St Martins

MYSPACE PAGE

I have done it. I have got myself a myspace page. A myspace page for the Touch This Press.

http://www.myspace.com/touchthispress

I have begun to notice more and more small publications appearing on myspace as a way of marketing and publicising themselves to a wider, more targeted audience. Fashion and music magazines in particular have a smaller, more personal D.I.Y version online. I was curious as to whether I could, and should do this for the Touch This Press; an virtual version of a fictionalised concrete version.

I had originally decided to build a website for the TTP, but decided in the end, that a myspace page would be in keeping with a very young press, that wishes to attract emerging artists, and will have a relatively youthful audience.

Having almost completed the page, I am wondering whether its associations with myspace devalues it and makes the press and entire project seem kitsch or cheesy, or whether it works as a space to promote the TTP’s artists?

I wish there was feedback available through this blog. I sometimes feel slightly isolated writing it, and find myself wondering whether anyone ever reads it, or has an opinion on any of my ideas.

Buy film

-Develop film

-Find out how to get large sheets of vinyl lettering

-Decide on wall colour for ‘gallery space’

-Work on sketchbook

-Finish sanding down wall

-Build website?

We have been given our degree show spaces. To say I was disappointed when I received mine was an understatement. It appeared to be a meeting place for corridors, and also in the middle of a fire escape route. I fumed about it to anyone who would listen for days, and finally managed to speak to my tutor who agreed it was awful. Not only would I not be able to put anything on the floor, despite having specified the presence of plinths, but there were five exits and entrances coming off the space, which would hardly make it the ‘self-contained’ space I had wanted.

After a weekend of waiting, I was informed that my space was a designated self-contained space, and that I could do whatever I wanted to it, which includes painting walls, and covering the floor. I am still highly dubious about this, and am just waiting to be told by the health and safety man, that I am causing a fire hazard. Sigh. If I wasn’t so aware of the fact the this blog is public, I would probably air more of my feeling on this subject. However, I am aware of the idea of compromise, and that fitting in 130 people for a degree show space is no easy task.

THE ARTISTS OF THE TOUCH THIS PRESS

I am hoping to build a MySpace page for each of my four artists over the Easter holidays. This will allow me to take the idea of the press and its publicity even further than a standard exhibition.

 THE ARTISTS:

LisseLotte Rothenberg

Joerg Raab

Rhys Wellington and Mallory Powers, as MR.

I will post an example of some of their work, and later on, the designs for their respective catalogues.

KAREN: SADDLES AND PARIS

I finally saw the Karen Kilimnik exhibition last week at the Serpentine Gallery. It was the first time I’d seen her work in real life, and I was suitably impressed and intrigued by it.

 At first glance, I was underwhelmed. I saw the glitter and thought, "oh no, not another knowingly kitsch artist". I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, and was able to enjoy the interiors of the rooms and how they had been transformed. It has given me ideas on how I can change the space I might be given for my degree show. I was particularly interested in her final room, the pink room. It was a candy coloured room, who’s walls were filled with white, inlayed columns and cornicing The only painting in the space was of a room that was almost identical to the one in which it appeared. Simple, vaguely funny perhaps, but interesting in terms of the relationship between the painting and the environment in which it finds itself. It made me feel a little awkard, and so I left through the curtains to my right.

It sounds dramatic, and now I look back to last week, I can’t quite remember why I said this, but I distinctly remember saying that the exhibition made me remember why I wanted to be an artist. I was impressed with the way in which the Serpentine had produced a £1 playing card ‘catalogue’, and was amused by the props and techniques she had used that seem so alien to most gallery contexts. The feeling has faded somewhat. I don’t think this is a bad thing. At least I know I can still feel it, no matter how fleetingly. I read the writings of some London-based art critics, and wonder how they can get out of bed in the morning; they seem so jaded. So achingly knowing. Perhaps critics should only have a five year life span..But that would have to make it a clearly defined profession in the first place. I suppose we are all critics. Some of us just get paid to do it.

 I feel that was an extremely naff last sentence.

PRINTER 

I feel a lot more inspired this week. I realised that I would have to force myself out of my rut by giving part of the responsibility to someone else. I work so much better under pressure, and I also know that if someone is expecting something from me, that I can’t stand to let them down. By involving someone else in an aspect of my work that I need to do anyway, I am moved to do something, and do it quickly.  

I have been worrying about printing for weeks now. I have a poor knowledge of Photoshop and InDesign, and have no experience in layout for printing whatsoever. I can bind, and I can make the book without any problem, but it is how to organise content, that worries me. I was walking to Snappy Snaps on Wardour street to develop film, when I saw a print studio. At first glance, it looked like the sort of place that would cater for the novelty-jigsaw-photo crowd. Out of desperation I went in anyway, and found that even some of their most basic designs for books and printing techniques were actually quite suitable. I reserve the right to judge fully until I have a quote and proof, but I have high hopes for this place. I have a meeting on Friday, in which I will bring in any necessary materials needed to illustrate my vague, but very specific requirements.  

By involving a printer, I am forced to move on a stage, and start to make the physical book objects.