Ben Reid Exhibition: Paradise Lost

An exhibition of new work by Ben Reid called Paradise Lost
is on from 4 May to 11 June at Solander Gallery in Wellington.
Opening event is on Wednesday 4 May from 5.30-7.00pm

Ben Reid's latest work combines references to specific local environmental histories

while maintaining a wider appreciation for the bigger picture of the conservation movement.

Ben describes these works as ‘small stories for those prepared to listen’.

While these works are cautionary tales in their reference to our delicate ecosystem,

they also represent a beautiful use of the printmaking medium.

They are a testament to the delicate line of the artist’s hand

in their accomplished combination of the techniques of etching and woodcut.

Ben successfully generates works of light protest,

at once visually arresting and poignant in their environmental message

as gentle reminders of the fragile nature of our environment

and how easily these vulnerable ecosystems are destroyed by human intervention.

Printmaking Course at CEAC Term 2

I just heard about a new 8-week Printmaking Course

that will be based at Corbans Estate Arts Centre in Henderson, Auckland

The course will be covering 5 techniques that use a press;
Monoprint, Collagraph, Drypoint, Pronto, Linocut

The course will be starting on Sat 14 May 10am-4pm

then followed by 7 subsequent Tuesday evenings (17 May-28 June) 6.30-9pm

Cost is only $160 including materials

(because it is partially funded by Creative Communities grant)

Places limited so book now!

Ongoing opportunities:
Be part of the exhibition for printmakers from this course & printmaking group later in 2011.
New printmaking group also running monthly at Corbans,

which you are able to join upon completion of course.

Contact Ruby Oakley on 021 233 9726 or to email click here

Woodcut Workshop, Wellington, 15 May

As part of their commitment to the promotion of unique and quality hand made works,

Solander Gallery in Wellington offer a range of workshops.

Coming up on Sunday 15 May they are hosting a
fun one-day Woodcut Workshop with artist Sam Broad.

Sam Broad, Native Wood Pigeon, 2008
Woodcut on  paper, 29x26cm, edition of 73.

Sam Broad will introduce techniques to create exciting and dynamic woodcut prints.
Learn design transfer, cutting and printing techniques
to create a strong graphic image of your own design.

No previous experience is required.

Cost is $130, including all materials and equipment.

Places are limited so booking is essential.

For more information or to register please email: info@solandergallery.co.nz

Solander Gallery: Advice for Printmakers

About Solander Gallery
Solander Gallery (Wellington) specialises in contemporary 'works on paper'.
Works encompass contemporary drawings, watercolours and limited-edition artist prints
including etchings, screenprints, woodcuts and mezzotints.

Representing over 45 New Zealand and International artists,
we hold regular feature exhibitions and have an extensive selection of works on permanent folio display.
Solander also runs a workshop and demonstration program in the gallery
for people interested in learning more about printmaking and works on paper.

Why Printmaking?
Printmaking has always been the primary focus of the gallery.
Our passion for works on paper, particularly printmaking,
has grown out of our understanding of the mediums, such as etching, lithography and relief
by being practicing printmaking artists ourselves.

We are excited by the rich visual language of printmaking mediums.
The mark of the chisel in lino or wood, the crispness of the etched line in a hard ground etching
or the texture of a lithographic drawing on stone,
all bring a unique energy and authenticity to prints that cannot easily be reproduced in other visual art forms.

We see our role as a gallery to help viewers appreciate the work of printmaking artists as a fine art medium,
acknowledging the engagement of printmaking artists with contemporary art issues,
and the level of skill required to realise these ideas through the print medium.

Selecting Shows

Solander's exhibition programme is planned 12 months in advance.
We seek proposals from artists that we feel have been committed to developing a body of new work.
Our programming is also conscious of the balance
between different types of work across our yearly calendar
and also the distribution of emerging and more established artists through the programme.

Advice to Printmakers

Make sure that when work is editioned it is presented professionally. For example:

• Paper is torn neatly to size
• The plate is centred on the sheet
• No fingerprints or ink stains in the margins
• Acknowledge when an edition contains significant variations across the edition
• Margins should be at least 50mm or more
• Neat writing on the signature / edition line
• Keep accurate records of the edition and sales
• Interleave prints with acid free tissue 

We are regularly approached by emerging artists, and some are unprepared for their presentations.

When artists approach a gallery, it is very important that they do so

in as organised and professional manner as possible. For example:

• Make sure the style of work you are presenting is an appropriate fit to the gallery you are approaching.
• Images should be good quality photography, and be provided as jpeg format with image resolution of about 0.5megabyte (approx 500kb).
• Artist CV’s should be well written, with only arts relevant information included.
• Chronological dates should have most recent dates at the top of the list.
• An artist statement is a very important tool to broadly explain the works and your influences as an artist. This should be a maximum of about 2-3 paragraphs.
• Make sure you follow up with a phone call to the gallery after making initial contact.
• A knock-back now does not mean a knock-back forever and we would encourage you to make contact again if you have completed a new body of work.

