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When Karel Martens began studying art in Holland in the late 1950s, “graphic design” did not even exist as its own course of study. Today he is widely recognized as one of the most important practitioners of that very discipline, with an esteemed client list that includes major publishers, architects, and institutions. His accolades include the H.N. Werkman Prize (1993) for the design of the architectural journal Oase, the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Art (1996), the Gold Medal at the Leipzig Book Fair (1998), and numerous other distinctions. Martens has taught at the Yale School of Art, Jan van Eyck Academie, and co-founded Werkplaats Typografie in 1997. The below selection of Martens’ monoprints includes rare works from the 1950s and 60s. They engage with the technology of letterpress, deliberately misusing the media to create unique prints. Neither commissioned design objects nor autonomous artworks, Martens’ letterpress experiments exist as unique fragments of an ongoing visual process.   

Karel Martens Untitled, 1958 letterpress monoprint on paper 9 × 11 ⁵⁄₈ in. (229 × 295 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1958 letterpress monoprint on paper 9 × 11 ⁵⁄₈ in. (229 × 295 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1958 letterpress monoprint on paper 9 × 11 ⁵⁄₈ in. (229 × 296 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1963 letterpress monprint on paper 8 ¼ × 11 ¾ in. (209 × 297 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1992 letterpress monoprint on photocopy 8 ¼ x 11 ⅝ in. (209 x 295 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1994 letterpress monoprint on paper 13 ¾ × 9 ⁷⁄₈ in. (350 × 250 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1994 letterpress monoprint on paper 8 ⁷⁄₈ × 12 ½ in. (225 × 319 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 16 ⁷⁄₈ × 12 in. (428 × 304 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 18 ¹⁄₈ × 11 ³⁄₈ in. (459 × 290 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 17 ¾ × 12 ⁵⁄₈ in. (450 × 320 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 17 ¾ × 12 ⁵⁄₈ in. (450 × 320 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 12 ⁵⁄₈  × 17 ¾ in. (320 × 450 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on photocopy paper 16 ⁷⁄₈  × 11 ⁵⁄₈ in. (430 × 295 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 20 ¹⁄₈ × 15 in. (510 × 380 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on paper 15  × 20 ¹⁄₈ in. (380 × 510 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1996 [Maquette for cover of Printed Matter] letterpress monoprint on thin cardboard 6 ⁷⁄₈ × 9 ⁷⁄₈ in. (173 × 250 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on chocolate packing material 9 ¾ × 7 ³⁄₈ in. (249 × 187mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on index card on top of catalogue card Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam 11 ½ x 6 ⅞ in. (292 x 174 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,   artist Gerrit Rietveld 11 ¼ × 7 ⁷⁄₈ in. (285 × 200 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,   artist Gerrit Rietveld 11 ¼ × 7 ⁷⁄₈ in. (285 × 200 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,   artist Beyer 11 ⅜ x 8 in. ( 288 x 205 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 2006 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,   artist J. Buys 11 ⅜ x 8 in. ( 288 x 205 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ³⁄₈ × 8 ¼ in. (288 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint n catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ³⁄₈ × 8 ¼ in. (288 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1995 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ³⁄₈ × 8 ¼ in. (288 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ½ × 8 ¼ in. (290 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ½ × 8 ¼ in. (290 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ½ × 8 ¼ in. (290 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ½ × 8 ¼ in. (290 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam, artist Richard Long 11 ½ × 8 ¹⁄₈ in. (291 × 205 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 2006 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,  artist Quellinus 11 ⁵⁄₈ × 8 ¹⁄₈ in. (294 × 206 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,  artist Hamish Fulton 11 ⁵⁄₈ × 8 ¹⁄₈ in. (294 × 206 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam,  artist Jan Dibbets 11 ⁵⁄₈ × 8 ¹⁄₈ in. (294 × 206 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedeljk Museum Amsterdam 11 ⁵⁄₈ × 8 ¹⁄₈ in. (294 × 206 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2006 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam             11 ¾ × 8 ¼ in. (297 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1991 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam             11 ¾ × 8 ¼ in. (297 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 2009 letterpress monoprint on a navigation sheet out the ‘Sight Reduction Tables for Air Navigation’, Pub. No. 249 Vol.3 11 ⁵⁄₈ × 9 ¼ in. (295 × 234 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1986 letterpress on paper 4 ⅛ × 5 ⅞ in. (105  × 148 mm)  

Karel Martens Untitled, 1998 letterpress on paper 4 ¹⁄₈ × 5 ⁷⁄₈ in. (105 × 150 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, ca 2010 letterpress monoprint on packing material 6 ¼ × 4 ⅛ in. (160 × 105 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2011 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card printers terms 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2004 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2012 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ x 5 ⅞ in. (209 x 149 mm) 

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2004 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ x 5 ⅞ in. (209 x 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2004 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2005 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2005 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2005 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2005 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2010 letterpress monoprint on catalogue card from the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam 8 ¼ × 5 ¾ in. (209 × 149 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 2008 letterpress on paper 6 × 8 ¼ in. (150 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, 1996 letterpress on paper 6 × 8 ¼ in. (150 × 210 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2004 letterpress monoprint on paper 12 × 8 ½ in. (305 × 215 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 1994 letterpress monoprint on wax paper 9 ¾ × 13 ¾ in. (249 × 349 mm)

Karel Martens Untitled, circa 2004 letterpress monoprint on paper 9 ⁷⁄₈ × 14 ¹⁄₈ in. (252 × 359 mm)

Karel Martens Journal of High-Principled Typography , 1989 Letterpress magazine on newsprint, saddle-stitched, 40 pages (self-cover) 9 ⅞ x 12 ¾ in. (closed) 250 x 325 mm (closed)

Karel Martens B Zine , 1989 Letterpress pamphlet, saddle-stitched, 8 pages (self-cover) 8 ¼ x 11 ⅝ in. (closed) 210 x 295 mm (closed)

The Face October 1997

The Face October 1997

Photo - Juergen Teller

The Face November 1997

The Face April 1997