25 September 2012

Wayzgoose Anthology 2013

Those of you who like combining printmaking with making books might be interested in this:

The Grimsby Public Art Gallery in Ontario, Canada, is excited to announce
an open call for submission of print works
for the special 35th Anniversary 2013 Wayzgoose Anthology Vol II.

The Grimsby Wayzgoose is a one-day festival held annually in April to celebrate the books arts.
Private press printers, printmakers in all media, book binders, papermakers and related artists
gather at the Grimsby Public Art Gallery to celebrate the art of the hand-made book.
Each year the gallery also publishes an anthology of signatures submitted by participants.

To celebrate Wayzgoose’s 35th anniversary, the gallery is publishing a special two-volume anthology
in an edition of 135 that will showcase and celebrate print media and the books arts internationally.

Grimsby Public Art Gallery are accepting submissions for Wayzgoose Anthology 2013 Vol II
from printmakers, private presses, and other print media artists for inclusion in the anthology.
The work may be a collaboration or individual work.

A completed entry form, sample of work and $10 non-refundable entry fee
should be received by the gallery no later than 5pm on 16 November 2012.
The theme for submitted works is the artists’ sense of place in the world,
which will provide the anthology with a panoramic perspective on the world and people around us.

Your work must measure 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches and accommodate binding in size and folding.
Signatures may be between four and eight pages long,
and we require the first 135 copies for the anthology.
The hand of the artist must be visible in each signature,
whether it be hand-set type, hand-made paper or hand-printed artworks.

For more information or to download an entry form click here for Grimsby Art Gallery's website.

22 September 2012

Matiu Somes, 26Sep-27Oct, Wellington

The exhibition Matiu Somes: The Next Chapter is opening
at Solander Gallery in Wellington on 26 September.

The artists featured in the exhibition are Stanley Palmer, Inge Doesburg,
Lynn Taylor, Jo Ogier, Ben Reid, Basia Smolnicki and Stephen Robinson.

Ben Reid, always to islanders, danger is what comes over the sea, 2012
Woodblock, 36x53cm

Matiu/Somes Island, in the middle of Wellington’s harbour (Te Whanganui a Tara),
has an extraordinarily rich and complex history.
From its original naming after one of Kupe’s female relatives
to its later European use as a quarantine station, internment camp, military installation
and now nature reserve, its relatively small area is packed with stories.

The artists' residency project on Matiu/Somes grew out of Solander Gallery’s desire
to bring together artists from all around Aotearoa New Zealand
and expose them to the fascinating natural and cultural histories of the island.
It was felt that the depth and diversity of the Island
was largely unknown or ignored by the people of Wellington.

Artists often take what others overlook
and probe to bring to life hidden, forgotten or disregarded stories.
The singular visions and different approaches of the seven artists involved
realise the possibility that all may draw inspiration from this unique place.

"The island opened to the public as a
Department of Conservation (DOC) scientific and historic reserve in 1995.
In 2009, it was included in the Treaty of Waitangi cultural redress
for Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika A Maui,
which returned ownership of the three Wellington harbour islands to iwi.
While still protected by reserve status, accessible to the public, and managed by DOC,
their future will be directed by a joint governance board composed of iwi, community, and DOC".
(Department of Conservation Website)

19 September 2012

Woodblock Workshop, 27-28Oct, Wellington

Artsight's Spring Workshops 2012 with Annie Smits Sandano
"Celebrating simplicity - Woodblock workshop"

Looking at themes of the carnival and celebration Brazilian-born printmaker Annie Sandano
combines pattern and animal motifs with exquisite embossing to create visually rich artworks.

In this two day workshop with Annie you will explore woodblock techniques,
printing and embossing and develop your own series of works based on a theme.
This workshop is suitable for both beginning printmakers and those with some experience.

Annie Smits Sandano, Over the River and into the Mamaku
Woodblock

10am-4pm, 27-28 October 2012
at Artsight @ Toi Poneke, 65 Abel Smith St, Wellington
Cost: $295 

17 September 2012

Fatu Feu'u Book Launch Tomorrow, Auckland

Join Fatu Feu’u and writer Shona Jennings for the Book Launch of
FATU FEU’U ON LIFE & ART
 Tuesday 18 September 2012, 5.30–7.30pm


Fatu Feu’u is an internationally recognised Samoan-New Zealand artist.
He has been pivotal in shaping the interest in contemporary pacific art globally
and nurturing a generation of pacific artists locally,
leading to his reputation as the father of contemporary pacific art.

