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by Marja-Leena

experiments

testdetail2A.jpg

As some readers know, my most recent printworks have been utilizing an inkjet printed clear mylar layer over a print on paper. I’ve expressed some dissatisfaction with the mylar’s shine and reflection. So, I’ve been looking into alternative materials for new work in the same series, and found some sheer polyester organza which I’ve been experimenting with. The fabric is very light and hard to cut square and obviously had to be attached to some support in order to feed it through the wide-format printer. I’ve done several tests:

1. I sprayed repositionable adhesive on fairly sturdy paper. Unfortunately the can was old and the glue sputtered on unevenly. It was difficult to get the sheer cloth on evenly and I got a lot of glue on my fingers. (Use gloves next time!) At the printer, I had a bit of difficulty feeding it in as it has to wrap around the feeding roll, but it did print! RESULT: Most of the ink passed through to the backing paper. Glue bits were stuck on the organza even after lifting it off the paper.

2. A fellow artist offered his poly-coated freezer paper to try out. I ironed the organza to this. To assure the edges stayed stuck I used painters’ green tape over the edges of the organza, gradated to the edge of the freezer paper. This went through the press quite well. RESULT: Like #1, more ink ended up on the backing, but because the coating is non-absorbent the ink pooled in some areas, so I let the ink dry before peeling the fabric off. The printed freezer paper looks pretty interesting, and the blotchy spots did remain on the fabric though faintly.

3. I tried to repeat #2 but this time the paper jammed in the printer heads, because it curls upwards! We do not want to damage the printer-heads!

4. This time I took the freezer paper/organza and taped it to a lightweight art paper. The printer heads did drag over some of the tape.

5. Repeated # 4 using thin transparent tape. This caught on the printer heads too!

CONCLUSION: The freezer paper coating is not strong enough to hold down the cloth against the handling over the feed roller and the vacuum, hence causing the fabric to lift at the tape edges and catch in the printer heads. Goodbye to this technique.

NEXT TESTS: Back to #1 with a fresh new can of repositionable adhesive and using a lighter paper backing. In addition, inkjet vellum is now on order and we’ll see how that works.

I really have to think some more about how to successfully incorporate the image on the organza because it is rather faint. I’ve also been wondering if the polyester fibre is the right choice, silk likely would have been preferable but the store did not have this. I’ve even had a bit of a “chat” with Omega, a new virtual friend and fabric-artist blogger of the fascinating Threading thoughts, who has confirmed this in her own practice.

The above image is an interesting detail of one of the test prints left behind on the freezer paper. (Someone pointed out that this is an inkjet silkscreen print!)

ADDENDUM March 2nd, 2006: Continued in experiments, part 2

February 8, 2006 in Being an Artist, Digital printmaking by Marja-Leena 5 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

frustration

Most of my prints for my exhibition are completed to my great satisfaction, but one has been giving me some trouble! It is the transparency layer for another Silent Messengers: Hoodoos. I’ve been proofing it a few times with successive adjustments and improvements. Today it took me four hours to get one print because of some problem with sending the file to the printer. This entailed several restarts of printer and computer and much impatient waiting. The resulting print proof still needed some more work which I’ve just now finished. So it’s back to the printer in the morning, with hopes that “Lucy” (our pet name for the printer) will be more cooperative! Wish me luck.

Some say that working with computers and printers are prone to problems. Actually, even hand printed work can sometimes be frustrating, maybe with getting the right colour, the right technique of wiping the ink, the right paper and pressure, and so on. It’s all about proofing whether it’s a traditional print or an inkjet.

I still have to finish trimming the prints, attach the layers to each other, sign and document them. Even if I don’t get the entire set in each edition done, but have one of each ready for the show, I can finish doing that later after the show is hung.

Yesterday I was in the rather uncomfortable role of photographer’s model! I’ve never enjoyed having pictures taken of me! One of the North Shore newspapers sent a photographer to take photos of me in front of some of my prints for their arts page, for which I’m very grateful of course. He was patient and friendly and made me relax, so we shall see how that turns out.

It has amazed me how much creative energy I have maintained the past two months. This morning I woke up naturally before 5:00 am, and was in the studio a bit after 7, but the frustrations today have felt stressful. I’m going out for a vigorous walk in the rain now!

November 9, 2005 in Being an Artist, Digital printmaking by Marja-Leena 4 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Interconnection: Eastcott / Suzuki

EastSuz-Interconnection6.jpg

Interconnection 6 (Interior 3)
Michiko Suzuki & Wayne Eastcott
inkjet, toner etching and Japanese paint on torinoko paper

In August 2004, I wrote about a fascinating collaboration between printmakers Michiko Suzuki of Tokyo and Wayne Eastcott of Vancouver. They had a very successful exhibition in June, 2005 in Gallery Concept 21, Tokyo and now it will be exhibiting in Vancouver.

