[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Saturday, 11 December 1999 Volume 09 : Number 817 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: David Bull Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 00:33:29 +0900 Subject: [Baren 7086] Alien abduction ... Just a couple of notes ... *** Update for the participants waiting for their Exchange #3 folios: we are now just waiting for the final piece to fall into place - the folios to arrive (along with my own print, which are in the same package). This may be tomorrow, or it may yet still be a while; it's all up to the Post Office. Hopefully soon ... *** Remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned a web site from which you could send greeting cards, and which was featuring woodblock prints? The site has been updated with a selection of images from [Baren] member Matt Brown. http://www.aetiket.com/ecard/ You can view a sample eCard by visiting the following web page: http://www.aetiket.com/ecard/retrieve.htm and entering the code: A48720T922 The website is owned by Eric Fandrich, who is currently 'visiting' us here on [Baren], so if you have any questions about this, just ask! *** Julio in Chicago is going full steam ahead with his plans for holding a [Baren] exhibition at a large library there, but could sure do with some help in this large project. Can I ask - are any other [Baren] members living in the area? Perhaps some lurkers, who may like to take this opportunity to get involved? Also, could the people involved with framing and hanging the Manhattan Graphics show (Judy? April?) please contact Julio to offer some advice, and pass on your 'expertise' on the hanging system you used? Thanx! *** Alien abduction? Yep. This here alien (and I've even got an Alien Registration Card to prove my status!) was abducted yesterday afternoon. Sadako san has been watching me go at a mountain of printing these past couple of weeks, so suddenly pulled up here yesterday afternoon and said "Get your toothbrush. You're being kidnapped for 24 hours." "But, but, I'm _printing_!" "Stick it in the fridge! Get in the car!" "But, but ...." Anyway, it was a very enjoyable 'day off'. We went down to a 'pension' overlooking Mt. Fuji, with its nifty autumn snowcap. Spent the whole evening working together on the translations for the upcoming winter issue of my newsletter .... Honest! Dave ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:30:14 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7087] Re: Alien abduction ... Well Dave, We thought your nose was beginning to get a little sharp from keeping it to the grindstone. Good for Sadako - to abduct you for a day! Sometimes we forget to stop & smell the roses, it's good to have people in your life who make sure you do that once in a while. Congratulations to Matt Brown & to Eric Fandrich - wonderful presentation of beautiful work! Very encouraging to see such gorgeous stuff on the web, and so well presented. Julio, you are *so* ambitious - anything I can do to help - just yell out across the cyberspace! Wanda Still carving on dragons & such - but stopping to smell the roses, well in my case horses! :-) Have a wonderful day, everyone! ------------------------------ From: Josephine Severn Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 20:26:44 +1100 Subject: [Baren 7090] Dragons Hi Two dragons flew in yesterday. Am in the process of scanning and adding them to the dragon page along with recent commentaries on dragonish progress. Should update soon, am multitasking on two PCs here as I write. I will crop the edges off a bit to reduce the file size when necessary, but not in detriment to the print. Its getting exciting. I have printed another batch and will mail them Monday. If I am going to exhibit these, and when I bind them into a book, I will need some cv info from you. About half an A4 page (no 'war and peace' versions please) Name, contact address I have. Education, exhibition, collections and publications highlights I need. You can mail me direct, there's no rush, sometime before march is fine. Am thinking about an unframed exhibition, venue to be announced when confirmed. As I am moving house and it is holidays this probably wont be till next year at least. But the head work is happening. Have been thinking about it whilst have been bedridden last few days. Its coming together (at least in my head). Its time I curated a show. Nuff from me Back to the scanning Josephine ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 18:05:27 -0600 Subject: [Baren 7092] re: BAREN Exhibit comes together! The plans for the Baren exchange exhibit at the Skokie Public Library this coming spring have been formalized. The exhibit will run from March 28 thru April 29 in coordination with National Library Week. The theme of the exhibit will be "us", the bareners, the printmakers coming together via the WWW. The exhibit will contain selected prints from the first four Baren exchanges (#1 - #4). With approx. 