In this book, Fatu shares his story from willful Samoan-village boy,
to New Zealand factory-worker immigrant,
to leader in his home communities and the global art world.
His thoughts on art and life are woven into an inspiring tale
that helps us understand not only what drives this artist, but what’s behind his art –
how the bright colours, the frangipani, ta-tatua and siapo designs
create a narrative of his past, present and future.

Selected Art Works by Fatu Feu’u will be on show
at Warwick Henderson Gallery in Parnell from Saturday 15-22 September. 

 If you would like to order a copy of Fatu Feu’u On Life & Art
please phone Warwick Henderson Gallery on 09 3097513
or you are welcome to email us at info@warwickhenderson.co.nz
 
Published by Little Island Press.

Geoff Tune, 14Sep-9Oct, Kerikeri

Geoff Tune's exhibition Interior/Internal
is at Art at Wharepuke in Kerikeri now til 9 October.
 
"These images have their genesis in the typical Kiwi 'OE';
visiting Britain and or Europe in search of places and objects of cultural or family significance
and taking a photo.
For me this process has been part of a search for cultural and personal identity,
of seeking links between where I come from in genealogical terms with where I am now. 
My  painting over the 20 years or so has drawn on  ideas derived from the field of archaeology,
gleaning information and theories about the distant past, particularly cosmologies,
 and attempting to apply these ideas to my own situation today.
Since first visiting Europe in 1995 I have done several series of paintings and prints
that directly reference places visited,
that over time take on a degree of significance in relation to my interests.

Geoff Tune, Shelter - Port Vendres 3, 2012
Digital Print, 21x30cm, edition of 40

Geoff Tune, Shelter - Collioure 1, 2012
Digital Print, 21x30cm, edition of 40

The images in this show fall into two groups:
The Shelter works being images derived from photos
of the interiors of churches and cathedrals and a Neolithic passage tomb.
Without wanting to push the analogy there are many points of similarity.
When visiting a cathedral today one has to imagine it lit only with flickering torches and candles,
chanting in a language you don’t understand
 and surrounded by ancestral burials and disarticulated body parts [relics].
Not to different to probable rituals in Neolithic tombs and parts of Palaeolithic caves.
Geoff Tune, Window in Port Vendres I, 2011-12
Digital Print, 21x30cm, edition of 40

The second set of works refers to a holiday in 2011
at Port Vendres in the very south of Mediterranean France.
It was here that the Scottish designer Charles Rene MacIntosh reinvented himself as a painter
at the end of his life and where his ashes were cast.
He produced many strongly structured landscapes [reflecting his design sensibility]
with an emphasis on the clear blue and silvery grey light.
In the next [adjoining] village north, Collioure, Matisse invented Fauvism,
and notably painted the view from his window.
I have bought these two artists together in my own way as a form of homage.

I have called the show Interior/Internal as the images relate to being inside a 'shelter'
and looking either up or out and they are perhaps more subjective than objective."

If your not able to make it to Kerikeri to see the exhibition,
you can view the artworks here online at Art at Wharepuke's Flickr page.


14 September 2012

Toi-Ohua, 18Sep-6Oct, Auckland

Artstation in Ponsonby are hosting an exhibition called Toi-ohua
opening on Tuesday 18 September, until 6 October 2012.

The artists in Toi-ohua address their relationship with the shifting natural world
through the medium of printmaking.

“As our Tipuna adjusted to the various changes in the availability of local resources in seasonal phases,
we make this relevant to our print practice by intent to synchronise
with seasonal changes and record observations of current movements and flows,” Toi Whakataa.

Toi Whakataa printmaking collective investigates printmaking,
traditionally a European art medium, from a contemporary Maori perspective.

Natalie Couch, Kano, 2008

Featuring artists Gabrielle Belz, Ruth Green Cole, Natalie Couch, Vanessa Edwards,
Sam Farquhar, Charlotte Graham, Raewyn Graham, Noelle Jakeman, Evelyn Kawiti,
Dan Mace, Faith McManus, Alexis Neal, Cerisse Palalagi and Vanessa Wynyard.

