The young London artist James Cook creates images with old, mechanical typewriters by arranging the letters and symbols in such a way that a motif is created at the end. The 25-year-old, who now owns more than 20 typewriters, takes four to five days to create an A4 page-sized piece of art.
Since 2014 – at that time he “painted” his first picture with a typewriter – he types his artworks. “I couldn’t draw faces before doing typewriter art. I think I can draw people better with a typewriter than with a pencil,” Cook says. It’s somehow satisfying to have such a small palette of symbols available. He throws the letters, the numbers, the commas together to get a picture.
“When I type, I use certain letters. If it is a portrait, ie a face, then you want to use something round for the students, for example brackets. When it comes to a shade, I mimic skin texture. Then I use the @ symbol because it has a lot of space and you can mix it with bigger symbols,” the 25-year-old Briton tells AFP. But he can’t work on his photos at home – it’s way too loud. hear all the time.
Receives many typewriters as gifts
He bought only three of the twenty typewriters. The remaining copies were given to him by people who saw his work online or in newspapers, Cook said. He often gets an email from them. Then someone says he has a typewriter, but he doesn’t know what to do with it. People then write: “If we give her to you, she will get a second life”.
If possible, he works as often as possible in the fresh air. “Sometimes people get confused because they think I’m writing a letter. Then they get closer, and sometimes the images spark a conversation,” Cook says.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
