I have very little in the way of excuses for my lack of blogging and actually making work to blog about, but moving house and studio will do (and avoid mention of procrastination and task avoidance...). 
So, late last year we sold up in town and moved to our rural property in Te Horo. Packing up my entire studio was a fairly mammoth task, the contents of which are spread over a storage garage, a container, and the house garage. The small remainder of 'essential stuff', now resides in a tiny back bedroom optimistically referred to as ' the studio'. Really it is yet another storage area for years of accumulations, but I do have a desk, and I have made some experiments and some work, albeit compromised in scale, and by materials and equipment available. But as the lovely Yoshiko Wada said, 'Limitation is Inspiration' (or something along those lines).

'Durability III' will be showing in PRINT MATTERS: New Works on Paper: a Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand exhibition at ArtsPost Galleries, Hamilton. Opening on Friday 15th June 5.30pm, until 16 July 2018.

I'm currently showing work from my 'Outsourcing' series of Collagraph prints, and larger work from my  'Paper on Paper' series, in the Lightbox at Thistle Hall, Upper Cuba St, Wellington, until January 4th.  I'll be changing the work in the Lightbox frequently, you can keep up with what's new on my artist's Facebook page. This is a one off opportunity, most of these prints are unique states. Even within editions there are substantial colour variations so if you see something you like, contact me with the title and edition number to reserve your choice. There will be some very special unrepeatable prices available too!
Today's work is 'Paper on Paper, a dialogue' (yellow) A/P, unique state, 700mm x 500mm paper size. Normally $550, Lightbox Special price, $380

In the main street of Giardini, not far from the eponymous biennale site, 'Visual Public Service' have fun taking the proverbial out of artspeak, posting 'artist's statements' in local shop window displays.

Now that I am home I've had some time to test drive my new little press (well new to me anyway). Looking pretty good for a first go I think. I'm struggling to see too much difference between these and the work I do on the Bendini press (Inverlochy), apart from several hundred millimetres of roller width (and several thousand dollars in cost, lol), so I'm very happy with my wee press so far.

One Mans Treasure... (Limitation is Inspiration!)

Much of my work is about consumption and waste. In 'Paper on Paper', I printed discarded packaging to explore the beauty and complexity of waste material. 'Outsourcing' uses cast off clothing to consider  the excesses of the fashion industry, and its practise of outsourcing garment manufacture to poorer countries.

In Spain I arrived with no fixed idea of what I would do and almost no art materials, thrown onto my own resources and what I could scavenge from the environment. The skip and rubbish pile at the winery where the residency is based, provided rich pickings.

I lay my found treasures out on a large table in the bright, clean, empty studio space (so unlike my own hoarders space at home). Overnight they foment in my mind along with the local kava wine and warm Catalan hospitality.

The next day I cut, play, work, think and write...and see what happens; how I respond to these waste materials on the other side of the world, in the physical, cultural, and political environment of Catalonia.

As well as a beautiful environment, great accommodation and studio spaces, the best thing about this residency are the people. The other artists, the lovely effervescent Meryl Custers from Australia (without whom I wouldn't have been here), Femke, and Wouter from the Netherlands . Femke is so wise and teaches us about food and journeys. Wouter creates the most fantastic installation for the Folk Foix festival and all the local children (and adults) play in it. Vicky from Canada sadly leaves shortly after I arrive, and Arnout and Iris amazingly manage a young energetic family along with the residency at Mas Els Igols and the Estudio Nomadas art school in Barcelona. There are the local people we meet at the monastery dinner, and then again exhibiting at the Folk Foix festival. The  day is organised by an impressive young man no more than 18 years old I think, and his friends. It's refreshing to see the young Catalan teenagers looking after all the younger children, enjoying the culture, dancing, and demonstrating the incredible cooperation required to make the traditional 'human towers'.

Congratulations to the winners of the International Miniprint of Cadaques 2015, 

William Barnhart, US, 'Days of delight', Drypoint and Chine collé.
Danielle Grosbusch,  Luxembourg, 'Verbindlich – III', Soft ground and aquatint.
Litzco Yamamiya,  Japan, 'One-man show',Etching and aquatint.
Cristina Pérez i Alay, Spain, 'Combatent', Etching, drypoint and collage.
Stephen Lawlor, Ireland, 'Blue tutu', Etching.
Victoria Westmacott-Wrede,  Germany, for the print 'House in a village', Etching.


In a previous blog post  I described winning the Miniprint International of Cadaqués 2014, the prize being a solo exhibition in 2015. While in Cadaqués I was also privileged to be a member of the jury for the 2015 miniprints award, which was a team effort by the six winning artists from the previous year. It was not until my return to New Zealand that the winners and finalists were announced, and it's great to see the consistent quality of the final six very diverse prints. While attempting to select just a few works from so many I made some general notes around the reasoning behind my choices (some feature among the finalists and winners, though not all) that may be of interest.

Some Notes from Cadaques...

As a judge at Cadaqués Miniprint, what am I looking for? With 683 prints my first list starts with those that reach out to me, that I have a visceral reaction to… that speak, not necessarily loudly at all sometimes very softly, but still with a certain power.

It helps (especially with printmaking) when work is technically excellent. It is not the most important thing, it is secondary to the image, but it still matters very much. That doesn’t mean ‘perfect’ at all but that the technique, materials and execution are compatible, relevant and enhance the work rather than detract from it.

