The Path of Pop and PCP

Perhaps it could also be called the Alley of Alliteration.....

During the weekend I was digging around in the vinyl vaults and I came across this which I hadn't played for a very long time and had forgotten - particularly the title and sleeve:

 

This is a wonderful album by the pianist Geri Allen who I once saw live in Liberty Hall Theatre (great venue) . All I can find out about the cover art is that it was designed by someone called Claus Peter Bauerle and about him I can discover nothing - front looks like etching and aquatint and back like litho.

Terrifying to think that I bought this new in 1985.

 

There was a piece in the Guardian review on Richard Hamilton:

 

Just what is it that makes today's homes so different and appealing?  - Collage on paper- 1956

 

..who,in some quarters is credited with giving Pop Art its name, although I believe he always rejected this himself. Nonetheless, he was certainly a very formative influence and his work was always fascinating and it is timely that Tate Modern are having an exhibition starting Thursday - I will try to see it when I am in London in March.

Here is one I have always liked:

 

 - 1958

Hers is a Lush Situation - Oil,cellulose, metal sheet, collage on panel

 

Interestingly, looking through my books on pop brought to attention  a few artists who could have some input into the ultimate production of the Façade Edge project - Duane Hanson and Richard Estes ans even possibly James Rosenquist. I will come back to them again

 

Stony Path

Hilarious, the exaggerated expectations of what one thinks one might do in a given time.

yesterday I got the litho stone bordered and figured I would have it drawn up and perhaps first etch last evening or certainly by today....... everything takes a lot longer than one anticipates.

Here is what I did yesterday:

 

This was the drawing from the picture -reversed

 

 

Here is the stone with the drawing prepared in red chalk

Today I almost had the stone finished but I had to leave and never got a pic - will dive into it on Monday


Here are some pictures of the books made in the bookbinding workshop:

They are all a bit on the scruffy side  because we were working in rather messy conditions and anyway all those covers would be further covered. I will have to practice again as like most things you need to do them a few times before the practice is ingrained.

And finally compliments to the third year painters who put on a rather tasty cake sale with this picturesque apple pie:

 

Now I hasten to add that sculptors cakes were equally tasty - just didn't see their pie before it was cut!!!

 

Any body guess the pictures the other day - maybe you would have had the be a lithographer

 

These were the patterns made by the carborundum on the levigator and on the stone

The Stone Path

Time to get back to the workshop so I decided to select a stone and prepare for a lithograph.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm - shoulda taken Pam's advice and used that nice square stone but oh no - I wanted the big rectangular one.

Ok you pay for your pride - there was a hollow in the middle where the last person had only cleared off the image...... but not out to the edge.

twenty eight goes of  no.1 carborundum and two and a half hours later it was moderately good and will suffice for the first litho I plan to make

This will be the starting image from which I have almost finished first drawing:

 

 

Here is another sketch I have done in preparation for the project:

 

 

 

A few odds and ends - here are some pictures and whoever guesses their origin can claim an unspecified prize:

 

 

Answers later in the week

 

Finally, you know my interest in collage  - well maybe one doesn't even need to make them - this unfortunate man was snapped on C4 News the other night:

 

 

 

 

The Bound Path

I have to disappoint my audience (if there is any) insofar as I had a fascinating day from a very productive one- on -one tutorial with Breda Lynch this morning who as always gave me more pointers and encouragement (always needed)  and on to a lecture and display of artists' books from Andi McGarry and Dennis Collins of Wexford Artists' Books Exhibition (These were from their collection which produced some simply amazing work) and finally in the afternoon to a workshop where we made a number of artists books under Andi's direction.

Now the sad thing is that I (for the first time, I would say)left my phone at home ......... so no pictures.

Tomorrow, I will pic the books I made and begin telling you about the other stuff that is in train in this area.

Also, tomorrow I plan to start work on a stone to make my first print for Façade Edge. 

Sorry for lack of pertinent images  but here are a few enigmatic pieces to be going on with:

 

 

 

 

 

Think about it

 

 

Hot Path

Time to start putting in more regular posts again.

A couple of very quick drawings in Whitewater Shopping centre last Saturday:

 

I should also probably record this - my first book  published though Blurb  -very happy and think there will be a few more volumes in this series - Ground Art

 (apologies for quality of image  - it was difficult to find somewhere with no fluorescent reflection)

 

 

 

 

The other event worth recording today wa the opening of WABE - Wexford Artists' Book Exhibition in the Library this evening - Much thanks to Ann, and Dawn West for all their work 

 

Here are some of the books:

 

 

This one was wonderful:

 

 

 

More about this after workshop and lecture tomorrow

 

finding the path

OK ....this has been a very long gap - I would say one of the longest since I began this path (in passing I should perhaps mention that there is another path record being made at the moment -on paper  : I wont mention it again till it is finished ).

Lots of reasons for this gap not least a bout of 'flu (or should that be man-flu?) which made one disinclined to do serious work.

I gave a fair bit of thought to the upcoming Self-Initiated Brief and talked to various people about what I planned; I had got a pretty good handle on what I wanted to achieve  with this project and on my way in last Monday morning roughed out a plan for how I would use what seemed to be a fair amount of time to produce something that  - in retrospect  -was rather grandiose.

Anyway, best laid.... and all that sort of thing.

Monday proved to be the first day CCS 1 (with David B) and CCS 2 -'Narrative' ( Kieran C) ;  Tuesday though,was the first real day because we got our timetable for the semester, and I realised that my earlier plan was totally out the door  -time-wise, but in fact the original base still stands and the proposal went in yesterday on time. There are a lot of elements I was not expecting such as further digital work and a video project with Martin Healy.

I hope my tutor  - Breda Lynch  - is happy with the idea. Anyway I got home yesterday in time to take some initial shots in and around Thurles Shopping Centre and drove up today (despite weather ) to Newbridge to reprise original pictures in and around Whitewater  - also did a few initial sketches.

I will put up some of these without any comment as these will be just initial raw material

Strange - this should be a dud but I don't think it will be