Engraving

Doing stuff again! I’ve started dabbling in tetrapak printing, of all things. It’s this quirky little process where you take those cartons that usually house your almond milk or tomato soup and turn them into something resembling art. You’d be surprised, or maybe not, at how one can repurpose these everyday items into a makeshift canvas for printing.

The whole thing is pretty straightforward, almost mundanely so. You cut up a tetrapak, smooth it out, carve some sort of design into it – nothing too intricate, mind you, the material has its limits – and then roll some ink over it. Press it onto paper, and there you have it, a print. It’s a bit like a craft project that somehow stumbled its way into the realm of ‘fine art.’

(c)kghosh

What’s somewhat amusing is the novelty of it all, using something that’s essentially trash and turning it into… well, not-trash. It’s a bit of a statement, I suppose, on recycling or upcycling or whatever the term is these days. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking we’re making some grand environmental gesture; it’s just a bit of fun with garbage.

The results are hit or miss. Sometimes you get something that looks half-decent, and other times it’s just a smudgy mess that vaguely resembles your original intent. But that’s part of the charm, right? The unpredictability of it all, the ‘will it or won’t it’ turn out to be anything more than a glorified coaster.

All in all, it’s an interesting way to pass the time, turning your recyclables into something that might, on a good day, pass for art. But let’s not get carried away – it’s just tetrapak printing, after all.