Personally I tend towards work that explores the material forces of its making, whether that be the rich black ink of a mezzotint or the subtle layers and unexpected happenings of ink on ink, rich embosses or smooth fine textures. I am moved by the process made real, (though not at the expense of the idea and the image).
‘Combatent’, an etching, drypoint, collage by Christina Perez i Alay, of Spain, is a powerful, richly and textured print with intense raised areas of black ink, and deeply  punctured ‘wounds’; a striking and complex work. (As with many of the  works, the photos don't do these dimensional qualities justice).

Some digital works can be at a disadvantage against the raw ink and physicality of other techniques, especially if they are simply a reproduction of some other work. However original digital prints that show the hand and ideas of the artist, that push the boundaries of computer assisted images, are definitely strong contenders. There are several on my list, including ‘En el Transporto’, by Rafael Rivera Rosa, a painter and printmaker from Puerto Rico. The seemingly everyday occurrence of people on a train has been given a menacing and foreboding presence, that speaks of deprivation and state control. Korean born and US based Jimin Lee’s  work also impresses, in a similar vein, with people boarding an aircraft, both these prints leave a disturbing and memorable emotional resonance. I feel a little bereft in not having any artist’s statements, I have no definitive context for the work, but it does leave me free to imagine and make my own interpretations of what the artist has conveyed through the print process.

Scale is important. Small prints are like a precious gem, and often it is the quality of the detail, the strength of the composition that provides the gravitas that seems more easily attainable with larger works.

Each artist submits four works and it’s an advantage for them to be consistent, rather than diverse. Only one work is shown on the wall (the rest are in folders) but all four are a representation of a body of work, an idea of what a larger exhibition might look like.

My observations considered that intrinsic quality of voice that defies description, along with the usual underpinnings of strong composition, materiality, concept, but of course printmakers send work for many different reasons, and keeping the judges happy is probably not one of them! These are just a few of the notes I made during the exhibition to help clarify my own thoughts. There were so many wonderful prints to see and I was glad I wasn’t the only judge or the responsibility would have been daunting.

Congratulations to all the participants, finalists and to the winners on your achievement. I wish you all the best in the coming year in making your body of work for your solo exhibition, and assure you that your time in Cadaqués will be a great experience to look forward too. Plan on staying as long as you can…some artists never leave! At my opening I met Arvon Wellen of Arago Press, a previous winner who lives there permanently now, and many others who were regular visitors to this beautiful place.

 


My next blog post (I was so busy being away, that I've had to wait until now to blog about it, lol) will be about my opening night and the following week at Cadaqués (or  the residency at Penedes, or Barcelona, depending on how organised I am about chronological order!). My time at Cadaqués was really a wonderful experience, most of all because of the time I spent with Mercé, Mercé, Aliex and their family, from Taller Galeria Fort. Going out in their wooden boat, meals with friends and neighbours, singing and music, it was a privilege to be so included in their family life.  I also gained an insight into Catalan culture and politics, and the passion for an independent Catalonia, that informed much of the work I subsequently made at the residency at Mas Els Igols, and my explorations in Barcelona.

Cadaques is beautiful with jaw dropping, picture postcard good looks. The road in is a winding vertiginous climb, followed by a descent through steep hills that are terraced with countless stone walls, retaining layer upon layer of skinny earth, planted with olives. The work it must have taken to build these on such a scale seems impossible.
This has been a long journey for me, one that started last year when I received an email telling me that I was one of six winners of the International Miniprint of Cadaques. I had submitted four prints earlier in the year and in something that felt a bit like a lottery win, I had been chosen, from 750 artists from 56 countries. I was thrilled and very excited. Of course after a while that wore off slightly as I set to work to produce around 30 new prints, plus editions, by April 2015....and of course I had to go to Cadaques. Well, technically I didn't have to go, I could just have sent the work...but that was not a very appealing option. The saving grace is that mini prints are small, just 100 mm square, on a paper size of 180mm square, so I thought it wouldn't take too long (wrong!). But while it was a lot of work, I did manage to finish on time.
Then trip planning became my priority. The time involved in travelling to Europe, from New Zealand, meant that I couldn't just pop over for the opening, I had to stay for a while.
I decided to start in Venice and see the biennale, which was a great experience. Venice was wonderful, not least because I stayed in charming and peaceful Sant Elena, minutes from Giardini and Arsenale, but a world away from the tourist hordes in San Marco. My host was the lovely Veronica Green, another New Zealand artist who lives and works in Venice.  I had a wonderful week there and wished I could have stayed longer. There was so much to see I needed a month.
Escaping the heat of a single night in Barcelona, I arrived in Cadaques and settled into my apartment, with the most gorgeous views. I went straight to the beach and swam in the cool salty Mediterranean Sea. Paradise! I found the gallery just minutes away and met mother and daughter team, Merce and Merce, who run Taller Galleria Fort and Miniprint International of Cadaques. There they hold the miniprint show every year, alongside the solo shows of each of the winners from the previous year. When I arrived it was at the end of Irish artist Aidan Flanagan's exhibition. I'd already chatted with Aidan online previously and was happy to see his work in the flesh, though unfortunately missed meeting him. Aidan had bought one of my prints so that was very encouraging. As I write this ( though not as I post it ), it is Friday, the day before my opening. My lovely friend, author Jenny Mortimer (she writes murder mysteries under the more formal Jennifer Leigh Mortimer) will be joining me soon to lend moral support (not to mention a stunning meal at Compartir that warrants a blog post all of its own).