Baren Digest                Sunday, 20 May 2001        Volume 15 : Number 1425


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From: "bemason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 07:22:48 -0700
Subject: [Baren 14486] editioning 

There have been enormous amounts of email flying back and forth on Print
Australia lately about numbering editions and what a varied edition really
is. Gayle has asked lots of questions as she is using a hand stamp on part
of her print that is not in exactly the same place on all of the prints,
although it is close and the same color on each print. It has been very
interesting and am sure those of you on this list have strong opinions as
well.

Maybe Dave has the right idea, don't number them at all and then you have no
worries!

I attach my ideas about varied editions and hope you will let us know what
you think if different from what I think and sorry in advance if you got
this email twice, being on both lists.

Gayle,
No questions are too stupid. I would just number these if they were mine and
not call them varied as you are using a stamp that is the same on each
print.  Varied editions really have larger differences. I have an edition
that is a linoblock printed over a monotype. Each one is different in the
background although the colors are similar. This is a true varied edition.
It is subjective and you must make the call as to how different each print
is and wether or not to call them varied. Even etchings can be vastly
different with the wiping but even so are not usually called varied editions
if the color and paper are the same. I think you can almost take in the
intent of the artist as well. All these little things can drive you nuts. If
you note on the back of the print that there is hand stamping, that should
solve your problem. You cannot give to much information to collectors, they
thrive on it and future collectors will be so grateful to you as they will
want to know how it was done.

We were able to gather a large collection of a photographer at the Portland
Art Museum, the name escapes me at the moment, a senior moment no doubt.
Myra someone. Anyway she had written info on the back of each print, where
it had been exhibited, how it was developed, awards it had won. This type of
info is invaluable as there is no other way to know it without enormous
amounts of digging and research. Even then you might not find this info. So
don't be afraid of giving a lot of informaiton on the back of your work.
Someday you could make some museum curator wildly happy.
Best to you,
Barbara





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From: Shireen Holman <shireenh@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 13:54:40 -0400
Subject: [Baren 14487] Re: editioning 

At 07:22 AM 5/19/01 -0700, Barbara wrote:
>I would just number these if they were mine and not call them varied as 
>you are using a stamp that is the same on each print.  Varied editions 
>really have larger differences.

I agree with Barbara. I have a stamp on my latest book. If you were to 
measure with a ruler, or even eyeball all the books in a row, you would 
notice a few millimeters differences in the placement of the stamps. It's 
hard to be absolutely accurate when it's not something carved as part of a 
block or part of an etching or whatever. But unless someone looked at 
several books _at the same time_ no one would think there was any 
difference. So I definitely consider them part of the same edition.
Shireen


***********************************************
Shireen Holman, Printmaker and Book Artist
email: shireenh@earthlink.net
http://www.shireenholman.com
***********************************************


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From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" <studiojnc@prodigy.net>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 16:51:29 -0400
Subject: [Baren 14488] Rice Paste charset="iso-8859-1" 

I am doing chine colle' on some prints and my rice paste is getting very
stiff and gluey. Is it possible to loosen it up with some water or would
that be thinning it down so much that it would lose the glue quality? The
rice paste is Nishikinori from McClain's.

Jeanne N.



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From: FurryPressII@aol.com
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 20:01:41 EDT
Subject: [Baren 14489] Re: editioning 

on editioning would depend on the intent   if the backgroud is different than 
they are mono-prints(types) and not really an edition.   if the reason they 
are different is because the wipeing is not controlled enough practice, 
practice   an edition sould be alike if possible.   If the hand stamp is not 
in the exact place i would not worry about it if the rest of the print is the 
same.

I like mono prints but they are different from editioned prints.

John of the furry press

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From: "C. L. Stevens" <clswdcut@intersurf.com>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 20:52:36 -0500
Subject: [Baren 14490] Ink 

