This is one of two articles about this exhibit. Read the other one here. 

You Are Here is a large scale installation resembling a giant landscape of buildings and natural elements designed and printed by Jennifer Farrell of Starshaped Press, Hamilton’s Visiting Artist 2019–2022.

You Are Here was printed over six days at the Museum. It utilizes various sizes of large wood type, set and printed in overlapping layers before trimming and assembling into repeating patterns. Some of the smaller elements were printed in the same manner at the studio. Effort was made to showcase the unique and detailed qualities of each letterform, reexamining its day-to-day task of straightforward communication.

Printers were invited to add their voices to the installation by completing one of the prompts provided by Jennifer.

• To me, print is:
• I can create when:
• I worry about:
• I make space for:
• I can heal by:
• I contribute to printing by:
• I am comforted by:
• Making prints:
• Working with my hands:
• My community is:
• I can build:
• ___________makes me feel safe.
• ___________brings me joy.
• ___________is home to me.

More than 250 people responded to the exhibit prompts, contributing their responses to Jennifer to be printed and placed as ‘windows’ within the buildings within the installation’s landscape.

Visitors to the installed exhibit were also encouraged to participate by using Post-its to add their hand-written responses to the landscape.

In an echo of the project’s focus on letterpress printing, some shapes in the installation evoke printing elements such as pointers and dividers.

The installation exhibit You Are Here offers viewers a chance to reflect on the power of print, and the sense of place it inspires.