13 September 2012

Jo Ogier & John Pusateri, on til 22Sept, Wellington

Just a reminder that there is still a week left if you want to see
the exhibition at Solander Gallery in Wellington featuring
the works of Jo Ogier and John Pusateri.

This exhibition finishes on 22 September, so if you're in Wellington go see it now.

Jo Ogier's prints, Lament, explore the loss of some of our unique birds
such as the Huia and the South Island Kokako
and looks at some of the reasons why many of our birds like the Kakapo
have been pushed to the brink of extinction,
and it also includes four works in response to the Canterbury earthquakes.

Jo Ogier, The Kakapo's Lament, 2012
Woodcut, 43x96cm, edition of 26.

Jo Ogier, What Lies Beneath, 2012
Mixed media, 40x30cm, edition of 10

John Pusateri's works, titled Rabbit Destruction Council.
Rabbits were introduced to New Zealand in the 1860’s
and the first attempt to control their numbers was introduced in 1878.
In 1947 legislation established an eight member Rabbit Destruction Council
for the coordination of rabbit destruction.


John Pusateri, The Hunter II, 2012
lithograph, 57x71cm, edition of 5

The Rabbit Destruction Council holds my fascination with its quirky, matter of fact name,
adequately summing up New Zealand's attempt to do that.
The history is interesting with enormous amounts of money and energy spent
on the attempt to eradicate rabbits.
Even mustelids and cats were introduced to help control rabbit populations
with seemingly obvious negative implications.
The councillors of the Rabbit Destruction Council are imagined as Owls
because they're another "Natural enemy of the rabbit",
despite our Ruru, or Morepork, only occasionally scavenges on rabbit road kill.

John Pusateri, Councillor III, 2012
pencil, charcoal, pastel, archival digital print, 34x39cm, 1 of 1 (framed)


12 September 2012

Jason Greig, 12-29Sept, Auckland

Jason Greig's exhibition, L'Organe du Diable, opens at 6pm tonight
 at Ivan Anthony Gallery in Auckland. 
The exhibition runs until 29 September.

Jason Greig, Old Man Gloom, 2012
3 colour stone lithograph, 88x58cm, edition of 20

The exhibition features two new lithographs
which were printed in collaboration with Auckland Print Studio
Drop by if you get a chance.

Barbara Graham Awarded Bronze in Yunnan 2012

Congratulations to Auckland-based printmaker Barbara Graham,
who was a recipient of a Bronze Award
for her collagraphic print entitled Rosetta Stone
at the 2nd Yunnan International Print Exhibition
 held recently at Yunnan Museum, Kunming, China.

Barbara Graham, Rosetta Stone, 2012
Collagraph

A judging panel of international experts chose 182 works for exhibition
 from a total of 1138 submissions from 48 countries.
From these, 2 were awarded gold awards, 4 silver and 6 bronze.

11 September 2012

Idea For Printing With Kids This Summer

Here's a fun printing project you can do with kids this summer...
I reckon you could make your own Kiwi version of these with jandals and wood.



The Kiko+ Ashiato sandals are based on the design of traditional Japanese sandals,
with a rectangular wooden base that gives them a playful vibe.
They are available as four different species (cat, monkey, lizard, and owl)
as well as a special dinosaur design from Kiko+ website.

I wonder what NZ animal footprints we could make... any ideas??

10 September 2012

Print Courses for Term 4 at Artstation, Auckland


As from today you can book for Printmaking classes for Term 4
at Artstation in Ponsonby, Auckland

314 - Viva Lo Stampato! (Stage 1&2)
Viva lo stampato is all about making marks – this is what printmaking is all about.
This course covers direct printing techniques such as wood and linocuts 
as well as an introduction to etching.
Mondays, 6.30pm-9pm, starts 15 October 2011 (9 weeks)
Both being tutored by Elizabeth Serjeant, maximum of 8 students, cost $225

