Other reasons for being in the capital

Circulation  was a lucky chance but equally lucky was the fact that another event took place in Graphic Studios just around the corner from Monster Truck and three -quarters of an hour later:

 

This was a show by Brian Lalor called 'Drawing  James Plunkett's Dublin'  -an evocation of the 1913 Lockout through views of the 1970 city. This was followed by 'Who Fears to Wear the Red Hand Badge? - The Songs & Poems of the 1913 Lockout'  conducted by Francy Devine & Fergus Russell with very enthusiastic accompaniment by all present. It was a thoroughly amazing evening.

 

The next day I went to visit the National Print Museum in Beggars Bush - a place I didn't even know existed till Mary Plunkett told me of it at the letter- press demo a couple of weeks ago. Believe it or not, every time you see the Labour Court on the news you are almost looking at the museum because it is in the old barracks Chapel behind the Labour Court building. It is a remarkable place containing a least twenty fully-operational presses of one sort or another - here are a couple of beauties:

 

.....a Hopkinson and an Albion.

 

The one thing that really fascinated me was the Linotype machine and at some time I will have to get there when there is a demo.

 

But there are lovely oddities to be seen also:

 

I love Victorian Aluminium.

 

The rest of my day was inspired by Brian Lalors printwork; one of these in particular, reminded me to visit a place I would regard with the same intensity as Keem Beach in Achill:

 

 

The South Wall, Dublin Bay

 

This is a remarkable artifact and allows one to walk right out into the middle of Dublin Bay

 This is the Half-Moon Swimming Club

 

This is on the side of the Poolbeg Lighthouse which ends the wall.

 

On the way back

 

Many of the images acquired on this walk will, I think be appearing later in other areas.

 

Here's something not seen for a while:

 

 

...but what makes this notable (and the next one ) is what you see when you lift your eyes:

 

 

and

 

.........

 

Ground print with a difference

 

 

And now for something completely.......

 

These are the final prints from the first effort at home screenprinting: am already in the throes of another multi-stencil print which I will show in entirety when it is finished.

 

 

To finish here is another in the burgeoning collection of very odd holes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delete - Press Rides Again!

 

Sorry to have blasted this out at quite this size but you need to be able to take a good look at the open submission list where you will see the illustrious members of Delete-Press listed in all their glory!

Pure chance dictated that I was in Dublin last Thursday evening for another event which I will mention later, but consequently I was at the opening in Monster Truck Gallery, Temple Bar where I met Alan Crowley who was snapping away furiously.

Here are some shots I took:

 

 

These three show a reworking of the material that was produced and hung in the Source (Thurles)during the 24- hour session and much thanks is due to Alan for his work in setting up the piece in Monster Truck..... he is also suggesting D - P might think about a 72-hour session??!! 

 

 

These two works are Alan's own and the folding piece is particularly beautiful.

 

I would be a liar and a hypocrite if I did not admit that being part of an exhibit in a central Dublin gallery is a huge thrill for me.... and that won't ever change.

 

 

The Path of Mess

I have just tried my first home screen print :

 

Believe me these look a lot better in photos than they are in reality!!!

 

I created an incredible mess for a really mediocre result, but nothing loth  I will press on and, as planned, do another colour over this and see how turns out.

 

I suppose, as always, with mistakes being made, lessons are being learnt (hopefully!!)

The Wood-Block Path

Today I finished what was one of my avowed projects for the summer. Here is a photo-essay :

 

Original design

 

Plan for colour blocks

 

 

Transfer

 

 

Key Block

 

Kento registration marks

(Kento reg is used in traditional Japanese woodblock printing and is transferred from the keyblock to all the succeeding colour blocks)

 

 

 

 

How paper fits kento

 

 

Initial carving

 

Key block carved

 

 

Sheets for colour locks

 

Colour blocks marked and carved with Kento reg

 

 

Paper washed off and blocks drying

 

 

 

1st colour block

 

 

Kento reg.

 

Four colours

 

 

 

 

 

More colour blocks

 

 

 

 

 

three colours on one block

 all the colours

 

 

Prints after key block added

 

 

 

 

Key block

 

 

Four prints trimmed and remounted

 

OK what are the conclusions from this project?

As you can see the resulting prints are rather variable and these are the best ones. While I would be reasonably pleased with the registration over five blocks, the colour is patchy  and I feel it is partly due to the ink which is water-based; if things work out I may try the process again with oil-based ink. The other thing I was not happy about was the way the paper size was set up before the process: that would have to be improved.

 It was also difficult also to keep the colour blocks clean and I am not entirely sure how this can be achieved. In general, it seems better to use small rollers for inking.

Does it work as a piece of art? Well, I had an image in my mind and it proceeds from my past life and the harlequin effect would reflect how I would have tried to think about my life while involved deeply in a particular task.

 

I think there is more in this but I have to work his out of my system ... perhaps, as I already said, by using the decay process as an allegory for 'western' life.