The artwork that you are looking at was not sketched meticulously by pen and ink. Instead, it is composed entirely of the letters and symbols that you can find on a vintage typewriter. Artist James Cook has gained international acclaim for his text-based and language-inspired art.
With his ever-growing collection of vintage typewriters, Cook has created over 300 drawings in the past 10 years. These include portraits of famous celebrities and pop culture icons, such as his drawing of Blake Shelton as a child, which got him onto The Kelly Clarkson Show. The London-based creative has also recreated countless famous paintings, from works by Leonardo da Vinci to Banksy and everything in between. His typewriter art ranges in size from postcards to immense wall hangings that are several feet across.
What makes Cook's work even more special is that he often uses words that relate directly to what he is drawing. Half of the fun is figuring out the little secrets hidden within the artwork. In his recreation of the self-portrait of the famed painter Vincent van Gogh, Cook primarily used V’s, A’s, N’s, G’s, O’s, T’s, and H’s. His recreation of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring is composed of the words “earring,” “girl,” and “pearl” repeated over and over again on the page.
Cook's creations are available as prints via his online shop. If you want to see what he types up next, keep up with his creative journey by following him on Instagram.
London-based artist James Cook is able to make incredible drawings using just a typewriter.
He's now celebrating 10 years of creating typewriter art.
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Since he first began, Cook has created over 300 drawings with his unconventional instrument of choice.
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Over the last decade, he has been applauded for his typewriter drawings of famous buildings and people.
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The artist has also been praised for his clever recreations of iconic artworks.
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Half of the fun of Cook's work is identifying how he uses the characters in his drawings to create depth and texture.
Some of his typewriter art is no bigger than a postcard, but his larger pieces can span several feet across.
James Cook: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by James Cook.
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