James Cook is an unconventional artist who employs a unique and somewhat outdated tool: the typewriter. With a passion for vintage typewriters, Cook has built an impressive collection that fuels his artistic endeavors. Over the past decade, he has created more than 300 intricate drawings, earning international recognition for his innovative text-based and language-inspired art. As an architecture student, his creative process involves meticulously "typing" images, transforming the traditional function of a typewriter into an instrument of artistic expression.
Among his notable creations are representations of iconic landmarks, such as London's Royal Albert Hall and Battersea Power Station, each crafted with careful attention to detail. Based in London, Cook also recreates renowned masterpieces from art history. Cook's artwork is diverse, featuring pieces that range in size from small postcards to expansive wall hangings measuring several feet across. He recently spoke to Outlook Traveller about his creative process, how he creates these pieces of art, and more.
Typewriter art has been my passion for over a decade, but it all began unexpectedly in 2014 during a school art project. My class was tasked with researching artists who used technology in their work, and I initially planned to study British artist David Hockney’s fax machine art. When I couldn’t find a fax machine to experiment with, I stumbled upon typewriter art instead. Looking back, it’s surreal to think that none of my achievements in typewriter art would have happened if I had gone down the fax machine route!
While researching the history of typewriter art, I discovered Paul Smith, an American artist with cerebral palsy who created intricate drawings using a typewriter. His story fascinated me; he turned the limitations of his condition into a remarkable form of expression. Inspired, I set out to find a typewriter of my own.
After searching around town, an elderly couple sold me a mint-condition 1950s Oliver Courier typewriter for just £15. That little green machine became the foundation of my journey, helping me create my first 50 artworks. Though I went on to study architecture at UCL, typewriter art remained a constant in my life. Today, my collection has grown to over 100 typewriters...and counting.
Architecture has always been my go-to subject because I originally aspired to become an architect. Before 2021, typewriter art was just a hobby; I was fully committed to pursuing architecture and studied at The Bartlett, UCL, from 2015 to 2021. Drawing buildings had been my passion since childhood, but typewriter art became an outlet that kept me grounded.
Amidst long nights of studying and the relentless cost of London rent, I found solace in my typewriter. Taking portrait commissions helped me stay afloat financially, and over time, my passion for typewriter art grew. Eventually, it became my full-time career.
I never set out to be a typewriter collector; it happened organically. I was happy with just one or two, but as my work gained attention through newspapers, TV, social media, and exhibitions, people started generously donating their own typewriters to me. More than 85% of my collection consists of machines gifted by people who want to see them used rather than sitting on a shelf collecting dust. It’s a special connection; each typewriter has a history, and by incorporating them into my work, I feel like I’m giving them a second life.
I now have over 100 typewriters, and I’ve completely run out of shelf space in my studio. My workhorse is a 1960s Olympia SG3, a German-made typewriter with precise mechanics that allows me to create my best work. However, when I travel for projects such as to Las Vegas, Taiwan, or Amsterdam; I take something more portable, like a 1970s Silver-Reed. Unlike my Olympia SG3, which requires two people to lift, the Silver-Reed fits neatly into a backpack.
One of the rarest typewriters in my collection is the MusicWriter which is a machine designed to type sheet music. Instead of letters, it has musical notes, allowing musicians to compose scores directly onto paper. I’m lucky enough to own two of these, and one day, I plan to use them to create a special piece of artwork. This is literally the holy grail equivalent of typewriters.
Traveling with typewriters isn’t easy. I’ve destroyed eight suitcases because they’re simply too heavy and get tossed around by baggage handlers. I distinctly remember looking out of the plane window just after my plane had landed in Las Vegas and seeing one suitcase stand out from the rest, not just because my suitcase is bright red, but because it had been taped back together with security tape thanks to TSA. I also get stopped at airport security almost every time. At JFK Airport, a security officer once looked at my X-ray scan and asked, “Why on earth are you traveling to New York with a typewriter?”
I’ve always been fascinated by architecture, and I try to build scenes that tell a story. If you look closely at my work, you’ll notice little details e.g. pedestrians, taxis, bicycles, coffee shops, people crossing the street. These elements bring my cityscapes to life.
I dive straight into my work, embracing challenges as they come. One unique aspect of typewriter art is key pressure; by pressing lightly with a dry ribbon, I create faint, ghostly impressions as a framework. This allows me to sketch ideas without fully committing. Once satisfied, I switch to a fresh ribbon and type over the framework to create bold, final lines.
For larger pieces that exceed the typewriter’s paper feed, I assemble multiple sheets. My Lower Manhattan skyline artwork for New York’s 400th Anniversary, for example, was created this way. I penciled reference points to ensure alignment, but beyond that, every detail comes straight from the typewriter.
It depends on the size, but at minimum, a piece takes two weeks. The longest I’ve spent on a single artwork is three months. My drawings can contain anywhere from 250,000 to over a million keystrokes. It’s an incredibly time-consuming process, and at most, I can complete three artworks per month assuming they’re small enough.
Through trial and error, I’ve learned which characters work best for different effects. The “@” symbol is great for soft shading, perfect for skin tones in portraits. The brackets “()” are scaled just right for pupils in A4-sized portraits. For architecture, underscores “_” create brickwork when spaced correctly, with capital “I” characters forming the bonds between the bricks.
I love hiding Easter eggs in my artwork. From a distance, my pieces look like traditional pen-and-ink drawings, but as viewers get closer, they begin to see the letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. If they look even closer, they might discover hidden messages—words, dates, or personal touches woven into the design.
I’ve been fortunate to travel worldwide for my work. In 2023, my artwork was exhibited for over a year at Taiwan’s Chimei Museum as part of “Thinking Outside the Box: When Machine Meets Art.” I’ve also created live typewriter art at tech conventions in Las Vegas and during a concert for famed musician André Rieu in the Netherlands.
In London, I’ve worked at iconic venues like The Ritz, The Royal Albert Hall, and Battersea Power Station. I also collaborated with Robbie Williams, transforming some of his original artwork into typewriter art.
You can pick up James Cook on his Instagram here - www.instagram.com/jamescookartwork
Pick up his artworks on his online shop here - www.jamescookartworkshop.com/pages/midtown-new-york
