Silk is smooth

For the last two days we have been in beginning silkscreen block and while at first seeming somewhat complicated ( doesn't it all, at first!) by the end of today I had my first exposed screen drying and had already started reworking the initial image with a view to taking a second screen which will then be dropped into the first - maybe a slightly different colour; here was what I left this evening:

 

...below is the MRPVC sheet with the working image which has already been modified - it will be interesting on Tuesday to see what sort of an image the first screen produces.

 

This morning Des gave us a terrific run through a number of artists who have worked with screens and I was particularly fascinated because way back in the 60s I can remember Bobbie Ballagh working with silkscreen and I only had the haziest idea of what it entailed although I can still remember the multiple images he made, all of a pretty political nature; in fact, I will go and dig one up now and pop it on here

This was called Series 4 from 1969 and was related to the Civil Rights marches in Northern Ireland.

 

 There were a lot of names this morning and I intend to work my way through them over the next while, online and in the library, but first I would like to mention something else from this morning.

 

With  CCS over for now, I have returned to reading Robert Hughes on the train and it was coincidental that the subject was Andy Warhol from 1982. It was interesting to try to elicit what Des felt about the same Andy - noncommittal, maybe - because Mr Hughes certainly did not do any fence-sitting. Considering what has happened in the art world and the world of "celebrity" since then the essay makes fascinating reading.

 

This artist was who I really wanted to talk about, though. Robert Hughes' review was of Saul Steinberg (1914 -1999) and while the name was familiar it was only when I looked up his images I realised I had often seen them before. The review was of a show in NY in 1978 covering his drawings, prints watercolours and oils and a point was being made about art versus illustration.  Now while I was checking out Mr Steinberg I came across this work by Francesco Bongiorni:

 

 

 

 

 

They are described as illustrations and I have not been able to find out how they were made, but on the basis of a lot of the work we looked at today what is illustration and what is art, and does it matter?

 

Well it seems to matter to some people and maybe indeed there is a a deep chasm between these two areas of work, but maybe equally there is a certain amount of pretension here.  I stand to be ticked off..............

 

Once again though, I recommend Robert Hughes Book - 'Nothing if Not Critical' -to stir up ones thinking and also for tight examples of close critical analysis

 

 

A-Ha...............you thought I had forgotten

 

 

Public Print

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The path softens

Here we are almost in May - wow! how fast was that year; I thought that in my case it might have something to do with one's particular stage in life but less grizzled contemporaries tell me that it is the same for them.
There was a rtain amount of  anticlimatic feel in the print studio last wednesday after the CCS exam was complted in the morning and the essy hande in to  Kieran in the afternoon.----ooooof!
The exam wasnt as unnerving as everyone expected but doubtless some of us (??!!?) probably weere a little too verbose when answereing the qestion on the controversial painting:

 

But writing about artwork in general is soething I really enjoy. - I just hope the examiner enjoys it too....

Finishing the essay was, as always, somewhat of a relief; this one - Urban Imaginations -was quite challenging, perhaps becauase of the breadthe of the possibilities when approacching and then the constraint of 1000 words. Its a ubject I woudl like to approach again because one of the consequences of the researh for the essay was the number of new books I came in contact with and which I would love to dekve into mre deeply - so much ahead.

 

Anyway back to litho - by tuseday evening I had finished a second print with a lot of help from Des - it was quite a struggle to get a decent print off the stone this time:

This was probably the best -it hasnt got quite the unity of image taht first one had:

 

 

But surprisingly someone instantly recognised them both, that is, where their source was - anyway after thet,I deciced to give litho a rest and regrained the stone - /the image must have been well-etched becuse it needed  nienruns with the coarsest carborundum. I'll defintitely be back there again because I feel I have unfinishd business with stone.

 

I have been thinkung about wher I want to takt he imagery now  and interestingly I feel that I have come to terms a bit with my last life and that maybe I can start to rintroduce my past into my present:

 

 

Maybe bit from the skull too:

 

 

We will be moving over to sceenprint on monday and I am looking forwrd to this because /i can remember Robrt Ballagh doing 'silkscreen' in the 60s and 70s and I  never fully understood what it was .

 

This was how my wall l;oked on Friday when I finished:

 

 

On the outside, things got quite interesting in that I stayeed in a hotel - Kijmurry Lodge - on Thursday night so that I could go to the Third Year Print Show in Raggle Taggle and partake somewhat more in the social side of theings .......... very social.

