[Baren} the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Wednesday, 31 May 2000 Volume 11 : Number1028 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: B Mason Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 22:10:43 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9850] Swap shop Jim, You will be happy to know that my swap shop prints are drying in the blotters as I write this! About time! Sorry it took me so long! Maybe we need another notice on the print lists other than baren. Barbara M ------------------------------ From: Bella1yopp@aol.com Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 03:14:26 EDT Subject: [Baren 9851] Re: Laser cutting. In a message dated 5/30/00 3:37:00 PM, ddew0001@tampabay.rr.com writes: << there has to be a line drawn somewhere that says "this is art, this is not" >> That's just it. There is no line nor should there be. I thought the idea of "art" was to cross that line, discover something new. There are no rules. I love the idea of a laser cutter infact that is one thing I can't wait to try at UW. They have a $50,000 laser cutter. Imagine, photographic images in wood!!! I think of it as a new tool, an extension of art making. How different is it from drawing an image and having someone else cut it out and print it (as I've heard many famous artists have done in the past). It was not the artist's hand that touched that wood. Or howabout an artist who uses the computer to create the image and cuts it out of the wood. Was the image handmade? How about using a press... how artificial is that.. where is the artist's touch. Certainly not in adjusting the pressure... or is it. The artworld is not as black and white as some want to make it to be. And I am glad for that. - -Amanda ------------------------------ From: "Philip Smith" Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 00:39:16 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9852] Re: Laser cutting. What did Michael Douglas say in Romancing the Stone when asked by Kate Turner as to what he did back in the states? Reply: "Oh, ah,...I was into shortcuts". One day no doubt with drawing passˇ, computers doing the colours and compositions, and with lasers cutting the blocks and something by Xerox doing the printing you won't ever have to leave your computer chair. Sounds great to me boy!!! If I could only get this damn android of mine to turn the computer on in the morning, then I'd have something....... I remember reading a review by an art reviewer some years back,...she said [paraphrasing a bit]: Where are all the fingerprints you used to see on prints,..the prints today are SO clean! Good night children. Philip ------------------------------ From: "john ryrie" Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 15:12:31 +1000 Subject: [Baren 9853] Re: Baren Digest V11 > we sign, date and well, you know,..... in pencil? Not pen, or marker, or > crayon, but good old #2. Why? pen can be copped by a forger using stone lithography so that it is indistinguishable from the original, ball-pint, marker etc fades away in time and crayon, charcoal or chocolate source will smudge and offset onto other prints that come in contact with it. John Melbourne Australia ------------------------------ From: "john ryrie" Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 19:13:52 +1000 Subject: [Baren 9854] signatures Graham I have seen proof to this ..... a print with two signatures. No Graham, I was drunk the day I signed that print. But seriously the other way this has been abused is in the case of Salvador Dali. When he was geting on in years and he had a few kangaroos loos in the top paddock, his dealer had him sign reams of blank paper thus new Dali prints where coming out of the studio long other his death. Just as an aside death hasn't slowed down Miles Davis's out put ether. John Melbourne Australia jryrie@one.net.au ------------------------------ From: "pwalls1234" Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 06:41:23 -0500 Subject: [Baren 9855] Re: Corel Draw TSHack charset="iso-8859-1" $90 bucks is good deal as Maria says. Depending on your worth of a $ these days you should probably get it and deal with the fact that Corel is not going to be there for updates, support, and the such. I only say this because of the $$$cost of photoshop, which is a better quailty program but way too many $$$$$ for many artists to afford. I only have it because of business needs myself. Have you tried the program at all?? good luck, pete B.R. ------------------------------ From: "pwalls1234" Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 06:52:01 -0500 Subject: [Baren 9856] Re: Laser cutting. Laser cutting contraptions don't make bad prints, printmakers make bad prints. Tools that appear to make things easier can actually be wonderful things in the hands of those who have reason and purpose for using those tools. Don't be afraid of the new, and what may appear to be a -way out- for many, for someday someone may impress you with their new 18 color lasercut woodblock print. You don't have to LIKE everything you see, just enjoy that which moves you. pete B.R. ------------------------------ From: Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 05:08:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 9857] yeah,yeah,yeah.... Hello, Baren! Well it's not that the main reaction surprised me. It would be a shame if what I know about the history of engraving, hadn't at least taught me of one basic feature in human reaction to whatever's new. The same thing happened when we switched to metal and then to stone. And of course the coming of photography was an even more condemned moment in the history of art. Then it was sil-screen printing and so on... First of all,(Josephine) this ('Sacred tree') is going to be my first laser-cut. Second,(Graham) before you call anyone lazy, you should respect your own age first and know his work up to now second, just in case you don't want to be known as one who knows not what he is talking about. Third, (thanks Amanda) 'using tools' is the key phrase in printmaking, for those who haven't noticed. What's the difference what tool one uses?Or is it again all about money?You know...who sells, who makes it faster, how many does he make...etc. Define your position to yourselves (first of all). You have nothing to say about the Subject nor the Idea. All you care about is your precious little craftsmanship (as for mine check out 'Leda' S and L) but what is it you craft...who cares as long as it sells,right? And so it is going to be meat,flowers and happy rosy little angels for another thousand years...or for as long as it sells. Many of you have received my prints and should have an opinion about them: can you say they weren't hand-printed? or how they were carved (and they certainly weren't laser-cut!!)? Of course you can't! And one last thing: the last time someone told me "that's my ball and I don't want you playing with it" I was 7 years old. It hurt me then for the last time. regards, Dimitris Grammatikopulos 31-05-2000 ------------------------------ From: Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 05:10:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 9858] PS Those in doubt, might want to check out my gallery for the new photos I've placed, both in 'Painting' and in 'Engraving'. For the newcomers the website is www.plaindotline.gr Dimitris ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V11 #1028 *****************************