http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Wirral Metropolitan College Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:42:11 +0000 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://www.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 This post will begin on Sunday 26 April... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 'Mapping the West' began as a brief conversation between myself and Joseph Ostraff when we met at the 'scissorspaperstone' artist's book fair in London last year, where we were both showing our artist's books. Over the past year we have kept up a dialogue to work through the practicalities of setting up a collaborative relationship and to develop a project strategy for a bok arts masterclass. Ideas have come from both sides as to the content and direction of the project theme. We have decided to work towards developing individual book ideas that use the map of the canyon land Escalante region of Southern Utah. Project parameters will limit the maximum area of the books to the size of the open maps and will ask that when folded or closed they should be the size of the folded down map. beyond this anything is possible.  The project itinerary will take in introductory presentations by the WMC students to introduce our hosts at BYU to Liverpool's culture and urban and outlying environments as well as a presentation of our visual practices.There will be introductory master classes in lithography, letterpress printing and book production techniques before we brave the wilds of southern Utah on a three day camping expedition.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Scot - Monday 27 AprilToday we had our first day meeting the students at Brigham Young University. As a group we had different expectations of what the people would be like however the students were all very friendly and welcoming. We knew we had to speak in front of the group and a lot of us were nervous about it, but our fears were put at ease as the students introduced themselves individually to us which broke the ice. I managed to have quite a lengthy conversation with a group of the students about the cultural differences between our ways of life. It was a good way to start communication between us which I feel will help the collaborative project.After our initial introductions we proceeded to begin our group presentation about Liverpool and our work. This was a great success and I received a lot of positive feedback from some of the students who were really complementary about my work. I was really happy that my work was being understood and well received even on this side of the Atlantic!Today has been such a success that I've become so excited to go back into the university tomorrow and take part in the classes. I also have a real urge to start working on our 'Mapping The West' project, which is actually going to be exhibited here in the university gallery.  We are so lucky!  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 PatriciaFirst impressionsWOW!!!!!!!  Massive, humongous, university with wonderful facilities.  The Print rooms, and note I said print rooms were very well equipped and Sarah they had windows in them.  The digital media suite was full of apple mac computers and the printer could produce a print that was bigger than two A1's together. The tech man there said that they can reproduce almost any size we require. The Arts Center housed the performing arts as well.  The atrium in the centre of the building was spacious and opened up over the four floors giving ample space for exhibitions to be displayed to their full advantage.  Off this atrium were theatres and also another very large gallery where our exhibition of the collaborative project will be displayed for exhibition next Thursday. Near the Harris Arts Centre is the library and Art Museum buildings. Open, warm, friendly, generous spirited  people, eager to share and learn both with us and from us.   They have done everything possible to make us feel at home both on campus and at the homes where we are staying.  On Sunday we went to a really nice family for dinner.  The house was like something out of Grand Designs, set in acres of land. The scenery is breathtaking and words fail me to describe the beauty of the mountains that surround the city with rests in the valley below them.  First day we also gave our presentations which seemed to go down well.  The students were very responsive to all we threw at them.  Especially our colloquialisms, Michelle was explaining how something could go west and further used the expression to explain this by saying that a thing goes pear shaped and later they said that they all thought she was saying they had pear shaped hips.   OOOOOOPS! Joe, Amy and Tolly have done everything possible to accomodate us both on campus and off.  Such wonderful people. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Tuesday 27 AprilChris, Jude, Louise, PatriciaLetterpress Demo amToday we were introduced to the letterpress process by Rob Buchert and saw history brought to life by a master craftsman in suit and sandals. We were very worried for his toes as he worked the press! We saw the physical activity needed to assemble blocks of text, the special relationships formed between type face blocks and the tactile nature of the sculptural letter forms. And we noted the personal interaction inherent in assembling the text block which is missing in our default habits with the digital text.  Despite careful planning with the composing stick, the end print was still a big surprise and contained satisfying embossment which embedded the text into the paper. More thought was involved, making your choice of words far more important. The process creates a special quality, and seems to invest something significant into the meaning of the words.  