Public Presentation and Demonstrations, BuchDruckKunst

Bodman, Sarah L.; Sowden, Tom

Abstract

A talk, and series of public demonstrations over 3 days by Sarah Bodman and Tom Sowden at the invitation of Jurgen Bönig, Director of the Museum der Arbeit, and Wibke and Stefan Bartowiak of Bartkowiak’s Forum Book Art - organisers of BuchDruckKunst. Bartkowiak’s Forum Book Art have previously contributed to the Artist’s Book Yearbook as part of their parallel publishing of the annual Forum Book Art series, which has recently moved from hard copy to an edited online archive. Sowden and Bodman produce artists’ books using digital printing technologies, and have been investigating the subject for an AHRC grant over the last two years. They were invited to demonstrate to the audience (of small presses, letterpress printers, book artists, publishers and general public c. 3000 over the event) on how digital wide format printing and publish-on-demand can be beneficial for the production of artists’ books. Innova Art Ltd sponsored the demonstrations through supplying specially coated Book Art Paper for printing. Demonstrations included: printing double sided-sheets on large format printers; production for output from InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, and digital Publish-on-Demand using blurb.com, lulu.com and iPhoto, with examples of books published in these formats. BuchDruckKunst is a book fair open to the public with the aim of promoting the book arts in Germany and Europe, which draws an international range of exhibitors and demonstrators. Sowden and Bodman recruited several book artists and letterpress printers to contribute broadsides for the Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition project organised by Beau Beausoleil from the USA, for which they are co-ordinating European artists. Sowden and Bodman also visited the Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste in Braunschweig to interview Ulrike Stoltz, book artist at the school, about her practice as one of the case study artists for their AHRC project, and to present a lecture to students and staff from the school on their own practice and an overview of international artists’ books. Sowden co-hosted the AHRC project seminar reporting back on the above for: Artists’ Books Seminar 2 - Artists’ books reports from Poland, Germany, USA and UK, 20/03/09, UWE, Bristol (http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/seminar209.htm).

We also showed a display of artists’ books created using digital and P-O-D production methods by: Helen Douglas, Mette-Sofie D. Ambeck, Lucy May Schofield, Lucy Badrocke, Hilary Judd, seekers of lice, Guy Begbie, Jane Hyslop, Tracey Bush, John Dilnot, Earle D Swope, Otto, Amber Hares, Laura Russell, Laurie Clark, Tobies Jacob & Friederike von Hellerman, Jonathan Carson & Rosie Miller, Bracketpress, Cameron Fox and Meredith Swan, Conor Lucey, Andrew Eason, Angie Waller, A.C. Berkheiser, Louise Spencer, Anwen Williams and Savage.

Also exhibited a selection of digitally printed artists’ books produced at the Centre for Fine Print Research. The Handpressenmesse is a bi-annual event showcasing 50 national and international presses and book artists who work with traditional mediums such as letterpress, lithography and etching. Heinz Stefan Batkowiak also presented developments of his b-art1 online database of book artists and presses (www.forumbookart.com). The database has over 700 books online already, with details of more than 180 artists. It includes images and information on each book entered which is searchable by press, artist or author. Special exhibitions included a show of artists’ books from Turkey, curated by Nuran Terzioglu from Gallery Apel, and a selection of lithographic prints from the Internationale Senefleder-Stiftung in Offenbach am Main, of prize-winning artists, curated by Karl-Heinz Döbert.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: BuchDruckKunst - 6th Norddeutsche Handpressenmesse 2009
• Start Date: Jan 16, 2009
• End Date: Jan 18, 2009
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: artists’ books
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1000905
• Publisher URL: http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/seminar209.htm
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : BuchDruckKunst - 6th Norddeutsche Handpressenmesse 2009