One interesting consequence was the view off the full moon as it ensconced itself a the top of Williams Street.......... no really, it wasnt just me others saw it too!!

I intend to do a drawing of same.

The show....

 

 

 ...brilliant  and I can only repeat what I said to a number of people (poor people!) that you are only limited by yyour imagination.

Another thing that came to mind was that the boundaries between varioos areas of art are becoming more blurred and yet a show like PrintEd in LSAD gallery which I visited again recently shows that there is a place for the more tradional print show also.

 

After Des' talk yesterday morning I visited 'Recollect' (briefly -dodhgy parking) then went up to see anoher extemely imaginative exhibition:

 

in the Treaty taxi yard

 

 

This is third year Sculpture and Combined Media and I really did like this; a few images

 

 

Celeste Siopa - Celeste Cubero      Invisible Cities - Michlle Perera

 

2191 Memories -Graine Timon (terrible Picture -sorry Grainne; and I particularly liked this)

and a video

 Sink - Ali Kirby

 

 ..These      visirs were tryin to sneak in through a back door:

 

 

and these guys got a little Picasa editing....

 

 

Strata - Kevin O'Shea

 

The same applies here - your imagination is the only limit.

 

During the next few weeks apart from reviewing what has happened I hope to go through a number of the books I have bought and show some images from them and also show some of the work that went into the essay.

 

There is also the unfinished business of The Letters..............I'll be back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Testing Path

Hectic! Next Wednesday  there is a CCS exam in the morning and in the afternoon a CCS essay has to be handed in. Originally it was understood that the essay was supposed to be for tomorrow but there was an error and it's Wednesday.
Anyway,its done!! Finished it this morning and did a trial print of it but I think I will print it in school because the colour reproduction is better there. I am not at all sure about the qualityof the content but I would have to admit that I found it difficult to get a handle on it. 
We shall see.
Now some studying for the exam- heard that there would be negative marking for wrong answers in the middle section - ooooooooooooooooo!

To more practical matters - was at litho all week and on Friday pulled my first litho prints - and edition of five! Now there was o lot of help from Des so I will start with a new one on Monday and carry it all the way through,hopefully.

Anyway, here aer some images showing the process, staring from the object...............

 

The object

 

 

 

First position

 

 

The viewfinder

 

 

The drawing -graphite,ink and wash

 

 

The proofs

 

 

 

the print

 

Will be back after exam; fingers crossed.

 

 

 

 

Transcultural Path

This day last week I went to the opening of the first international print show as I have already noted so here are a few examples of what is there - all these will do is to whet your appetite:

 

This print is in the manner of Japanese woodblock is incredibly beautiful and the technique involved is really remarkable; the picture does not do it credit;

Litho, screen(I think) and wood or lionocut.

Here are some of the drawings I have worked on to start my first lithograph:

 

First, the wall in its most recent incarnation

 

 The sculpture

 

 

Section of the sculpture (ink and wash)

 

Later I will show the section I used, and what proceeded from that.

 

That's all for now folks  - essay to write!

The Path of Serious Print

Thursday night and openings again but this one was really special. 

The show is called PrintEd and as implied is an exhibition of print work but the pieces come from Turkey, USA and Ireland and involve teachers and students from many different colleges. Anybody who has the remotest interest in print should see this show which will continue till April 29:

Most importantly the works shown here will become part of the LCAD collection and it is to be hoped that this is the beginning of an ongoing intercultural collaboration.
The evening was graced with the presence of Dr Maria Hinfelaar (head of LIT) and a fascinating speech was given by  Christina Kennedy, Director of Contemporary Art at IMMA, who deliberated at some length of the position of print in contemporary art, particularly in Ireland. She told me that IMMA is due to move back out to Kilmainham hopefully in October - great to hear that.
The work in the show covers a remarkable range with a lot of relief work and a very high representation of etched pieces from the beautifully presented Turkish work .

Go, look, see.

Path of Shame

I cannot believe how long it has been since the last post ( dear me - that sounds a bit maudlin) - longer gap than at any time since I began.

There have been mitigating factors which I will later elaborate on.

Here are a few pictures for the fans to chew on while I get myself back into the groove:

 

 

Plus some prints I made athome - water-based inks - over the hols: