Press is a selection of poems written by DASH artist, kruse. Inspired by the DASH printing day at IKON Birmingham on April 13th, they written from the perspective of the printing press.

"I have taken the five Intaglio printing processes as a framework for the poems. Within each poem I have loosely worked to how the printing process uses white space. For instance, the first, Mezzotint, goes from dark to light, Aquatint from light to dark.

I am also interested how we use machines, how people become part of the machines they use. I was very interested in Hannah's relationship with the press, how her work and care is integral to the machine's ongoing usefulness. In Engraving, or A Dream, I wonder (wickedly) about the press's relationship to her.

The final work Drypoint is a love letter to those who work without recognition, the unseen people, like cleaners. (I have a lot of love for cleaners)." kruse

The poems are available to download as a pdf: