2024 retro: Copper Monday Prints

2024 was the second year of making so-called Koppermaandag-prints. Two even. One for the printmaking studio, one under my own name.

These ‘Copper Monday prints’ originate from the time of the (Dutch?) guilds. At the start of the new year, printers and engravers made a print to show off their capabilities and promote their wares. A happy new year wishing card and business gift in one.

Out with the in, new with the old

The one for Grafisch Atelier Hilversum. The text is a reordering of ‘out with the old, in with the new.’ Meaning: don’t be distracted with the trend of the day, but make the new yourself, within the rich tradition of printmaking.

Hol’m aan de geng

Loosely translated as ‘keep (it) going’. Printmakers saw ink-rollers of a printing press. Keep printing. That should definetely happen, but the image is based on another idea. It’s through intensive treatment that my father’s cancer is kept under control. But for how long? That question keeps playing up at every check on go/no go for the next treatment. ‘Keep going’ has become our standard greeting. The circles visualize a heartbeat. Twelve times for each month of the year. The hope, wish and encouragement to at least keep it going for this year. (Mission accomplished).

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A thought, made tangible

Main starting point for these prints is that I’ll use my own text. What is the message? What’s my wish for the receiver? How to express that? Concisely? Which design supports best that? Technically, both were early experiments in using more or less transparent inks. All in all a complete exercise in writing and design, setting and printing. A thought, made tangible.

Koppermaandag 2025

I’ll be making two for the upcoming year as well. The second one is for Stichting Drukwerk in de Marge, the dutch foundation for letterpress and other printmakers, celebrating its 50th birthday next year. Process notes on that one are here, here and here. All to be revealed on January 13th.