Edwin Pickstone

Edwin Pickstone is a Lecturer in Communication Design at The Glasgow School of Art's School of Design. His work spans academic, artistic and design worlds, with particular interest in the history of typography, graphic design, print and the nature of the book. He is deeply involved with the Caseroom at GSA, which serves as a research and production space for letterpress and print-related activities.

Pickstone's research focuses on typography, letterpress printing, and the material aspects of books and printed matter. His work explores both historical and contemporary dimensions of print culture, with special attention to collaborative processes and the intersection of traditional printing techniques with digital technologies. He has conducted significant research on Alasdair Gray's typographic approaches, examining the writer-artist's 'instinctive decisions' in lettering from 'micro to monumental' scales. His research demonstrates how historical printing techniques maintain relevance in contemporary design practice.

His publication record shows strong engagement with practical printing through numerous exhibitions, workshops, and collaborative projects. Pickstone has organized the annual 'Printshop!' events at Tramway in Glasgow since 2015, showcasing letterpress printing and fostering community engagement with print media. The Monotype MIDI project represents his innovative fusion of typography with digital technology, bridging historical type composition with contemporary music interfaces.

• Lecturer in Communication Design at The Glasgow School of Art
• Specialist in letterpress printing history and practice
• Researcher on Alasdair Gray's typographic approaches
• Developer of innovative printing technologies like Monotype MIDI
• Organizer of the annual Printshop! exhibition series
• International collaborator with institutions including Oslo National Academy of the Arts

Pickstone has received support from Arts and Business Scotland and the Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprise. His work 'Woodblock Printed Bio-sensors' demonstrates how traditional printing techniques can be applied to environmental monitoring technology, showing the innovative potential of print media beyond traditional artistic contexts. His research bridges historical scholarship, artistic practice, and technological experimentation in the field of graphic design and print culture studies.