You can check out Solander's website to see their artists and prints,
as well as upcoming exhibitions and workshops.

Marian McGuire's The Labours of Herakles, Gisborne

Marian Maguire's exhibition The Labours of Herakles
is currently touring and is now on at

Tairawhiti Museum in Gisborne from 17 April - 19 June 2011

Marian Maguire, Athena is Dismayed at the Lack of Progress Herakles has made towards Arcadia, 2006/7
lithograph on Velin Arches white 250g



Impact7 Earlybird Registration Info

Many NZ printmakers have been looking forward to updated news

regarding the upcoming Impact7 Print Conference.

The conference is on 27-30 September in Melbourne, Australia.

The Impact organisers have just added information about fees and registration:

Conference Early Bird Registration (before 1 July) - Four Day Pass AU$400

There is more registration information here on their website

Mike Parr (Australia), The Plague of Fantasies 1, 2010
Unique state print on paper, 235x534cm

Impact7 Print Conference Keynote Speakers are:

Brook Andrew (Artist, Australia), Paul Coldwell (Professor of Fine Art, University of the Arts, London),

Heri Dono (Artist, Indonesia), Johanna Drucker (Professor of Bibliographical Studies, UCLA),

John Loane (Artist, Australia), Mike Parr (Artist, Australia), Trent Walter (Artist and Writer, Australia), and

Teal Triggs (Professor of Graphic Design, University of the Arts, London,

and co-Director of research for Information Environments)

Non-Toxic Printmaking Book

Just a quick note to let you know that
Mark Graver's new book Non-Toxic Printmaking (A&C Black, London 2011)
has now been published and is available for purchase.

In this book, Mark Graver puts the case for non-toxic printmaking

and then discusses the various technical factors (both materials and equipment)

to consider when etching with acrylic resists, making aquatints, etching in general,
using drypoint, engraving, making mezzotints and collagraphs and using photopolymers
as well as combining various printmaking techniques.

There is also information on various inks

and health and safety measures in the printing workshop.
All in all, this book contains everything you need to know

to clean up your printmaking practice.

Mark Graver, Harbin IV, 2010
Etching, 10x15cm

Mark Graver (MA Printmaking, Camberwell College of Arts, London)

is a professional artist specialising in non-toxic printmaking and painting.
Mark runs non-toxic printmaking courses from Wharepuke Print Studio
and teaches Printmaking part time at NorthTec in Kerikeri.

Winner of the Lessedra World Mini Print Competition 2010

http://www.nontoxic-printmaking.co.nz/books.html

Drypoint with Graham Hall

Here's a short video taken during the Drypoint Workshop

with Graham Hall, held at Solander Gallery in Wellington.

It looks like they had a great time!

Print Season 2011 Symposium - Updated!

As part of the Print Season 2011 series,
there is a Print Symposium on this Friday and Saturday in Auckland.
It will be a forum for the presentation of research and contemporary thinking
around print culture in New Zealand.

Please feel free to forward this post on to other printmakers
who may be interested in attending.

Entry is FREE and no registration is required.
Just turn up to whatever topics interest you!

 Friday 15 April

10:30am-12:00pm   Round Table Discussion: Directions in Print Education
Steve Lovett (Manukau School of Visual Arts) (Chair),
Marty Vreede (Quay School of Art & Central Print Council of Aotearoa NZ),
Monique Jansen (AUT), Neil Emmerson (Otago Polytechnic), & Sonya Lacey (Whitecliffe)
at St.Paul St Gallery Three, 39 Symmonds St (cnr of Mount St), Auckland City

1:00-2:30pm   Print Culture in New Zealand
Dr Donald Kerr (Rare Books Librarian, University of Otago)
 Dr Peter Simpson (Holloway Press, University of Auckland),
& Tracey Williams (artist & curator at Mangere Arts Centre)
at Design Lecture Theatre, University of Auckland, Building 423, 20 Symonds St, Auckland City

3:00-4:00pm   Artists and Print
Stanley Palmer (artist) & John Pusateri (Auckland Print Studio)
at Design Lecture Theatre, University of Auckland, Building 423, 20 Symonds St, Auckland City

 Saturday 16 April

10:30am-12:00pm   Round Table Discussion: Impacts of Technology on Print
Michael Barrett (Pro Design) (Chair), Tara McLeod (Pear Tree Press)
Angela Fraser (Textile & Design Laboratory, AUT),
Jonty Valentine (National Grid & AUT) & Steve Reay (Product Design, AUT)
at St.Paul St Gallery Three, 39 Symmonds St (cnr of Mount St), Auckland City