I have been doing catchup so this is a little late in the thread and I'm
mixing messages for which I apologize, but Barbara was talking about
using saran wrap and contact paper for ways to keep the oil-based ink.
Thanks for the contact paper tip!  I have used wax paper, ziplocks, and
saran wrap, and I throw them in the freezer.  A house painter told me
years ago that he popped his brushes in the freezer so he didn't have to
clean his brushes every night until the job was done!  I thought well
why wouldn't it work with my inks?  It is the oxygen which causes the
skinning/drying up (actually it is a chemical reaction which I can't
remember but is discussed in The Artist's Handbook).  Freezing will slow
the process.   Lately, I've been throwing my water-based Speedball in
there too.  Both seem to be fine.  I have left them for months or even
years with the results that eventually they will dry, but only after a
l_o_ n_ g  time.  I've even stored my cans.  I have learned to do a
clean-up on the outside of the container before I pop it in to avoid ink
on my freezer walls!
Garth, I'm so glad to have finally heard a description of my major
failing:  Rabbit mind!  I love it! lol
Gayle, is there anyway you could contact the 3rd person in the show and
ask them if they would like to work together on a joint press release?
Sometimes, doing something like that together works much better because
you fertilize each other's ideas and the end result is so much better.
And the Paris cemetary comment reminded me about a photo I always show
my students when I teach mosaics because it always makes me cry to see
the love expressed:  it is the tomb of  Rudolf Nureyev in
Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois and it was designed by his good friend, the
sculptor, Ezio Frigerio.  I don't have a scanner but if you can find a
copy of  Mosaics by Kaffe Fassett & Candace Bahouth, it is well worth
the look, pgs 24 & 25.
Maria,  I like what you said about why you do your own carving and
printing.  I love the processes.  When I am printing a very large print
I sometimes slip into a meditative rhythm (since I only handburnish).
And I also like to "play in my ink".  But the carving!  Oh, my!  I love
the smell of the wood and the feel of it.  With the lino I am always in
a hurry to see the print, but I like to savor my wood!
Good luck to all on their great works!
Catherine L. Stevens
Baton Rouge, LA

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From: "bemason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 19:16:33 -0700
Subject: [Baren 14491] Re: editioning 

John,
Since the print over the top is a linoblock and the background is very
similar, I would call these prints I did a varied edition. In fact I didn't
even call them varied they were so similar. I think a monoprint is a print
different from its mates but with the same matrix. If you saw these togehter
it would be hard to say they were not the same, unless you looked very
closely. I think it is truly subjective and the artist needs to decide, if
they are monoprints they are not an edition and if you do 30 or 40 of them
it is hard to call them individuals when they are so close to the same.  So
we are back to square one.
Barbara



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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 13:53:28 +0900
Subject: [Baren 14492] Re: Archives ... 

A few days back somebody wrote:
> Having a museum accept your donation has prestige of its own, if
> the museum has any prestige at all. Since museums have acquisition
> committees that decide if a piece is worthy of possession by the 
> museum, it's not shabby no matter who donates it.

... and as it happens, this discussion has plenty of relevance to
[Baren] right now. Participants in our exchanges have always been asked
to submit an 'extra' print when they send in their set, with the
understanding that these prints were 'for the [Baren] Archives'.

Up to now, just what that meant hadn't been very well defined, but we
recently received confirmation from Stephen Goddard, Professor of Art
History at the University of Kansas, that the curators of the Spencer
Museum there have agreed to take the [Baren] folios into their
collection. 

The portfolios will be housed in the Max Kade-Erich H. Markel Department
of Graphic Arts [known as 'The Printroom'] at the Spencer Museum of Art,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Their website is at:
http://www.ku.edu/~sma/prints.html
... for those who would like more information about the institution
(which is the 'home base' of the Prints-L list server also).

So our prints will now be accessible to researchers and anybody else
with an interest. In future years, the folios might be regarded as 'rare
items from the early days of [Baren]', or they may just be something
that gathers dust on the back shelves ... nobody can say.

On behalf of the Council, and of the membership in general, I would like
to give a public 'thank you' to Mr. Goddard (who is a [Baren] member
himself) for negotiating this acceptance of our work. We look forward to
the day when they have to build an addition to the Printroom to handle
the long row of [Baren] folios that will build up!

Dave

P.S. I should also mention, as it is perhaps unknown to many newer
[Baren] members, that there are only _two_ complete sets of [Baren]
exchange folios in existence. One is on its way to the Spencer Museum,
and the other is the set owned by long-time member Julio Rodriguez in
Skokie, who is the only [Baren] member to have participated in all nine
exchanges. Congratulations Julio, on 'going the distance' for all nine
innings!

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From: FurryPressII@aol.com
Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 06:16:59 EDT
Subject: [Baren 14493] Re: Dave's Demo, boxwood ... 

Dave looked up you thing on wood on your site   glad i can get cherry at my 
local furiture lumber yard   and it is ready to use too.   It is a blessing 
that i did not appreate as much as i should

john of the furry press

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From: "Patricia" <patricia26@optushome.com.au>
Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 22:14:09 +1000
Subject: [Baren 14494] Re: Baren Digest v15 #1423 

I think one way around this is for each artist to write their own press
release, then ask someone  who has seen the work to 'massage' them all
together. When a group of us (three) started to exhibit together we did
this. We took examples of our work to one location so that the 'masseur'
could do her bit . We have had a number of exhibitions together and can now
talk under water about each other's work.
Good luck,
Patricia.



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End of Baren Digest v15 #1425
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