After the session we taked about how we might incorporate letterpress into the project. Michelle suggested that it might provide a further opportunity to produce a collaborative piece involving not just WMC but the combined group.  The result was an idea to produce a prose poem, with Louise's guidance, using text to record our personal observations or our impressions of Utah's astonishing landscapes.We have made a plan to introduce the idea to the whole group tomorrow as a suggested partner piece to the collaborative litho plate we will take on our travels.  We will get feedback from the group on what they think about this.  Lithography Demo pmMFA Student Amy Royer introduced us to BYU's litho department and demonstrated the printing process with a print from a prepared litho stone.Its a long and complicated process which both baffled and beguiled us.  We want to do more but time is so short.  Our solution to make it acessible to us was to limit colour and to share plates, and also incorporate plate images from the group into our individual prints for the book.  Despite the complexity, Amy, succeeded in hooking us into the possibilities of the process and broke down quite a few barriers to its technical considerations and we are determined to give it a go.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Wednesday 29 April - Caroline Michelle's Book arts intro This morning we had a presentation on book making by Michelle followed by a demonstration on paper folding techniques.  Although I am a third year, this was new to me because I joined the Wirral Met in the third year and hadn't done bookmaking at my previous University.  It was a fun day, but also challenging  thinking about what we are going to present as our final piece.  We have bought paper and materials in the very well stocked University shop (we are completely spoiled now, we must speak to our college reps when we arrive home!).  Tonight we have had an amazing meal at our host's house and are preparing for our adventure to Bryce Canyon tomorrow.  Hair wash night tonight as facilities are going to be stretched for the next three days of camping.  Lydia has bought $20 dollars of sweets to eat on way, hope it stays down as will be driving for at least 5 hours!  LydiaWe had already tried the majority of exercises in paper folding but today was a much needed refresher course. I found the ideas the BYU students had were  very interesting and made me think about folding, collage and paper sculpture I had not previously considered. I enjoyed the lesson and it has definatly promted me to start thinking about the format I want my "Mapping the West book" to take. I am excited but anxious about the camping trip, but as with everything else I will end up really enjoying it, even with scorpions and bears. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Wednesday 28 April Book intro and planning for camptripChristine We’re off to the desert on the first leg of our foraging tour to gather images and impressions that we can interpret into print. We leave at 8 o’clock in the morning, but I am nervous about the task ahead. It’s hard to prepare for the project when you have no idea where you will be going, or what you will be doing. And you don’t know what you don’t know yet.   We are all armed with the technical skills to produce something special, but we don’t know what to expect from the landscape we are about to see for the first time no matter how many cowboy films we have seen. My mind is full of dangers and hazards such as scorpions, snakes and sand, and it is hard to concentrate on anything else, so planning ahead a challenge.Despite these dangers I am looking forward to the trip. New experiences are good for the  soul and I hope that inspiration will flower in the desert. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Thursday 30 AprilBryce Canyon and the first day of camp out Cath Mcgrail Wow what a day, the weather improved as we travelled south to Escelante andwe reached Bryce Canyon by lunchtime in bright sunshine. We ate a delicious lunch prepared for us by our hosts and then we set off to walk the canyon.You get a taste of what is to come when you look over the rail at the incredible landscape below, the alien shapes and the intense colour, but walking down the steep path right into the canyon you become engulfed and swallowed up by these monolithic sculptural forms, the deep deep orange colour intensifies and changes constantly with the changing light.The trek takes you deep into the heart of the canyon and bottoms out into a dry river bed. At this point you are in the middle of a western movie and lizards are skittering across your path. The trail then begins a steep ascent up through the canyon and the landscape changes again. Looking back the rocks change shape and colour and then finally you reach the top of the path and the landscape is again laid out before you. I was lucky enough to stand on this path alone, no other walkers and in silence. I have never felt so overawed by a landscape the way I have here. We use superlatives all the time, awsome, incredible, superb, wonderfull, but in the case of Bryce Canyon they all apply and then some. I have discovered the worlds best architect and sculptor is nature itself and I would not have missed this sight and this experience for anything.