There is much to ponder…
Now that I seem to have got on top of the email deluge and have a sort of system for turning round replies on the same day I have had chance to reread some of your comments. These seem to fall into four categories: Can I extend this invitation to other printmakers? - What is the print size? - Can we keep the cost down? - Can we keep the quality up?
The first of these is easy…
’ We have 50+ members and some of them may be interested in your international print exchange but I thought that I had better run it by you first.’
and
’I would be very excited to pull prints along with a small number of my more serious students for this exchange’
The answer is - by all means spread the word! In fact, as the graphic before this post shows, already the number of positive respondents that has learned of the IPE 2009 by networking and word of mouth well outnumber those who responded to our original email posting.
The second question of print size I think will be the key to the success of the IPE 2009. On the one hand there is this very real plea for an early decision from one printmaker…
’If you could give me an idea as to the size specifications for your mini-prints, that would be most appreciated…as it take a while to engrave my printing plates and make the paper.’
On the other, many of you have voiced concern that ‘the “mini print” exchange has been done again and again’ and seem to be looking for something a little different. Part of this concern relates to the quality of the submitted prints which I will deal with below. There remains the fact though that mini-print exchanges remain popular precisely because of the small size. Not only does this seem to appeal to the printmakers who view it as a break from more intensive work on larger plates/screens (I can already hear the protests) but it also widens the accessibility of the exchange to printmakers who may not have access to a large bed press. Not least though it considerably eases the stress for the organiser of the event as we at Green Door are beginning to realise. This is a question of balance that we will consider carefully.
The third question is a very real concern. Some Green Door members have just sent off prints to the Red Circle and Oregon Ink Spot exchanges and for those that entered both the costs do mount up.
’Keeping the size small and the price reasonable is especially good with international exchanges.’
and
’My only concern is the postage fee.’
In fact, Torben Soeborg of grafisk vaerksted \ NAESTVED was the first to caution ‘Please be careful about the postage.’
Although we are some way from formalising details of print size, edition size and all the other factors that will affect the final cost to us and to the participants you can rest assured that, as printmakers and exchange devotees ourselves, we will always be looking for ways to minimise or offset the expense of taking part in the IPE 2009.
’One suggestion might be to ask people to donate an extra print that you could sell to recoup costs.’
This is one of many suggestions that you have already made to us and which we will take on board in our discussions and decision-making.
Fourth and last is the question of quality.
’As your project is a milestone for UK-based studios, I would hope that you would want a happy medium between quantity and quality.’
This issue seems to be of particular concern to many respondents. There is no doubt that in any large scale exchange there will be a range of quality across the submitted prints. The hope always is that this range is from ‘good to excellent’ and not ‘poor to reasonable’. The eventual call for submission will of course be for the very best that you can achieve within the constraints of print size, edition size and, not least, time available, For some this will produce prints of the highest quality but realistically not all will attain this standard. That said though, surely one purpose of an exchange is to present to less able printmakers original prints of the highest standard as an inspiration and spur for improvement in their own work. What we all share is a passion for printmaking.
There is an argument (and I take no sides here) that a smaller edition size with a larger print size produces a better quality exchange but there seems to be no consensus on this. It is something we will have to ponder further.
As in Monty Python sketch, no-one expects the fifth of four categories! I do have one more comment that is worth passing on…
’ However after joining many open call print exchanges I’d be interested in an invitational. Or perhaps something with more of a theme. Or if there is no theme some attention given to who receives which prints (perhaps those that complement the work the artist made).’
This comment raises several interesting points. The IPE 2009 will be an open call but I can see the attraction of an invitational exchange. These are not uncommon, often between two or a small number of studios/printmakers, but seldom receive the wider publicity or recognition of the well-established large open exchanges. Perhaps, since the advent of the Internet - and a shout has to go out here to the most excellent INKTERACTION! website - the time is right for someone to organise a widely publicised, moderated, international invitational exchange: but it won’t be Green Door - at least not this time around.
I do, however, think that the latter point about who receives which exchange print and why is worthy of further consideration. More pondering…
That’s it. Those are my reflections on the range of comments received from you so far. There is much food for thought.
Dave
