OFF LINE: Exhibition of drawings from Myspace on view in the south gallery. "All these images are by artists who have published their pictures, in a virtual sense, on line. I have searched through myspace, found them, liked their work and printed it out, at home, using a domestic printer. I have not tampered or cropped the images in any way. Admittedly, the resulting exhibition is utterly prejudiced towards my own particular taste. It would be fascinating to see the same exhibition again with someone else choosing the work." - Alasdair Willis, "Off Line curator
ARTISTS' BOOK FAIR: Saturday 24 May 11 am - 5 pm
*****
“PRESS & RELEASE”
An exhibition of artists’ books and independent publishing
Phoenix Gallery Brighton
26 April – 7 June 2008
Curated by Karin Mori
Gallery design by Ben Thomson
A celebration of artists' books and independent publishing, showcasing an intriguing selection of UK and international artists, with work ranging from the profane to sublime. Press & Release provides an opportunity to encounter a variety of visions arising out of the world of artists’ books within an imaginative, improvised space dedicated to revealing this area in a new light. Sculptor Ben Thomson has completely transformed the gallery space into an environment housing the work of individual artists and publishers, presenting books and related ephemera outside the conventional glass case.
The show includes over 30 individual artists and groups, with an emphasis on limited edition, hand-made work that stretches the parameters of printmaking, mixed media and other approaches, to arrive at highly original and inventive permutations of the book format. Ranging from underground comics to journals, pop-ups, posters, web-based pieces, installations and gate crashers, the work provides a glimpse into the dense and multifaceted world of self-publishing.
Highlights includes John Dilnot’s cabinet of curiosities, hand-cut pages from Kaho Kojima and Chisato Tamabayashi, Batool Showghis’ family albums, Paul Clarke’s gothic children’s stories, Mark Pawson’s low-tech hi-fi multiples, Mayan women’s collective Taller Leñateros, and installations by Nicola Dale, found sound duo reassemble, and collaborative trio Borbonesa. The special line up of artists also includes: Frans Baake, Peter Chasseaud, Young-Ju Choi, Karen Constance, Roz Cran, Ann D’Arcy Hughes, Jeff Keen, Lotte Little, Angela McKay, David Miles, Dylan Nyoukis, Oddstock Books, Redfoxpress, Monica Ross, Jim Sanders, Lucy May Schofield, Jonathan Swain, Carolyn Trant and Weproductions.
In the south gallery, Alasdair Willis scours cyberspace for self-publishing pioneers and rogues, and fills the walls with his discoveries. Books and other publications are for sale in the exhibition through the Permanent Gallery Bookshop.
Special guests include Le Dernier Cri, an artists’ publishing house in Marseille that generates beautiful, intense, often disturbing limited-edition books, prints, and animations from European, American, Japanese and South American artists. They are joined by Knust, an artists’ collective from Nijmegen, Netherlands which employs a unique stencil (mimeograph) printing process and champions some inventive ways of producing books, posters, cd’s and wallpaper.
An artists’ book fair on 24 May broadens the exhibition’s reach from limited edition hand made books to low-budget fanzines, comics, multiples, ephemera and more. A gallery talk, series of low-budget self publishing workshops and a screening and performance from le Dernier Cri will also take place alongside the exhibition. Regular updates and news on workshops and other events will be posted at www.phoenixarts.org
The 5th edition of the Amsterdam based theme-zine 'The Session' contains 12 dia's and a compact disc.
The following artist, disigners and writers contributed with an exlusive image and soundwork or song:
Dan Park, Magali Reus, Els Moors, Matthias Kreutzer, Monica Tormell, Staffan Björk, Orpheu de Jong, Kalle Mattsson, Tarja Szaraniec, Jens Schildt and Tomas Adolfs.
Edition: 200# Price: 8 EUR, 6 GBP, 12 USD + shipping Distributors: get in touch!
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