Alex Durlak Creative Operator
20+ years bridging art, sound, print & technology
Crafting experiences with an eclectic toolkit: from printing presses to DAWs, vinyl records to microcontrollers, and spreadsheets to legal contracts. Equipped with a knack for problem-solving and a love for figuring things out on the spot.

This site is a selection of case studies of various projects.

Available for full-time and freelance work, while also maintaining an art practice.

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04 LARGEST PRIME NUMBER
An artists’ book collaboration


ART DIRECTION
PRINT MANAGER
LAYOUTWhen Brian Richer of Castor Design approached me with the concept of creating a book to represent the then-largest known prime number, I knew we were embarking on an exciting and challenging project. The number in question, 274207281-1, is a staggering 22.3 million digits long. Our goal was to present this mathematical marvel in a way that was both aesthetically pleasing and conceptually rigorous, while working through the complexities of specialty printing and binding.

The design of the book required a careful balance of readability and typographic sophistication. I chose to set the body text in Figgins Sans by ShinnType, utilising its tabular oldstyle numerals to bring life and rhythm to the long string of digits. For the titles, Bauer Bodoni provided a classic contrast, reflecting the timeless nature of mathematical truths. The layout followed traditional proportions outlined in Robert Bringhurst's seminal work, The Elements of Typographic Style. To efficiently manage the massive amount of data, we used Adobe InDesign's Data Merge feature to autopopulate all the pages of the layout. This approach not only saved considerable time but also ensured accuracy in representing every digit of the prime number. 

The production process presented several challenges that were overcome through my knowledge of the local print industry. The need to print on delicate bible paper while handling a short run led us to seek out a local printer with a digital web press - a machine with a rare combination of capabilities. The binding process was equally demanding, as we sought a bindery able to bind the thin single sheets and execute high-end finishing touches, including black edge colouring and letterpress text on cloth covers. Through collaboration with various industry partners, we were able to bring this ambitious project to life. The result was a limited edition of ten three-volume sets, each over 1,300 pages, accompanied by a honed Carrara marble bookend designed by Brian. More than just a book, we had created a tangible representation of a mathematical wonder - a conceptual art piece that invites viewers to contemplate the nature of numbers and their place in the universe.




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