Interconnection – a transpacific printmaking collaboration
November 3rd to November 20th, 2005
Opening reception on Thursday Nov. 3rd, 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
Elliott Louis Gallery, 1540 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver

Fortunately for internet gallery visitors, Elliott Louis Gallery has a good website**, with a press release and images of the works, and the artists’ statement:

It is dangerous for many artists, who are individualists, to attempt a collaboration. But we believe it is possible within the printmaking world. Print artists require the use of both human hands and tools (traditional or new). Therefore, the artist must depend upon outside processes not only themselves. Already printmaking is a kind of collaboration with some hidden potential.

This exhibition is the result of a collaboration that we commenced in 2002. However, the first work was not complete until the fall of 2003 because we spent many months (Tokyo – Vancouver e-mails, telephone calls, faxes etc.) trying to really understand each other’s interests, ideas and aesthetics. We wanted it to be a true collaboration and not merely two artists working on the same piece of paper.

The project is called Interconnection because it represents an interconnection on many levels: between ourselves as individuals, our cultures (Canada / Japan), the classically etched and digital generated images, the natural, human, technological forms, even the paper (classic Japanese Washi or Western papers etc.)

Finally the works are brought to completion by another interconnection: that between our pieces and the viewer.

The Japanese Consul will be attending the opening reception and Vancouver’s Japanese-Canadian media are covering this exhibition generously, including multicultural Radio CHMB AM1320 doing a live interview of the artists on November 2nd, 2005 from 7 – 8 pm.

** NB UPDATE: JUNE 1st, 2006. Wayne Eastcott and Michiko Suzuki are now represented by the new Bellevue Gallery, 2475 Bellevue Avenue, in West Vancouver. Therefore the former linked pages no longer exist and have been removed.

October 31, 2005 in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Digital printmaking, Other artists by Marja-Leena Comments Off on Interconnection: Eastcott / Suzuki

by Marja-Leena

invitation

invitation.jpg

Here’s the exhibition invitation I designed with some great help by daughter Erika and her skills with type design. It has gone to the printers a few days ago, so here’s hoping it turns out well!

The details:

Silent Messengers: mixed media prints
Opening: November 16th, 4:30 – 8:00p.m.
Studio Art Gallery, Capilano College
2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver
The exhibition is on from November 16th to December 7th, 2005
Gallery hours: 10am – 4pm Monday – Friday
(or by appointment – email me)

I’ll post this again closer to the opening date along with a map. Mark your calendars. Everyone welcome!

October 23, 2005 in Art Exhibitions, Being an Artist, Digital printmaking by Marja-Leena 13 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

prints vs reproductions, again

This really got my attention: Anna Conti’s post Giclée can of worms. Go read this excellent and thought-provoking article first, then come back.

Indeed! Giclée is a fancy name for high-end inkjet printing, and was very important in its early days for its archival quality, meaning that the inks are acid-free and UV resistant and the papers are also acid free. Archival inks and papers are readily available now, even in some of the newer consumer inkjet printers. (If you are printing valuable family photos that you want to last, look into this!)

How many times over the years have my printmaking colleagues and I had this discussion about prints versus reproductions? We get upset when some famous artists along with their galleries purposefully arrange reproductions, call them prints, sign them, sell them for huge sums of money. If this is done, at the very least the buyer MUST be made aware that the work is a reproduction! I agree very much with Anna that as artists we should not encourage reproductions and that we should educate the public about it.

Regarding “limited” editions, when prints were first made several centuries ago, they were not numbered and limited, and were inexpensive and available to everyone . Many restrikes have been made of Rembrandt’s etchings for example. As Anna stated, it later became a market thing to “limit” the numbers printed and thus raise prices. However, limited edition prints are still more affordable than paintings. Traditionally the plates are destroyed to prevent further prints, but not always. I often save some of mine and reuse them in different combinations in new work. I keep a documentation sheet of each art work which is available to galleries and buyers if they wish. Ultimately there’s trust involved in the integrity of the artist.

And how many times are artists who work with computers thought to be lesser artists? Nowadays artists have a tremendous variety of ways of working, whether paint or computer generated or film or found materials or unmade beds. What is of the essence is the intent, honesty and expression of the artist creating the originals in whatever material they choose. Let’s not discount use of the computer as one of many tools in artmaking in this 21st century. Many successful traditional printmakers have gone on to explore this new medium, incorporating it into their working methods.

Like many other printmakers, I’ve found that experimentation with new printmaking processes keeps my work fresh and new. I started using the computer in my work about seven years ago to replace the toxic darkroom process when preparing my positives for photo-etchings. Later I began manipulating my photos, doing ‘digital collages’ that could be made into etchings.

