Richard Turnbull makes art & books in whatever "slices of time" are available to him

Richard Turnbull, of Furious Day Press, is still making art, books, and assemblages crammed into whatever "slices of time" that he has available when not teaching or traveling. He likes to say that he has a “two-fold” career. He’s an archaeologist and art history professor during the day, where he teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology, but in his spare time he owns his own visual arts practice. He’s spent the last 20 years focusing on printmaking and artist books, along with trying new things when the inspiration strikes.

Turnbull readily admits he is nearing the end of his academic teaching career but recently he has also been teaching on board cruise ships which has afforded him the chance to visit Thailand and many of the island nations of Oceania: Indonesia, Solomon Islands, & Papua New Guinea. Photographs from his travels and intensive immersion in these nations' cultural, artistic, and book publishing traditions inevitably merge into his printmaking and other artist pursuits, Turnbull says.

Featured above: Doors of Perception, Richard Turnbull, 2022, Furious Day Press

In the past few years, Turnbull has been focusing on making one-of-a-kind artist books with little or not text. He attributes this to not having routine access to a letterpress. But he says there is an upside to this: "When a reader approaches an artist book with imagery, mark-making, and colors, you can allow that to be the text presenting the reader with a mystery and a challenge to decipher."

A bit of background: When he was younger, both of Turnbull's parents began experimenting with different forms of painting and photography as they got older, a practice that piqued his interest. He spent so much time teaching and talking about art, but he hadn’t made any. So Turnbull started taking workshops and courses, where he learned about bookbinding, letterpress printing, and several types of printmaking. From there, his art took off, within the next few years he found himself submitting work for exhibitions and attending various fairs.

Turnbull hadn’t always been drawn to the arts, he initially started out as a biology major in his undergrad years, before switching to history. It was during a gap year before graduate school that he found himself working as a graphic designer in the mid 1980’s. When he went back to school, it was art that captivated him, and the only thing he could see himself studying.

Featured above is "IN DARKNESS THERE IS DARKNESS, 2016, seven etchings by Douglas Collins and texts by Richard Turnbull. Letterpress printing on Revere Silk with St. Armand covers. Drum-leaf binding. Book size: 7 x 7". Edition: 10." - Furious Day Press

Art is everywhere. Whether Turnbull is in New York or Massachusetts, the two places he spends the most time, he’s always surrounded by art, from galleries to museums to local showcases. He loves being a part of small art communities, where work can be appreciated and relationships can be made on a personal level between different parties involved with the work at hand. There's more intimacy that can be built and found away from the sound and noise of the city's modern ideas on what art should be.

Turnbull believes in content over form, he’s creating a story when he makes his pieces. The finishing product is not always the same as the initial idea, there's a journey in between where the art changes. He enjoys layering and playing with photos in silkscreen, as well as incorporating cleaner ways of making art into his work. This includes using green materials that are better for both the environment and one's overall health. Not being a full time visual artist, Turnbull works primarily in a printmaking studio in Massachusetts, in order to embrace a healthier form of art making,

In 2007, Turnbull began exhibiting his work at book fairs and print fairs in New York City, Boston, and Maryland. He typically exhibits the artist books he makes, both big and small, made with silkscreen or letterpress, with etchings or collages, and so much more. This year, at the upcoming Northampton Book Fair, Turnbull is excited to showcase some of the artist books and 3D books he has created in his "spare time".

To learn more about Richard H. Turnbull & Furious Day Press, to see prints, artist books, chemigrams, and more, see the press' website.

Written by Meghan Cenci - 11/14/22 and Updated by Mark Brumberg - 10/24/24