324 - Beginners Mixed Media Printmaking (Stage 1 & 2)
Explore both silkscreen and etching techniques.
Learn stencil, photographic and fabric screen-printing,
and aspects of intaglio printmaking through paper embossing.
Thursdays, 6-9pm, starts 18 October (9 weeks)
Being tutored by Jonathan Brown, maximum of 8 students, cost $245

344 - Screen Printing (Stage 1)
This course covers all aspects of silkscreen printing on fabric and paper
including simple paper stencil methods, screen block techniques
and more complex photo-screen methods.
Tuesdays, 6.30pm-9pm, starts 16 October (9 weeks)
Being tutored by Kate McLean, maximum of 8 students, cost $325

354 - Screen Printing On Fabric & Paper (All Levels)
This is a two-day intensive workshop for both beginners
and for those who have some experience of screen printing.
Transfer your ideas into multiple prints on paper or fabric,
using a variety of stencils including photographic silkscreen.
On 20&21 October (Sat/Sun) 10am–4pm.
Being tutored by Kate McLean, maximum of 8 students, cost $180


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

(Did you also know that you can hire the ArtStation's Print Studio 
for just $31 for a whole day or $15.50 for half a day?!)

09 September 2012

APS 3rd International Artist in Residence

Auckland Print Studio has just announced its open call
for the 3rd International Artist in Residence programme.

Residency dates: 16 December 2012 to 20 January 2013 (5 weeks).
Deadline for applications: 31st October 2012
John McKaig, the 2nd International Artist-in-Residence,
applying ink to the stone.

The residency's aim is to collaboratively produce a suite of hand-printed lithographs.
The editioned suite of prints will be split evenly between the artist and APS.

APS are welcoming all artists to apply, regardless of printmaking experience.
Shared accommodation and all printmaking materials are included.
There are many of you who read this blog from outside NZ,
and many of you NZers will have friends or contacts overseas,
so forward this to any artists who may be interested in coming to NZ to make prints.


08 September 2012

FairTrade Printers, Nepal

Christchurch printmaker Michael Reed sent me this information about his recent project,
designing for Fair Trade craft printers in Nepal.
Its such an interesting story that I thought we should share it with you!

"Earlier in 2012 I traveled to Nepal to work as a volunteer designer and printing advisor
for the Association for Craft Producers and Mahaguthi/Craft With A Conscience,
both based in Kathmandu.
My opportunity was facilitated by Trade Aid NZ, a fair trade partner of ACP and Mahaguthi,
and supported by the Art & Design School, Faculty of Creative Industries, CPIT.

Nepal is a small Hindu nation, squeezed between India and China,
with a population of between 29 – 30 million,
consisting of more than 100 ethnic groups, speaking some 90 languages.
It is a little smaller than Te Wai Pounamu (NZ's South Island).
Kathmandu is located in a large central valley and has a population of around 4 million.
Along with the local Newari people, Kathmandu is home to a cross-section of the many Nepali ethnicities
as well as tens of thousands of refugees.

Along with tourism, handicrafts are a highly important employer, in the Nepali economy.
The USA and Europe are the major importers of Nepali handicraft products, along with Canada and Japan.
Although NZ is a very small importer, Trade Aid has a long history of being proactive,
supporting and encouraging producer groups when ever possible. My time there was part of that.

Association for Craft Producers, Nepal.
My print partners: Krishnadavi & Ramdavi, block printers;
Parbati & Kalpana, screen printers;
Shree, ink and dye mixer, screen- printer and print workshop manager.

Between them, ACP and Mahaguthi support the continued production
of a wide range of traditional crafts as well as newer technical developments.
They provide employment for some 2,500+ craftspeople across the country.
The majority of craft workers in both organizations are women
who would otherwise not have an opportunity to generate an income,
mostly located in their traditional areas and villages across Nepal.

Association for Craft Producers, Nepal.
Screen printing, wax-topped table.

I took 15 single colour designs in three themes, based on research of Nepali flora and fauna.
These designs were suitable for screen-printing onto fabric and paper
in a variety of colours, sizes and formats.
I judged them to be straightforward to print, no complicated registration,
aesthetically gentle and conservative enough for general export markets.
I also took a file of technical information on discharge printing and dyeing,
the technique most in need of review.

While there I was requested to produce a range of designs based on bamboo for textile printing.
The outcomes are evident in some of the images.

