About the Machine
Originally a 1990s sticker, sports card, and temporary tattoo vending machine, this piece was restored and transformed into a bright yellow art dispenser. Its new life turns an everyday nostalgic object into a playful distribution system for small prints and multiples.
Originally a 1990s sticker, sports card, and temporary tattoo vending machine, this piece was restored and transformed into a bright yellow art dispenser. Its new life turns an everyday nostalgic object into a playful distribution system for small prints and multiples.
Prints
The first edition stocked in the machine featured twelve designs reworked from my 100 Lit Matchbooks project. Each was printed via Risograph in scarlet and cornflower blue on French Paper’s Kraft-Tone Standard White Kraft cardstock. A second edition showcased my Block Pop typeface revival, also Risograph printed in scarlet, cornflower blue, and sunflower yellow. Both sets were intentionally unnumbered and unsigned — designed as consumable, affordable prints that put art directly into people’s hands.
The first edition stocked in the machine featured twelve designs reworked from my 100 Lit Matchbooks project. Each was printed via Risograph in scarlet and cornflower blue on French Paper’s Kraft-Tone Standard White Kraft cardstock. A second edition showcased my Block Pop typeface revival, also Risograph printed in scarlet, cornflower blue, and sunflower yellow. Both sets were intentionally unnumbered and unsigned — designed as consumable, affordable prints that put art directly into people’s hands.
Process
Ellie Prisbrey and I came across several of these machines while picking up another in Cincinnati. Dusty, rusted, and half-forgotten, they were tucked in a corner until we hauled three of them home for around $25 each. What followed was a long restoration: disassembly, stripping powder coat and rust, and experimenting (sometimes unsuccessfully) with spray equipment and paint. The final results gave each machine a new personality — mine painted a solid custom-mixed yellow.
Ellie Prisbrey and I came across several of these machines while picking up another in Cincinnati. Dusty, rusted, and half-forgotten, they were tucked in a corner until we hauled three of them home for around $25 each. What followed was a long restoration: disassembly, stripping powder coat and rust, and experimenting (sometimes unsuccessfully) with spray equipment and paint. The final results gave each machine a new personality — mine painted a solid custom-mixed yellow.
Ellie introduced me to the Risograph process during this project, which became an important addition to my practice. The prints produced for the vending machine were sold through the MFAO Auction as a low-cost way to support our MFA thesis catalog while making print more accessible to everyday audiences.