1:00-2:30pm   Activism Through Print
Chris McBride (Wellington Media Collective) & Xavier Meade (curator of Pūrākau)
 at AUT Lecture Theatre WS 114, 34 St.Paul St, Auckland City

3:00-4:00pm   Curating Print
Taarati Taiaroa & Tracey Williams (curators)
& Dr Melissa Laing (curator of Print Season 2011, St.Paul St Gallery)
at AUT Lecture Theatre WS 114, 34 St.Paul St, Auckland City

Print Classes at LakeHouse in Term 2

The LakeHouse in Takapuna is offering these two printmaking classes in Term 2:

Printmaking (DSA5)

Enjoy learning printmaking methods from simple forms such as PVA, card & collagraph to woodcut. Experiment with colour and mixed media processes to produce a series of individualized original prints.
Wednesdays, 12.30-2.30pm, starts 11 May 2011 (8 weeks)

Being tutored by Denice Symons, only 2-6 students, cost $255 (all materials supplied)

Screen Printing (SKA2)

A technique of printing a sharp-edged image using a hand held screen.

Learn how to mix and apply printing inks on paper and fabric. 

Wednesdays, 9.30am-12.30pm, starts 9 February 2011 (8 weeks)

Being tutored by Susanne Khouri, only 5-8 students, cost $255 (some materials supplied)

If you are interested, see LakeHouse's website to enquire about booking.



Print Season 2011 Exhibition Four

The third exhibition of Print Season 2011

is on at St.Paul St Gallery in Auckland City from 15-30 April,

with opening event on this Thursday 14 March at 5.30pm

Sonya Lacey has been working on page works

that contribute to a never-complete, unbound magazine.

Sonya Lacey, Hand in place of head (for Vignelli), 2010

Their loose unbound quality references the 'extra' of publishing

 such as the supplement or insert,

as well as the 'afterlife' of magazines in the form of

clippings collected, re-combined and re-encountered by readers.

See the St.Paul St Gallery website for map and details of other events.

Minu Online GiveAway #1

Wellington artist Minu is introducing online give-aways:

You could get a minu item for free!

I have NO IDEA what it is that you will win, but [fingers-crossed] I hope it is a print!!!

I really like these characters she makes...

Minu, Lilu No.13 – 2 Raven, 2009
Screenprint, 15x21cm, edition of 25

The winner is drawn from submissions via her Facebook, Twitter or her website 

and will be announced 7 days after the submissions are closed.

Minu, This One Is For You, 2010
Etching, 14x21cm, edition of 25

See minu's website for specific details about entering.

YMCK?

Ah, Friday afternoon sillyness...

This is probably only funny to printmakers,

it made me laugh so I thought I'd share it with you:

Pep Sanabra (USA?), YMCK, 2010
Digital print

I just finished teaching a workshop on CMYK screenprinting,

perhaps next time I'll get my students to sing this just for fun!

Graeme Cornwell goes to New York

Lithographic artist Graeme Cornwell,

a teacher of art theory at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology,

flies to New York this week to take up the

Prawat Laucharoen International Artist in Residence.

The 16-day residency means Mr Cornwell will join 10 other artists and printmakers

from around the world to work collaboratively, expanding the field of printmaking.

The invitation for the residency came as a complete surprise.

Mr Cornwell has no idea what to expect

other than that the residency will conclude with exhibitions in both Manhattan and New York.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to meet and work with a variety

of printmakers and artists in such a vibrant and stimulating city.

I am both excited and terrified, but really I have no expectation.

It will be great to talk to people, and it's a privilege to go there at my age."

Having studied in both Auckland and Britain,

Cornwell then spent an extended period working and studying for a PhD in Australia,

returning to New Zealand after a 10-year absence,

taking up a teaching position in Hawke's Bay, later establishing himself in Nelson.

He has a long-established career as an artist and master printmaker,

specialising in the stone method of lithographic printing,

a process he describes as "very seductive, very magical, and beautiful",

allowing the production of works on paper with a "huge range of tonal qualities".

I hope we'll get to hear about it when he returns...



Group Exhibition at PaperGraphica opens 11 April

PaperGraphica in Christchurch are hosting a group exhibition,

opening at 5.30pm on Monday 11 April, and is on display until 7 May.

It sounds like it should be quite interesting variety, including work by:
Nigel Buxton, Barry Cleavin, Denise Copland, Marian Maguire, Simon Ogden,
Phillip Trusttum, Helm Ruifrok, Eion Stevens, Llew Summers, Martin Whitworth

Nigel Buxton, This Pioneering Life - Volcano, 2010
Digital print on paper, 45x57cm, edition of 12



PaperGraphica had everything thrown about during the earthquakes

but they said there was remarkably little damage to artworks or equipment

and minor damage to the house itself is repairable.

Now that the gallery is open again, so go see the show!
Click here to go to PaperGraphica's website for their address & opening hours etc