About the Artist
Anastasia Inciardi (Ah-nuh-stah-see-ah In-see-are-dee) is a relief printmaker and the creator of the Mini Print Vending Machine. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and is now based in Portland, Maine. Food has always inspired her art as it connects her to the people she loves most: her friends, her Italian American family, and her wife, Addison, an organic vegetable farmer (and founder of Feastland Farm). Ana feels very fortunate to have built a career and life around the celebration of food, eating, accessibility, and community.
About the Art
All of Ana's prints begin as linocuts. Linocut printing is like working with complex stamps. The artist carves away negative space in the image from a linoleum block (hence the word ‘lino’). A print that has multiple colors will require several different carving blocks. Then ink is rolled onto the carved block and is run through a press with the final paper on top of it. If a print has several colors the process is repeated with the other blocks and colors.
To bring these prints to machines across the country, Ana's linocuts are turned into risograph prints. Invented in Japan, this analog printing process is similar to screen printing, using stencils and multiple layers to print the images. Risographs are printed with soy inks and are known for their unique textures and vivid colors.
About the Mini Print Vending Machine
Ana Inciardi launched her first Mini Print Vending Machine in the winter of 2022. She dreamed up the idea back in 2020 to help her collect laundry money during a quarter shortage. Growing up in Brooklyn, Ana was inspired by nostalgic temporary tattoo vending machines that spilled out on New York sidewalks. Accessibility was the goal when developing the Mini Print Vending Machine, which prices each mini print at one dollar. There are now over 100 machines across the country, with more on the way.