Todd Thyberg
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BIO
Todd Thyberg is the owner of Angel Bomb, a Minneapolis-based letterpress studio. He is fullfill- ing his lifelong dream of creating books and recently finished his tenth book. This work is printed on vintage letterpress presses that Todd has purchased and restored to working order. In 2011 Thyberg received an MCBA/Jerome Foundation Book Arts Fellowship to create The Airship, a letterpress graphic novel and his first self-published book. In 2013 he received an Artist Initiative grant from the MN State Arts Board to create American Manifesto, an activist book inspired by Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. This book then went on to win an AIGA design award. Todd’s third book was a retelling of Frankenstein, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. This book was printed in miniature along with a leather looking box which was designed to vend from a restored vintage cigarette machine. Thyberg has taught letterpress at the MN Center for Book Arts (MCBA) as well as private tuturing at the Jamestown Arts Center. Todd’s most recent accomplishment was receiving a 2023 McKnight Book Arts Fellowship. His most recent works include Too Much, a portfolio book based upon his experience sailing in the Arctic Circle and Pathogenesis, an examination of gun violence in America as viewed through the lens of disease. He recently returned from sailing to Antarctica on the tall ship Europa and is currently working on a body of work based upon his experience.




Artist Statement
As a book artist, my passion is designing ergodic books that require the reader to participate in the story. My artistic vision is to facilitate intimate emotional connections to my books and promote curiosity by creating works that reward deeper examination and excite the reader’s senses. The analog nature of exploring a book has been lost, in large part, to our mass consumption of digital media, and I believe that people long to experience something tactilely engaging. I encourage my readers to connect with my books as embodiments of art and craft, and then form more sustained memories through exploration. My work features sculpted and 3D printed aspects to the binding. At the center of my work is the desire to push myself creatively and discover new methods of visual expression. Prevalent in my work are themes of exploration (both inner and geographical), infection of ideas, and fear of the other that is especially prescient in today's world. My process involves extensive research and writing, delving into the subject matter through words and imagery as I determine ways to entwine the two together. I immerse myself in the subject as much as possible, accessing rich sights, sounds, and smells to incorporate. As a former package designer, I have a passion for how readers interact with my creations and seek ways to influence and steer them in new directions, forming deeper bonds and memories with my work.
Little About Todd
What inspires your work?
What’s happening in the world around me and the failings of society.
What is something unexpected about you that often surprises people?
That I served in the Navy.
What do you consider your most significant achievement as an artist?
Beyond survival, to date my retrospective exhibition, ABRACADABRA and Other Forms of Protection, at at the Weisman Art Museum in 2020.
How has your work evolved over time?
I’ve been bringing more sculptural elements.
Is there a particular medium or subject you're drawn to, and why?
My current body of work is based on sailing in Antarctica, open ocean sailing amazes me.
What's the most challenging part of being an artist?
Not succumbing to the doubt in my head.
Do you have a favorite piece you've created? Why does it stand out?
I think my dumpster representing 2020 was spot on. I just didn’t think life would get worse than that.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Born in WI, but grew up in smalltown nowhere, North Dakota.
Who are your artistic influences or mentors?
They’re varied: Chris Ware, Joseph Beuys, Darren Aaronofsky,
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
Travel and experience the world as much as possible