With the advent of a wide-format archival inkjet printer in the studio about three years ago, I’ve been doing straight digital prints often combining them with traditional printmaking because I like the handmade textural feel. Creating art at the computer is not easier than doing everything by hand, as least for those of us who are not trained commercial artists. The digital files can last a long time, depending on the life of the material they are stored on, but again artistic integrity comes into play here that these are not printed again. Some of those files might provide material for new works in a new way, just like those etched plates that I saved. I have never used the process to reproduce any of my work.

(If you are interested in reading more about printmaking and digital printmaking, check out some past articles under those themes on the right.)

This got a bit long-winded, I’m busy, busy these days working in the printmaking studio (digital and traditional printing!) and at home with PhotoShop at the computer. I’m also preparing for house guests tomorrow, thinking about shows I must see… not enough time. But I’m happy that some of the items on my to do list are getting done little by little.

October 20, 2005 in Being an Artist, Digital printmaking, Printmaking by Marja-Leena 4 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Bonnie Jordan

Another artist-friend of mine, Bonnie Jordan, has been doing exciting, yet very thoughtful and very leading edge digital printmaking for several years. Here are some of her latest works. Images are copyright Bonnie Jordan, used here with her permission.

BJordan_Journey-Series-#1.jpg
Journey Series #1 archival inkjet print 51 x 152 cm.

BJordan_Journey-Series-#2.jpg
Journey Series #2 archival inkjet print 56 x 152 cm.

BJordan_Journey-Series-#4.jpg
Journey Series #4 archival inkjet print 55 x 152 cm.

Bonnie says about her work:

The portrait has been an ongoing theme for me. Through the years this theme has undergone many transformations, each change bringing additional depth and texture to the concept of the portrait. I’ve always been interested in layers – looking beneath the surface of things. Working with mixed media excites me, specifically how that translates to the various print media. Before the advent of the computer I found myself exploring the possibilities of layers through multiple plate etchings. Since discovering the computer I have employed the digital means of exploring layers.

I’m interested in ‘people tracks’. Genealogy has been a great motivator in my art. Family history inspired yet another evolution of my portraits. I love to utilize images that I find through ancestral research, such as letters, articles, artifacts and objects. These objects/artifacts develop into symbols representitive of the sort of ‘time travel’ that takes place within the work. The images here are representative of the ‘Journey’ series, my most recent work.

BJordan_Journey-Series#3.jpg
Journey Series #3 archival inkjet print 49 x 33 cm.

Besides being a practising and exhibiting artist, Bonnie is also a Studio Art Technician in printmaking at Capilano University**, including the Art Institute. We both began the first digital experiments in this printmaking studio in 1998.

We have been in many exhibitions together, the most exciting one being our Traces exhibition at the Pohjanmaan Museum in Vaasa, Finland, also including Steven Dixon, in 2002. The Traces site shows some images of our work and the connections in theme.

Relating to that exhibition Bonnie and I were fortunate to have a great interview by Michael Boxall, editor of Art Alive Magazine at that time, which gives additional insight into Bonnie’s work!

Further reading:
North Shore News Interview about Bonnie’s project for the “Visions of the North Shore”
Bonnie Jordan’s CV (pdf)
c2si – Bonnie Jordan & Dennis Creighton’s business site

**Since writing this, the College has since been designated a University so name and link have been updated.
Edited January 15th, 2013 to enable larger views of images. Since writing this Bonnie’s name has appeared several times in various exhibitions, expecially our joint show in Squamish . Apologies for some now dead links.

March 15, 2005 in Art Institute (Printmaking), Digital printmaking, Other artists by Marja-Leena Comments Off on Bonnie Jordan

by Marja-Leena

Ethno-Techno photos & review

James K-M, curator of the Ethno-Techno exhibition of last October in which I participated, sent a note today that the installation photos of that show are now up on the Digitalis site. Please have a look. If you are new to my blog, you may wish to read my earlier post about this exhibition.

The site also includes a thoughtful article (pdf) written by Dave Watson in the Georgia Straight newspaper Nov.18.2004 about the use of technology by artists, such as in this exhibition. He writes:

the breadth of artistic expression using technology was really underscored for me by the New Forms Festival, held here in October with the theme of ‘Technography: Experiments With Technology to Explore Our World’. Artists are taking to the digital realm and using it to do grandly ambitious things that consistently surprise and amaze me.