Association for Craft Producers, Nepal.
Power cut down-time activity, my block-printing.

Association for Craft Producers, Nepal.
Power cut down-time activity, my block-printing.

Because of daily power cuts and the priority of filling existing orders,
production and technical review was slow.
This means I will remain in touch to see everything through to completion.

The people I worked with were great and the experience challenging and rewarding.
I would be happy to do it all again.
The images show the printers I worked with,
along with my attempt at traditional blockprinting and some of my bamboo designs in production.

Mahaguthi, Kathmandu, Nepal.
My print partners: Sarada, screen printer and ink mixer
& Laxmi, assistant screen printer.

Mahaguthi, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Bamboo Collection, printing colourway 1.
Mahaguthi, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Bamboo Collection, fabric drying.

Volunteer tourism is viewed, often rightly, with a cynical edge;
dip in, dip out and come away babbling about your amazing insights, experiences
and a warm fuzzy glow of how you have helped to put things right in the world.

I can't deny that I experienced that virtuous do-gooder glow,
but I am hoping that my time and experience wasn't all one-sided.
As well as learning more about myself and my responses to challenging circumstances
I certainly gained further technical knowledge and aesthetic appreciation and I hope this went two ways.
As requested I wrote each group a 1,500 word report on technical aspects
that could be adjusted to ensure improved and consistent quality.

Future news about increased sales from the new design ranges
and examples of consistent quality printing
will tell me one way or the other of how and where I helped.
The potential of the people I worked with is very high
and I'd be happy to follow up on what I did if they required more input.
I admire and respect them for their determination and ability to carry on
in such challenging circumstances.

Mahaguthi, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Kokil’s papermaking business
& screen-printing, assembly and storage space.

It is said that there are 'lies, damned lies and statistics'.
In recent online Nepali news there was a government statement
saying how the export of crafts had risen greatly (40%) in the last calendar year.
This is the direct opposite of what the producer groups I worked with told me;
That exports had fallen (because of international economic recession)
and that the government had increased taxes, on exports and internal craft sales,
impacting directly on their ability to either increase wages,
employ more people or invest in improving their facilities.
Also smaller individual craft producers told me how they had to reduce staffing
because of the down-turn in international orders.

I was aware of the existence of long-term political problems before I went to Nepal.
I cannot claim that a month there has given me any more insight
into the baffling and overwhelming social and political complexity.
From an outsiders view there is a rich and wonderful cultural diversity,
but if this becomes the template for further political and administrative division,
 is it doomed to open up further economic and political gaps between the geographic areas
and produce a complex tangle of unmanageable bureaucracy?

I hope for all the good and talented people that I met and worked with
that political reason and justice for all prevails over the existing self-interest and divisions.
The people of Nepal deserve so much more from their elected representatives.

My thanks to Trade Aid, CPIT, ACP and Mahaguthi
for an opportunity that has certainly enriched me
and I hope will ultimately benefit the people I worked with.

07 September 2012

Four In The Frame, 11-19Sept, Dunedin

Four in the Frame - A Collaborative Exhibition
11-19 September at Dunedin Community Gallery
Four artists who have inspired one another to stretch themselves
will exhibit their work at the Dunedin Community Gallery in Princes Street.

You are invited to attend the opening of Four in the Frame
 at 5pm on Tuesday 11 September, running to 19 September.


The four artists are Mauri Angelo, Pauline Bellamy, Manu Berry and Ron Esplin.  
Pauline will be displaying “Large works from South Island Locations”.
Manu a new series of harbour prints celebrating our wild life,
and new prints celebrating the birth of his first child.

Printmaking Demonstrations will be running on 
Thursday 13 September, Friday 14 September and Monday 17 September.
This is a great opportunity not only to see the prints that are on display,
but also for you to see the process of producing the work.
Pauline Bellamy and Manu Berry will be the artists demonstrating their printmaking skills in the Gallery.

05 September 2012

Solarplate Workshop, 10-13Jan, LowerHutt

Lynn Taylor is teaching a 4-day solarplate workshop
in Lower Hutt from 10-13 January 2013.
Lynn Taylor, Crossing Over, 2012. Edition of 8.