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Thursday 30 AprilReflections on the camp out and the cultural differences of BYC and WMC Lili Hall BYU studentWhen I was a little girl, I would go on road trips with my dad. He would give me a map of Southern Utah and tell me that I could pick any point on any road, and off we would go. As a result, I've been exposed to many rugged terrains off the beaten path, and the sometimes barren/ sometimes lush (it all depends on elevation, the latitude, and the time of year) landscape of Escalante is very familiar and homey to me. I was excited to go to Bryce Canyon with the Liverpool group, though, since this is one famous site in my own home state that I've never seen with my own eyes.I found that being with people who were seeing this kind of landscape for the first time influenced the way I viewed things--I kept wondering what our new friends were thinking of the mountains, of the highways, the dry air, the red rocks, the heights, the blue sagebrush, the s'mores...of everything. Viewing the sites through their eyes gave me a bit of a fresh perspective on the land I sometimes take for granted. I paid attention to the comments people made--both from the BYU group as well as the Liverpool group. The Liverpudlians expressed things such as "I feel so small" or "everything is so big," while those of us who grew up here said things like "even though I've never been to this very spot, it still feels like coming home." I don't typically realize just how cowboy-ish this countryside really is until I'm with people with lovely English accents!In October, I came home from a yearlong study program in England. Having lived in the English countryside so recently, I can't help but juxtapose the two places (Utah and England) in my mind as I embark on this Mapping the West art collaboration. The two landscapes are so vastly different... but they're the two parts of the world most familiar to me. I think that travel impacts the way one sees and appreciates their own home. The fact that I've seen Liverpool gives me a bit of insight as to where my new friends are coming from as they come out to visit. I can't help but link the two places in my mind as I approach this Mapping the West book arts project, and I think that my piece for the show will be an exploration of my thoughts as to how the two places and their people are (or are not) linked insofar as my own experiences are concerned.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609  Friday 1 May Calf Creek Canyon HikePaul Bearman, WMC StaffThe students were invited to take part in an informal drawing session, on the 5 mile hike up Calf Creek box canyon, to record their perceptions of this unusual place.This approach, of observing the landscape using traditional drawing materials, proved to be a successful and engaging experience evidenced by the varied interpretations which were shared at the end of a physically tiring day. Bryan Hutchison BYU student We came to map the Southwest of Utah. On our hike today we were encouraged to draw, to make rubbings, to interact with the land through mark marking. Explorers and settlers make maps - a sort of document symbolizing their conquering an unforgiving land, or a document of ownership. I wanted my friends from Liverpool to conquer this land, to own it, to be a part of it, and bring a piece of it back with them.We created a sort of relation with the landscape, perhaps even connected to a sense of past peoples connection to a land that gave and took life, and we bring a piece of it to the world.   Max BYU StudentI have never seen this land before. Talking with the Liverpudlians about their landscape has helped me realize how unique the land we are visting is. They helped me realize the absolute control water has in shaping the land and dictating what lives or dies. Having never visited England I can only imagine how opposite the landscapes really are.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Saturday 2 MayPacking up the camp, the Petrified Forest and Devils Garden and homeward bound through the mountainsJoe Ostraff, BYU tutor Travelers consider all sorts of things, time destination, exposure to new foods, new germs, a strange bed and meeting others. Others are those people heard of, but unknown. For those that will receive the travelers there are concerns of service, will it be enough and will the traveller feel welcomed. After the initial shock of all this and more and the first meeting, comes the time together. In this case it has meant long van rides to distant and hostile lands, heat more like an oven, sleeping on sandy ground, eating strange combinations of foods, walking like a pioneer, and thinking about the project that must come to be in less than four days. The exchange of ideas has been unbeliveable. The Wirralites have performed brilliantly! They have brought with them a fresh eye for the land and the BYU people are being challenged to rise to the occasion.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 SundayDay of sleeping in, rest and reflectionMichelle RowleyLast night we returned from our camping trip tired, dirty and very happy to have survived the wilds of Utah and to have had the opportunity to experience such an incredible environment. The camping in tents bit, which initially worried everyone for all sorts of reasons, was absolutely fine. No scorpions, no snakes, no bears – what we did see were chukkas, chipmunks, hares, deer, antelope, lizards (assorted sizes), crickets, beetles, massive crows, a water snake, and we caught trout at the waterfall and saw elk on the mountain road home. No casualties and no bites! I carried the EV8 forms all the way up the canyon, in the 85 degree heat, for nothing!For the first time this Sunday morning we all slept past the 5 am internal alarm clock that has been waking us up all this week. This morning has been a time of reflection and planning for all of us in Amy and Tali’s house. We started by compiling all our individual text elements into a composed piece, which we will show the BYU students on Monday morning when we next all meet up. The text piece originally came about as an idea to accompany the group litho that we began on Saturday night after our hike at Calf Creek, and we intended to use the letterpress facility at BYU to produce