Michelle Rowley
Today has been another busy day. As tomorrow’s deadline looms, some of us still have much to do, whilst others have completely finished. There is a concentrated atmosphere in the studios and I have been busy helping to resolve production problems for some and settling nervous anxiety in others.
The major problem is that the short making period leaves no time for prints to dry before handling, but we have overcome this niggle. Necessity definitely is the mother of invention and this has been born out thought the creative interpretation of the project brief and the adoption of new print methods to speed up image making where possible.
Between the two groups there is a shared interest in, and respect for, each other’s work with much discussion about possibilities, methods, sharing of skills and research resources. It has been really enjoyable to watch this happening and I think that the camping trip has definitely fostered this trust in each other.
The facilities at BYU are amazing and they have been made easily accessible to us, we will miss the airy print studios, the huge etching press, the enormous and affordable digital print suite and the well stocked college shop which is more like a department store!
But more than any of these things, we are already sorrowfully thinking of our goodbyes to come and wondering how we can stay in touch, with all the friends we have made, into the future.
Tuesday 5 May
2nd Day of making and printing
Today we printed an edition of the group litho plate with Joe's help. Everyone got a 5 minute slot to have a go at printing it. It was something that we have never done before and some of the BYU students hadn't experienced either.
Both Cath and Louise have managed to complete a litho each and they have turned out really well, though it is a time consuming and troublesome process.
Michelle and Louise helped meredith to print the edition of the collaborative text piece using a phtographic letterpress plate on an automated press. It was a really interesting session and very satisfying to see it done, its so much better than a digital / inkjet print.
WMC Group comments:
Julie: "I was really nervous about using Illustrator, even with the help of Amy and Meredith, so I used photoshop instead but will have to face it again tomorrow. But I am confident enough to have a go again."
Patricia: "I have found it challenging getting used to how different materials behave here, but I have thouroughly enjoyed today and have produced some interesting work.'
Christine: "The day went very quickly and I have learnt some new and useful skills. I've nearly finished my book now, only the cover to do now. The BYU students have all been very encouraging and there has been a good exchange of skills and knowledge between us."
Tuesday 5 May
2nd day of printing and making
Rebecca from BYU explains her ideas for her book
When we were in the Escalante area we were shown a map of Utah from 1868 that had a big empty white circle of where Escalante was. This area had been unexplored and left blank. This part of Utah was one of the last places in the US to be explored and made known to the rest of
the world. I don’t really like that because to me Utah is the greatest place in the world. My ancestors found Utah to be a safe haven, they worked the land, my parents met here, and I did my growing up in Utah.
For my project I have been researching Utah maps. I have found a collection that spans from 1782 to present day. I want my project to illustrate the evolution of mapping Utah. At first I planned to show these maps creatively in layers or some way to chronologically show the history. But I realized that I don’t want the focus to be on the world discovering Utah. I want it to also show that Utah has always been here and why it is important to me, whether it is mapped on the world or not. So instead I have used the old maps I found as a springboard to my own exploration of what Utah has meant and does mean to me; poppies, rainbow arch, Lake Powell, the tabernacle, Mormon temples, the lamp-posts in my city, my home. I hope my project will show how long the process has been for recognition, but if not- at least I was reminded of why I love my home land.
Monday 4th may
BYU response to Starting the project
Laura Barlow – BYU
I overheard a conversation as I sat sketching in the cold air at the base of Calf Creek Falls.
“This sort of stuff; they’re mostly just for fun. They help me clear my head. I like to do more conceptual pieces”.
Caroline, from Liverpool, just asked my professor, Joe Ostraff about his artwork. I found myself wanting to blurt out my own responses, in place of his modesty: “The fact that you are here is proof of Joe’s art work!” (I said it out loud, only to the friend seated beside me.)
I can’t think of a better way to put it. I consider Joe to be more of an organiser of people than a painter. His projects mostly involve placing people in situations where they can share their own stories and listen to those of others. I esteem his art with the highest respect. If only he had a website I could link you to here; I regret that he doesn’t have one.
I believe that the best art is educational, it helps you question your own beliefs and way of life, it leads you to consider the beliefs and lives of others, and / or helps you further appreciate the beauty of the most basic things around you.
I have experienced all of this during the Liverpool exchange. The red rock cliffs, my ease with breathing at high altitudes, my body’s natural adjustment to the desert heat, the religion I practice on a daily basis, and the accent with which I speak my native language all began to feel exotic in the company of my British camping companions.
Having never travelled to England, it’s been educational to see others celebrate their own places of origin and to discuss and imagine their own trajectories. Exploring both our similarities and differences helped me to see outside myself and remember that millions of others share this world in their own, very real experiences.