Printmaking in the sun will introduce to and advance students in using solar plate printing.
Both emboss and intaglio processes will be explored.
This is an opportunity to try something different and produce a range of results and experiments.

The workshop will be suitable for beginners to advanced printmakers.
This course is relevant to people who are interested in process
and also to artists working in other media who are interested in extending their current art practice
through the graphic surprise of printmaking.

With only 4-6 places on the course, I'm sure you will get a lot out of it.
Cost: $480
Click here to see Hutt Art's website for more information.


04 September 2012

Sally-Ann Davies, 7Sep-2Oct, Taupo

Sally-Ann Davies exhibition First Impressions
will be on display in the Niven Room at Taupo Museum. 
Opening night is 7th September 5.30 to 7pm,
and the exhibition continues to 2nd October.

Sally-Ann Davies, monoprint.

The exhibition consists of monoprints and solarplate etchings
inspired by the New Zealand landscape.

Sally-Ann will also be teaching a monoprint workshop
on Saturday 22 September, 12-4pm
Cost: $50 with all materials supplied.
Contact Taupo Museum for more information or to register.

03 September 2012

A MiniPrint Winner from NZ! Woohoo!

A big congratulations to Prue MacDougall for being one of the winners at
the international MiniPrint competition 2012
which was awarded in August.

Prue MacDougall, The Denver Girls­ II, 2012
Solarplate etching

The jury of the 32nd edition of the Mini Print International of Cadaqués,
selected 6 winners from 751 exhibiting artists from 58 countries.

I think its also worth a mention is NZ painter/printmaker Geoff Tune
was also one of the 10 finalists for 2012


Well done Kiwis!!!

You can see all the finalists and more information
at the AWARDS 2012 section of the MiniPrint website: www.miniprint.org


In Transit, 7-27Sept, Nelson

In Transit is opening at RED Gallery in Nelson
 at 5.30pm on Friday 7 September and the exhibition runs until the 27 September.

This exhibition of new works by Lisa Chandler is based on a three day art project
she undertook at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in April this year.
Chandler wandered the airport through a series of random and planned walks,
gaining invaluable insight into the transitory nature of this generic space.
 
 
As a new development in Chandler's art practice
she is excited to be presenting a series of works of paper.
These new works continue her exploration of image making
to evoke the passage of people through non-places, in a combination of printmaking and collage.
 
Chandler chose printmaking, as a key aspect of this medium
is the layering of one printed image over the top of another,
a process which is very similar to the layering and obliteration techniques she employs in her painting.
For this series she uses the printmaking techniques of monotype and collograph.
The subtractive monotype technique of wiping ink off the plate prior
to printing offers wonderful painterly marks and the opportunity for the unexpected to occur.
This unknown quality increases as each layer is added and makes each finished print unique.

The collage elements of the prints are taken from the photographs she took at KLIA.
As part of the exhibition, Chandler is giving a floor talk at 2pm on Saturday 15th September.


02 September 2012

WaiPrint 2012 Exhibition & Workshop


In conjunction with WaiPrint, there is also a 1 day workshop
demonstrating Copper Sulphate Etching with Janis MacDonald
10am-4pm on Saturday 29 September 2012
In the WSA Print Room, downstairs at ArtsPost
Come and learn how to etch line and tone with copper sulphate –
the same substance used to clean mossy footpaths AND a non toxic printmaking option.
Be surprised by the versatility and potential of this easily obtained ingredient.
Fee for the workshop is $75
All enrolments to the WSA office, phone 07 839 4481 or email wsa@wsa.org.nz


01 September 2012

Monoprint Workshop with Stanley Palmer, 6-7Oct

Artsight are offering a great workshop in Auckland:
Transferred painting / Monoprint workshop with Stanley Palmer
Join renowned New Zealand painter and printmaker for this exclusive workshop
looking at the process of monoprint (transferred paintings).

This workshop will explore the history and process of monoprint
beginning with black and white images and transferred drawings
then developing a series of colour prints on day two.

Stanley Palmer, Tankers - Newmarket Junction, 1988
Monoprint

10am-4pm, 6 & 7 October 2012
at Artsight at 5a Flower St, Eden Tce, Auckland
Cost: $295
Limited to 10 places, and these will go fast so book now!