Mercury — from the Planetary Series (A Contemporary Codex)

This letterpress print is part of my Planetary Series, a suite conceived as a contemporary codex of our solar system. Drawing on NASA photography and the visual language of mid-century science texts, the series reinterprets planetary bodies through the lens of traditional letterpress printing.

The Mercury print is a fourteen-pass letterpress work, printed on a mid-century Vandercook press from my original illustration. Each impression is produced on 100% cotton Cranes Lettra in layered tones of grey, brown, silver, and black soy ink. The composition includes a planetary scale reference, situating Mercury within the solar system.

While available individually, this print is also one of the works collected in the Planetary Series boxed set.

Each impression carries the tactile presence, depth, and subtle variation that are intrinsic to fine letterpress printing, underscoring the codex-like quality of the series—an assemblage of singular yet interrelated works.

Details

• Paper size: 12 × 16 inches

• Image size: approximately 9 × 12 inches

• Ships flat, carefully packaged for protection

All artwork and images © Modern Optic / Wavelength Press.