it. This has now changed after a suggestion from Meredith at BYU who is now going to help Louise edit the text with Illustrator and then expose on to a litho plate for speed and economy. Tomorrow we will collect the rest of the text from the BYU group to complete the piece, which we intend will be an impressionistic text portrait of the landscapes we have visited.After an outing this afternoon to Salt Lake City and a really lovely meal at Joe’s sister-in-laws home, we all returned to ‘our place’ to share our book ideas. We discussed our various approaches and made paper models to try to make tangible some of the practicalities involved in working in an unfamiliar print department.We think most of us are set to begin tomorrow, I think I am going to find my own ability to work alongside everyone else quite a challenge as I am leading the project and advising everyone, so it will be interesting how much time I can keep for myself.Keeping the blog updated with posts from a range of participants is also proving to be a full time job, but we have computer access at ‘home’ to help us. With the time difference, we are 6 hours behind the UK, some of our posts stretch into the next day UK time, so if things seem out of sync this is probably why. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 4th MayStarting work on the projectMichelleWe began today with a meeting to draw everyone together and focus on the work we have to do for the project deadline of Thursday lunchtime. The exhibition of the work is on Thursday evening in the exhibition space in the Harris Fine Arts Centre, its a great space and we have lots of technical help to install it. The gallery is just off the atrium space pictured.At the meeting we discussed and finalised the collaborative text piece and Louise and Meredith have now processed it an we will print it up on the letter press tomorrow.We made a group decision to start another collaborative litho plate as we thought the one we started on the camping trip, although fun to do, did not really reflect the content of the text piece and we wanted them to be parner pieces.We were all on edge today, trying to get things started, trying to learn how to access various facilites at BYU and generally worrying about the quality of our ideas. But we have all made a good start and we have been very well supported by the staff and students here. Cath and Louise have begun a litho plate each, something they have never done before, we are using Macs which are also unfamiliar. Julie has been introduced to Illustrator to help speed up her process of applying text to image.All of these obstacles are a challenge, but we are rising to them and adapting as we go. Amy has once again been a huge help with her great patience, knowledge and thoughtful organisation. It was also Cath's birthday today and we made sure we celebrated this evening to let off steam and we surprised her with a spontaneous get together with cake and candles late this evening.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 4th may BYU response to Starting the project Laura Barlow – BYU I overheard a conversation as I sat sketching in the cold air at the base of Calf Creek Falls.“This sort of stuff; they’re mostly just for fun. They help me clear my head. I like to do more conceptual pieces”.Caroline, from Liverpool, just asked my professor, Joe Ostraff about his artwork. I found myself wanting to blurt out my own responses, in place of his modesty: “The fact that you are here is proof of Joe’s art work!” (I said it out loud, only to the friend seated beside me.) I can’t think of a better way to put it. I consider Joe to be more of an organiser of people than a painter. His projects mostly involve placing people in situations where they can share their own stories and listen to those of others. I esteem his art with the highest respect. If only he had a website I could link you to here; I regret that he doesn’t have one.I believe that the best art is educational, it helps you question your own beliefs and way of life, it leads you to consider the beliefs and lives of others, and / or helps you further appreciate the beauty of the most basic things around you. I have experienced all of this during the Liverpool exchange. The red rock cliffs, my ease with breathing at high altitudes, my body’s natural adjustment to the desert heat, the religion I practice on a daily basis, and the accent with which I speak my native language all began to feel exotic in the company of my British camping companions. Having never travelled to England, it’s been educational to see others celebrate their own places of origin and to discuss and imagine their own trajectories. Exploring both our similarities and differences helped me to see outside myself and remember that millions of others share this world in their own, very real experiences. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Tuesday 5 May2nd day of printing and makingRebecca from BYU explains her ideas for her book When we were in the Escalante area we were shown a map of Utah from 1868 that had a big empty white circle of where Escalante was. This area had been unexplored and left blank. This part of Utah was one of the last places in the US to be explored and made known to the rest ofthe world. I don’t really like that because to me Utah is the greatest place in the world. My ancestors found Utah to be a safe haven, they worked the land, my parents met here, and I did my growing up in Utah.For my project I have been researching Utah maps. I have found a collection that spans from 1782 to present day. I want my project to illustrate the evolution of mapping Utah. At first I planned to show these maps creatively in layers or some way to chronologically show the history. But I realized that I don’t want the focus to be on the world discovering Utah. I want it to also show that Utah has always been here and why it is important to me, whether it is mapped on the world or not. So instead I have used the old maps I found as a springboard to my own exploration of what Utah has meant and does mean to me; poppies, rainbow arch, Lake Powell, the tabernacle, Mormon temples, the lamp-posts in my city, my home. I hope my project will show how long the process has been for recognition, but if not- at least I was reminded of why I love my home land.