Watson interviews James K-M:

As a curator, K-M established the annual Digitalis exhibition of digital print, which was presented this year in collaboration with New Forms. He focuses on work whose digital component isn’t blatantly obvious once the computers are removed. The printout (or other output method) stands on its own, framed and mounted. Perhaps because K-M’s background, precomputer, was as a painter, his interests lie more with the message of a given work than with the electronic gear that created it. He wants art that says something about human consciousness and that isn’t just a means to decorate a wall. When we’re looking at sculpture, painting, or digital art, he says, the important question is, What are the ideas? You can look at the technique afterwards. With Digitalis, he aims to present works that couldn’t have been created without computers yet that don’t necessarily look like they were. With this work the technology disappears, because the artists are pretty good at using the software. It’s a medium just like any other. When you’re pushing paint on canvas it’s no different than on a computer, where you’re pushing the medium within its structural limitations.
(Hyperlinks added by me.)

January 15, 2005 in Art Exhibitions, Digital printmaking, Other artists by Marja-Leena Comments Off on Ethno-Techno photos & review

by Marja-Leena

Totally Manipulated

xfaces.jpg
X Faces by Robert Jackson

Another exhibition happening this month, and one in which I am also participating in is:

TOTALLY MANIPULATED: Digital Art Today
at CityScape Community Art Space,
335 Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver, BC.
Opening reception is on Thursday Oct.14, 7-9 pm.
Runs from October 15th to November 6th, 2004.
Gallery hours are 12-5, Wed-Sat., 1-4 Sunday.

This exhibition showcases sixteen accomplished and emerging artists pushing the boundaries of what we call art: Pierre Coupey, Wayne Eastcott, Carl Fletcher, Peter Frey, Grace Gordon-Collins, Robert Jackson, Bonnie Jordan, Mohsen Khalili, Maria Lobo, Irwin Oostindie, Sabrina Ovesen, Marja-Leena Rathje, Nicole Rigets, Michiko Suzuki, Joe Tompai and Biliana Velkova.

If you are in the Vancouver area, please come visit! This attractive gallery is run by the North Vancouver Community Arts Council. Also visit the North Vancouver Arts & Culture Commission pages and read ARTS ALIVE (.pdf) magazine.

Interestingly, eleven of the exhibiting artists are, or have been, associated in some way with the Art Institute at Capilano College**. Many thanks to Robert Jackson, a new member, for organizing this exhibition!

** Since this post was written, it has become Capilano University.

October 7, 2004 in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Digital printmaking, Other artists, Recent Exhibitions by Marja-Leena Comments Off on Totally Manipulated

by Marja-Leena

Michiko Suzuki’s exhibition

Michiko sent this link about her newly opened exhibition in Tokyo’s Gallery 219. Have a look at her series of archival inkjet prints. You may remember Michiko from my article about her collaboration with Wayne Eastcott.

October 6, 2004 in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Digital printmaking, Other artists by Marja-Leena Comments Off on Michiko Suzuki’s exhibition

by Marja-Leena

Digitalis: Ethno-Techno exhibition

“Happy new month!” as my youngest child used to say when little. This new month of October is a busy one for me with both family stuff and art happenings.

One event that I’m excited about is participating in Ethno Techno: An Exhibition of Digital Print, to be held October 14 – 28, 2004 in Vancouver, Canada, in collaboration with the New Forms Festival ’04: Technography.

Organized by the Digitalis Digital Art Society, the 12 selected artists include Michael Alstad, Canada; Bill Byrne, USA; Michael Cardinal, USA; Ian M Clothier, New Zealand; Melanie Daniel, Israel; Jaleen Grove, Canada; Maru Ituarte, Mexico; James K-M, Canada; Wynne Palmer, Canada; Marja-Leena Rathje, Canada; Claudio Sotolongo Menandez, Cuba; Alexander Sutulov, Chile.

Our theme Ethno Techno refers to the convergence of ethnology and technology, or the expression of ethnicity or ethnicities in the form of digital print. The artists selected for this exhibition play in their own ethnicity or in the ethnicity of other cultures where subject matter can be related to racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background. The images in the exhibition will have been manipulated in some way by the computer.

Digitalis: Ethno Techno will be shown in the basement gallery of the Electra Building, 970 Burrard Street (at Nelson), and is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. The Festival Opening Night Gala will take place October 14, 6 to 8 PM at the Roundhouse Community Arts Centre, corner of Pacific Blvd and Davie Street. You can also view the artworks in this exhibition as well as a First Nations show in the same venue, by clicking on each name.

This is only one of many exhibitions and events centered around the New Forms Festival 2004, an annual festival forum highlighting emerging forms at the junction of art, culture and technology. I posted about this about a month ago, but wanted to bring your attention to it again closer to the date, and because the site has been updated with new links and information about the various events and their locations around the city (as has that older post).

October 1, 2004 in Art Exhibitions, Digital printmaking, Recent Exhibitions by Marja-Leena 1 Comment »

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