To whom it may Concern

2023

Designed by Jamie Murphy and Ellen Martin Friel at The Salvage Press

Type designer: Bobby Tannam

Wood type producer: Scott Cameron

Type-caster: Rainer Gerstenberg

Categories: Print

Industry: Education

Tags: Poster / Typography / Publishing / Art / Letterpress

This project is a follow up to the 2021 project ‘A Letter to the Minister for Housing’ and 2019 artist's book ‘1753’, looking at the tragic numbers of homeless in Ireland.

The definition for what constitutes homeless altered in 2018, skewing figures from the true numbers, which are undoubtedly higher. Reports publish the numbers of those in emergency accommodation, overlooking the huge amount of people "in ‘own-door’ temporary accommodation, domestic violence refuges, asylum seekers, people who are sleeping rough, and the very many who are ‘hidden homeless’ and staying with family or friends in insecure housing." – Focus Ireland

A folding poster format is intended to make a bold and impactful typographic statement as it unfolds. Taking inspiration from 20th century protest posters and high rise public housing structures, the piece is letterpress printed from 72pt Carbon Mono wood type and 12pt Magister. An Instagram post announced the launch of the project and subsequently these pieces were sent to 120+ people in Ireland and overseas to do with as they wished – to reflect on in private, to post to community leaders and politicians or to paste up in public.