ARKEO #6
ARKEO #6
Archival inkjet & engraving on Hahnemuhle PhotoRag paper
60.5 x 81.2 cm. (24″ x 32″)
And yes, this is a revisit of the ‘character’ in ARKEO #5.
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by Marja-Leena by Marja-Leena London Underfoot Triptychs
left: London Underfoot – Triptych #3; right: London Underfoot – Triptych #7
The London Underfoot – Triptychs are now up, with two out of the seven shown above. This series of prints are a variation on the smaller London Underfoot prints which I posted earlier this week. And, as you can see, these are in a non-traditional vertical format for a triptych.
UPDATE: Please visit the ARKEO series in my new GALLERY to see all seven. All are archival inkjet prints, this time on Hahnemuhle PhotoRag paper.
by Marja-Leena street furniture
London Underfoot #6
The other day I posted about my series of prints called London Underfoot. I’m very gratified by the lovely reactions, including from my friend Jean, a Londoner. We have had a bit of an email chat about my use of the phrase ‘street furniture’ in describing those utility covers on the streets and walks of London which I had photographed and made into this series. Jean felt the phrase described only things like benches, mailboxes, lamp posts, that sort of thing – which is what I originally thought it meant as well. The first time I heard the term (and I had to search hard for that post!) was in comments to some photos I’d posted of drain covers here in my own neighbourhood in Vancouver.
Well, dear Jean went on to find and kindly send me two very interesting links, one with lots of photos and history of other London manhole covers and one about street furniture! I love those great designs in manhole covers and the fascinating history and most of all, this English language! As I wrote to Jean, some of the utility covers that I’d photographed were too small to be manholes, so there’s another intriguing thing! I now wish I’d made notes of each location of each metal plate that I’d photographed but at the time I didn’t know how this project was going to grow!
All this also made me recall a link I’d bookmarked a while back and which I finally found called drainspotting, about a book of photographs of Japanese manhole cover art which are truly amazing. One sure learns a lot on the ‘net!
by Marja-Leena the ‘London Underfoot’ prints
London Underfoot #1
London Underfoot #13
I have procrastinated for much too long in preparing and then posting images of my print works from the past year and a half. After working all day on these, I’m thrilled to say that I have at last published the London Underfoot print series in my slide show/gallery***. They are to be found within the ARKEO series – please have a look. Some of you will recognize several of the images from photos which I had previously posted as “London: details” under the “travel” theme, for example here.
Here’s an excerpt of a statement I once wrote about these:
In April/May of 2009, while visiting family in the Muswell Hill neighbourhood in London, England, I was attracted by the wide variety of interesting old ‘street furniture’, as some English call the various utility covers on their streets and walks. One afternoon while out for a long walk, and feeling rather like an archaeologist documenting history, I captured about 40 photos of these, and could have found more if we’d had the time. Back home, in the fall, I chose twenty-six of these images and printed each in editions of five plus artist’s proofs. They are printed with archival inkjet on handmade Japanese Kitakata paper, taking advantage of its slight irregularities and uneven edges.
I then chose to put the artists’ proofs into a small book or album. The borders are trimmed away to allow contrast with the black sheets. It’s a simple and attractive way to show off the entire series to visitors. I hope to somehow photograph that book to show here.
Another group of works which I developed from these small prints will hopefully be uploaded soon, now that I have made this belated start to catch up!
Added Jan.23rd, 2011, related links:
~ about “street furniture” with another image
~ the London Underfoot triptychs
*** Please visit my new Gallery to see some of this series. These small works are still to be installed…
by Marja-Leena transitions, again
It’s been some time since I’ve shared what I’ve been doing in the printmaking studio. I wrote about transitions last September, now I feel as if I’m again in that state of mind. In the fall I created and finished a series of 26 small prints, then moved right into another related series of somewhat larger pieces which I’ve just recently completed editioning. I’m very pleased with these and have had great responses to them.
I just haven’t done all the photo documentation of these works. The prints in the first series are small enough to scan but I’ve yet to do it. The second series I photographed a few days ago and only today have downloaded them. I see they need lots of adjusting for they are underexposed and need some colour correction. I’m even wondering if I should re-shoot them with some better lighting somewhere else, but where? Or, should I use the original digital files they were printed from? Anyway, as you see, it’s been a very productive period for me but I’m procrastinating over getting them ready to post here as well as into my little online gallery.
However, and here’s where the ‘transition’ issue comes into play, I’m at a point where I’m still feeling my way around the next pieces that I want to work on and need to spend time with them for the next two weeks while the momentum is still with me and before an upcoming enforced ‘holiday’.
From Feb 12th to 28th our studio will be closed because our usual annual two day reading break on the campus has been extended to over two weeks because the parking lots will be used exclusively for the Winter Olympics. Strict security controls will be in place so no classes or classroom access anywhere – imagine that! So, I think that period of time may be when I complete the photo documentation and post my new works here. That’s my goal – wish me fortitude for I can too easily get distracted by other things like macro photography.
On the home front is another transition ahead with our daughter and granddaughters heading back to London at the end of this week after a wonderful six-week visit here. The house will be awfully quiet….
by Marja-Leena ARKEO #3
ARKEO #3
archival inkjet and etching
60.5 x 81 cm.
by Marja-Leena ARKEO #5
ARKEO #5
archival inkjet and engraving
78.5 x 58 cm.
Last month I finished another addition to my ongoing ARKEO series. I used Sintra again as I did for ARKEO #4. This time, instead of making a collagraph, I made a very spontaneous engraving. I’m very pleased with the result.
UPDATE summer 2012: The ARKEO series may now be viewed in my new GALLERY (link also found on the top of the left bar)
by Marja-Leena ARKEO #4
ARKEO # 4
archival inkjet and collagraph
81 x 61 cm.
This is the latest addition to my ongoing ARKEO series.
For the first time I used Sintra upon which to build up the collagraph. Sintra is usually used in our print studio as an alternative material for linocuts, so I took advantage of its easy cut surface to also carve lines into it – that was fun!
UPDATE summer 2012: The ARKEO series may now be viewed in my new GALLERY (link also found on the top of the left bar).
P.S. Some new readers have been asking: What’s a collagraph?