ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [1 December 2008]

During our initial meeting around 25 artists from a wide geographical spread, stretching from Shropshire to Gwynedd to Liverpool to Cheshire, were brought together at the Regional Print Centre in Yale College, Wrexham and each gave a presentation on their current practice.

The session was felt to be hugely uplifting and encouraging for all involved and the idea of collaborative exchange was put forward. It was decided that this exchange would take place over a period of around 5-6 months. Leading up to the Wrexham Print International which takes place April to June 09.

Each artist involved talked about their work and the ideas and concepts being explored. These presentations took around 10mins each and gave us an insight into many different ways of working.

I suggested that, having seen the range of work, we look at a very open theme to work with, and so "A Sense of Place" was suggested; a theme that could be very specific or quite open, personal or grand scale.

Artists were randomly selected to work with a partner. Email addresses were exchanged and the process had begun. People excitedly chatted about how they hope it will develop, ideas, meeting up again.

It is planned that each artist will work on a print based artwork up until January and then send it, by post or email to their partner for them to respond to and create a partner piece.

I'm not sure how the project will work, or indeed if it is workable. I hope the project will develop quite organically, some relationships will develop , some will fail, some will be the start of longer term collaborations. The completed work will be presented in some format, either as a publication, a presentation or a display at our Conference which will take place to coincide with the Print International Exhibition.

Steffan Jones-Hughes 

# 2 [19 December 2008]

Thinking about Place:

Orang Utan = people jungle /people (of the) jungle. Our guide said to us we know there are people in the jungle but we don't know how many of them are people of the jungle.There are Orang in the jungle but we don't know how many are Orang Utan. The jungle belongs to the Orang Utan, it is their place. The large male appeared slowly and deliberately swinging from branch to branch. He sat on the feeding platform and surveyed us, there was an air of peace and calm. We were in the presence of royalty. This was his place.

Place is different from location. Location is where we happen to be. Place moves as we move. Sense of place includes the feel of place and the feeling for place.

I have uploaded a slide show to:

http://web.me.com/donbraisby/Site/borneo_web_page....

don braisby

# 3 [7 January 2009]

I am lost in this place, it is beautiful and green but it is strange and slightly unerving and I am invisible to everyone.  I am trying to make 'sense' of it to gain a sense of it.  I have been relocated but somehow I have forgotten to bring my place with me, I feel that maybe I forgot to pack it, I don't seem to fit in anywhere.  So now I am re-inventing myself, making a new place for myself, squeezing myself in.

Louise Tett 

# 4 [8 January 2009]

Thinking about place

"You can't know who you are until you know where you are". Wendell Berry.

Sense of place involves the feel of place and feeling for place. Sense of place a refuge from the unknown. Place is where things come together.

# 5 [8 January 2009]

Play space

# 6 [11 January 2009]

It has been incredible here, the frost so hard that everything is sugar encrusted like Narnia  I dedcided that was it, I couldn't hide in the house anymore so I went out and stomped through the fields.  I have been making experimental lino etching prints based on constructed spaces and will continue this having made a new set of plates based on my walking experience.  I set some of the prints (on tissue) into a tray of water and left them outside.  The effect was great, the prints trapped in their own frozen place, but transient, today they are gone.

Louise Tett

# 7 [12 January 2009]

Sense of place – yourself - inside the human body

I’ve looked at complex forms within the human body and have taken inspiration from the different shapes and patterns found. I’ve chosen lung tissue which I’ve simplified into very basic forms that’s then been repeatedly stencilled ready for screen printing. The finished piece has been screen printed in layers and is about life and growth.

Julie Dodd

# 8 [13 January 2009]

Alison and I have been reflecting on how to work collaboratively on developing images for and in print.Working separately and sharing images developing the images in the light discussion or combining them in some way.

This image was made up of separate intaglio plates placed on an inked up back plate.

The second image was made up of two etched plates and a photograph brought together in Photo Shop. This layering and building up of an image may be a way of developing truly collaborative prints.

don

# 9 [14 January 2009]

My collaborative partner and I met up last week to discuss ideas.

Jane's been using paper pulp squeezed in her hand to create sculptural forms. Photographs show them wet are vibrant. The fibres from the pulp stand out, making the images look organic and almost plant like. But now that the pieces have dried out they look dead and withered.

We talked about ideas for each others work, but we haven’t discussed what we could do together yet. No new ideas are forming for me yet and I'm starting to worry.

Julie Dodd

# 10 [15 January 2009]

I'd be interested in seeing the pictures. Could they be used in a mixed media collage or photo shop montage?

don