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Tuesday 5 May2nd Day of making and printingToday we printed an edition of the group litho plate with Joe's help. Everyone got a 5 minute slot to have a go at printing it. It was something that we have never done before and some of the BYU students hadn't experienced either.Both Cath and Louise have managed to complete a litho each and they have turned out really well, though it is a time consuming and troublesome process.Michelle and Louise helped meredith to print the edition of the collaborative text piece using a phtographic letterpress plate on an automated press. It was a really interesting session and very satisfying to see it done, its so much better than a digital / inkjet print. WMC Group comments: Julie: "I was really nervous about using Illustrator, even with the help of Amy and Meredith, so I used photoshop instead but will have to face it again tomorrow. But I am confident enough to have a go again."Patricia: "I have found it challenging getting used to how different materials behave here, but I have thouroughly enjoyed today and have produced some interesting work.'Christine: "The day went very quickly and I have learnt some new and useful skills. I've nearly finished my book now, only the cover to do now. The BYU students have all been very encouraging and there has been a good exchange of skills and knowledge between us." ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609   Michelle Rowley   Today has been another busy day. As tomorrow’s deadline looms, some of us still have much to do, whilst others have completely finished. There is a concentrated atmosphere in the studios and I have been busy helping to resolve production problems for some and settling nervous anxiety in others.   The major problem is that the short making period leaves no time for prints to dry before handling, but we have overcome this niggle. Necessity definitely is the mother of invention and this has been born out thought the creative interpretation of the project brief and the adoption of new print methods to speed up image making where possible.   Between the two groups there is a shared interest in, and respect for, each other’s work with much discussion about possibilities, methods, sharing of skills and research resources. It has been really enjoyable to watch this happening and I think that the camping trip has definitely fostered this trust in each other.   The facilities at BYU are amazing and they have been made easily accessible to us, we will miss the airy print studios, the huge etching press, the enormous and affordable digital print suite and the well stocked college shop which is more like a department store!   But more than any of these things, we are already sorrowfully thinking of our goodbyes to come and wondering how we can stay in touch, with all the friends we have made, into the future.    ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Thursday 7 MayFinal day and Exhibition set upOur house made it in for 7 am this morning while the lads went fishing with Joe at 6am.The BYU students were working till 2am last night to get done and most of us made the 12 pm deadline this lunch time.The pressure to complete our books has made an interesting difference to the usual way we might prevaricate and delay decisions, but we have had to be decisive and productive with our time from monday morning till now.Even under the strain of our deadline the students have continued to help those who needed support and the good humour has persisted to the end across both groups.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Thursday 8 MaySetting up the exhibitionMichelle RowleyOrganising the exhibition was relatively straight forward, even though we did not have all the books ready for the 12 pm deadline. The gallery technicians had everything under control with plinths available from their excellent gallery resource area, printed names, titles and statements at the ready and expert help in suggesting various ways to hang the variety of works.With 35 pieces to display it was busy, decisions had to be made quickly again, but the group generally knew the best methods for their individual presentations. Agreement was easily reached on location and I especially was really honoured that my book was the first piece on view as you entered the space. We left the final touches to the gallery staff who adjusted the lighting and made minimal tweaks to give each piece the most favourable position. It was one of the easiest group shows I have been involved with and I have to thank Josh and Joe for making that happen.Leaving our books in the gallery so soon after completing them was a strange separation experience. It suddenly dawned on us that after our intense production time and all the care and thought we had lavished on them they wouldn't be ours for at least a couple of weeks, until the exhibition was over and Joe posted them back to us. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Thursday 8 May 7 - 9 pm Utah time'Mapping the West' Exhibition OpeningMichelle Rowley The private view was a really enjoyable occasion for us. While we had gone home in the late afternoon to clean up Josh and his gallery staff had applied the final touches and brought the show together. It looked stunning and as we moved around the space all our hard work was made clear to us.We had a busy night meeting friends and family of our BYU collaborators and we recieved very positive feedback from everyone. There is something about artists' books which invites curiousity and engagement from an audience and we were rewarded with an attentive appreciation for the ideas we had hoped to convey in our books. I could see that my students were both relieved to have complete their work and to see that the quality and content of their pieces matched their peers at BYU.Joe gave a short and emotional speech thanking us all for meeting the challenges of the two week project with good humour and courage. He presented each of us from WMC with a T-shirt commemorating all the places we had visited in Utah, starting with Walmart!We were all a bit bleary eyed by the time he had finished as we realised that we would be going home the next day and this amazing experience would be over. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 11 May Recording and taking stockMichelle RowleyThe following posts have been published on our return to Liverpool. We had such a busy time with long hours on the last two days of the trip that getting time to post our experieces was difficult, but I hope to make it up now.On the flight home I asked each student to think through their responses to the challenges of this extraordinary trip and I am publishing each one, as they come in, alongside their book works.Cath McGrailHaving just returned home and still suffering from jet lag, I am remembering the things that stand out:The fantastic people we met and their friendliness, the extraordinary hospitality we received and the experiences we shared. The camping trip: Bryce Canyon and Calf Creek, the fabulous sights we saw and the exhaustion we felt. The enjoyment of eating food coooked in a fire pit outdoors when you are famished. The dubious pleasure of sleeping in a tent and being strangled by a sleeping bag in the night. My birthday; a great burger and a margarita at Chilli's and a surprise party at the girls house and a cake with my name on it. Thank you all, it was very special.The experience of working in unfamiliar surroundings was a bit daunting and the tight schedule left little room for error or manoeuver. With more time I would have done things differently. Overall it was an experience I would not have missed. I feel very priviledged to have been given this valuable opportunity and it is something that I will never forget.Louise TettTo imerse myself in BYU's culture has been a unique experience. I was surprised how open and welcoming the students were and how quickly we bonded as a group. After working on my own for some time it was inspiring to be part of a new group and to spend two weeks discussing and making work of shared experiences. I was pleased with the work I produced and excited to have tried new processes. I think the standard of the whole group has been high and we have all benefited from this exchange. Andrew CoadyI was initially anxious about working with the BYU students. Not having any idea of how they worked or what their work would be like was extremely intimidating. However as soon as I had settled in and met them my reservations dissappeared. They were emormously inviting and helpful. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 11 May Judith HillIt was an experience of a lifetime, something that will stay with us forever. The artists' book collaboration brought together two different cultures and proved that with a shared common interest we can work, and live, together and achieve goals that are both rewarding and of a high standard. We take from it memories of friends made and personal goals met, these things that will sustain us as artists and add a new dimension to our personal lives. Well done everybody!   Christine TaylorThe Utah mountains are set in stone, but they yield, eventually, to their environment. I realise that I was set in my practice - using screen print as a safe option. Screen print was not available at BYU, so I stretched myself to create a response to my experiences using materials that were not comfortable or familiar to me. Out of my comfort zone I paid more attention to the materials and expanded the choice to include papers beyond those available in the print studio. Working with students from another country, I saw things through fresh eyes and received inspiration as a reward for opening up my mind to new ideas and processes. The pioneering spirit of the people we met has renewed my own positive outlook and I look forward to improving my practice to stretch beyond my own frontier.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 11 May Scot HornbyUtah was a place I never thought I would visit in my life time. It's not the usual holiday destination, or one of the regular areas that tourists visit in America so to have had the opportunity to go there, I am forever grateful. The landscape is indescribable, since I've been back home poeple have asked me "what is it like?" and I haven't been able to even touch upon doing these places justice. The scale and colours of the landscape just cannot be fully justified in words. Even the photographs only give a small glimpse into the experience. I couldn't write about my experiences without mentioning how wonderful the poeple were who we met out there. We received the warmest welcome and were treated with such care. To go to places so far away from home, a place which is considered so culturally different, and to be welcomed with open arms and accepted into a family home was something I will never forget and I really do hope I have the chance to visit Utah again in the future. A dream come true!Caroline RaceWhat have I brought away / learned from the project? I have learned to work under extreme exhaustion and pressure and still be able to produce a piece of work that I am satisfied with. This project has enabled me to adopt my methods and practice to incorporate different materials and unfamiliar tools and studio space. Most importantly it has been the people I have worked with, both my peer group and the American tutors and students, who have made the trip special. Team work has been exceptional. The hospitality and the large, well organised meals provided on the camping trip for 40+ people was a site to behold and something to be treasured and used for future projects.Patricia GravesWhat a two weeks!! We packed in so much, tried to learn some new skills, but only scatched the surface. With time constraints being so fine, there were decisions made that would have taken me weeks at home. Not much time to put Plan B in action when Plan A was not working as well as was hoped. Learning to use a Mac took some time to pick up the basics too. Poor Julie had Illutrator to adjust too as well. It was really hard to leave my piece behind, it felt so strange. All in all, it was a lot of hard work to produce a piece for the show, but so worth it interms of a learning curve of imense proportions and a of a great all round life experience. Thanks, Michelle, for all your hard work in setting up this opportunity for us.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 11 May Lydia GarritsenThe Utah trip was definitely a once in a lifetime experience with an environment and scenery that was inspiring. I enjoyed the book collaboration immensely and I was glad we had the chance to use the materials and printing methods that our college does not facilitate Julie DoddI will have many fond memories of my time in Utah. I have spent the last two weeks in the company of friends I regard dearly. Its been an unexpected experience of a lifetime. I have learnt much more about my art practice and about myself too. I've conquered fears and ventured into many unfamiliar territories. I've been edged out of my comfort zone almost constantly.Being unable to screen print I turned to digital methods and was challenged by a programme I was unfamiliar with. I was pushed to the limit with time running out, but after tears, I thrived under pressure. With more time i would have made slight adjustments, probably evident only to myself. I have left feeling excited at being reunited with my family, but also saddened at the ending of this adventure and at leaving my new friends behind.Paul BearmanBy collaborating and sharing ideas the students from WMC and BYU were able to develop their work to a really high standard over a short period of time. This process culminated in a rich and varied exhibition which demonstrated the admirable strength of commitment, by both staff and students, to the project. For myself, I found this interactive work ethic very beneficial and I have carried away with me many further ideas which I would like to pursue for future projects.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609 Monday 11 May Michelle RowleyThis has been an incredible trip for us all. We have done so much in such a short space of time and have achieved unexpectedly high rewards whilst being constantly challenged, facing our fears, having a lot of fun and making a lot of friends. We have learned much, much more about our individual capabilities and stretched ourselves as artists.This was the first time I had led on both an international and a collaborative project. In the early stages of the planning for this trip, as far back as September '08, BYU's Joe Ostraff was enormously helpful in forming a focus for the project and especially since January when we began to turn plans into reality. Our joint positivity allowed us an easy agreement of primary ideas that would drive the project and gave me confidence in my ability to deliver an appropriate learning experience for both his students and mine.Teaching students who's abilities and knowledge were unknown to me was a daunting thought. Now I've done it, and had such supportive feedback from the BYU students, I know not to worry. In fact the diverse expertise of the group was something that on this collaborative project was a great extra resource. Specialist skills were shared across the groups and this exchange of approaches and experiences was both gratifying to witness and richly rewarding for all. In retrospect I now know that it was because of the atmosphere of respect, trust and mutual curiosity which we generated that allowed this to happen. We did this through a varied range of activities from presentations on our home city, of our individial art practices, introductions into book arts production, through sharing ideas and fears for the project and through the fast track to bonding - the camping expedition.The 'Mapping the West' project has introduced many of us for the first time to the idea of 'wilderness', to what it means to us as a culture and why we might want to protect and revere wild states in nature. This direct experience has posed us, individually and collectively, with many questions about ourselves and our place in the world. We have also considered the cartographer's art of map making, of what we include and exclude in our topographical guides to landscape and of the narative of experience that is mostly unrecorded in grid references. In travelling through this region we have made our own maps, which have been formed through memories of this amazing place, the stories we tell each other on our return and of the generosity and friendship of the people we met. This is what you will find in our books.Thank you so much to Joe and his family, and Amy and Tali for putting us up and putting up with us and to all the staff and students at BYU. www.movingfeast.co.uk   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/523609