150' + (two floors) of wall space available I will be able to include at least one print from each of the exchange participants. That would put the total number of prints on display at approx. sixty. If you have participated in more than one exchange, I will need to know your preference. For those participating for the first time in exchange #4; Make them good ! (just kidding!). The library has graciously offered all kinds of help: - Hiring professional staff to hang the works - Mailing of announcement cards to their 200+ art-loving library patrons -Setting up a PC on the main lobby "dedicated" to the Baren web-site -Help in creating a db with the names & bio of all the participating artists for display -Contacting, promoting and sending announcements to the local Skokie & Chicago media - Including our exhibit on their printed Library program I am very excited about this opportunity to have our work exhibited. If you would like to know more about the Skokie Public Library and the programs they offer; go to: http://www.skokie.lib.il.us If you would like to see the current exhibit on display at the library ("The Journey: Art by Jewish Immigrants") you can go directly to this url (click on "Exhibits"): http://www.skokie.lib.il.us/happen/events.html I will be contacting the exchange participants privately with more details as it may not be proper to flood the forum list with postings on a topic that only applies to about 1/2 the group...is that okay Dave ? One large task that I have to address is making the prints ready for hanging. Two options were discussed with the library: - - To mat & frame the prints in the traditional style ( using one brand/type/color frame) - - To use foamboard & plexi as displayed at the Manhattan Graphics exhibit. Both are acceptable and the decision is mine to make. Any ideas or help bareners can provide locating suppliers willing to donate/loan materials would be appreciated. Thanks......Julio ps. Number of bareners participating on at least one exchange : 59 Number of bareners participating on at least two exchanges : 33 Number of bareners participating on at least three exchange : 14 Number of bareners participating on all four exchanges : 8 (JA,DB,JNC,JE,RH,JM,JR,GW) ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 18:46:16 -0600 Subject: [Baren 7093] re: Presses For those (mostly John & Philip) that have been asking about the cooky Vandy brothers......(my two recently acquired used Vandercook proof presses)....I got some photos of little Vandy (Model 01) up on my web page: www.skokienet.org/bandits/micasa.html under "Printmaking" Big Van (model 02) is in hiding, something to do with all these dragons flying about! he is quite timid for a 600 pounder! Thanks......Julio ------------------------------ From: "Fell" Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 19:31:23 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7097] library exhibit julio. i am in exchange #3 and i am excited to be hanging at the library in Skokie. as a former resident of evanston it would be nice to be back..for over twenty years i have had a frame shop and gallery in albuquerque. is there any way that i could help with mats,etc .let me know how i can help..frank fell ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 12:08:22 +0900 Subject: [Baren 7098] Re: Chicago show ... > The plans for the Baren exchange exhibit at the Skokie Public Library this > coming spring have been formalized. Amazing news Julio! But what in incredible amount of work this is going to involve! I sure hope you don't get in trouble with your family over this one ... > I will be contacting the exchange participants privately with more details as it > may not be proper to flood the forum list with postings on a topic that only > applies to about 1/2 the group...is that okay Dave ? Because it is so many [Baren] members that are involved, I see no problem at all with the communication from you _to_ the group being out here on the main list. Everybody wants to know what is going on with this event, and it will be an efficient way for people to find out how they can help. Information going to you _from_ members (resume details, or whatever it is that you will ask them each to send) should be of course off-list. (Julio, if you want me to set up a 'Response form' on a web page for people to send you information, please let me know, and I will soon put one up for you.) (By the way, speaking of 'flooding the list', may I suggest that perhaps a lot of the little 'I got my dragon!' messages be sent to [After Five]? I can certainly see your enthusiasm, and am excited to see it going so well, but with dozens of people participating in this, and more joining in all the time, it's going to result in a rather stupendous number of these little notes.) Thanx Dave ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 05:54:28 +0200 Subject: [Baren 7099] Re: Chicago show ... > I see no > problem at all with the communication from you _to_ the group being out > here on the main list. ...besides, it spurs those of us that have not participated in the exchanges into action, or at least makes us extremely jealous. Jack ------------------------------ From: "barebone" Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 20:23:32 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7100] Re: Baren Digest V9 #816 If you don't mind your liver going somewhere in a hand basket, xylene is the best chemical for xerox transfer. It is the same stuff in felt tip pen colorless blenders. I bought one of the latter, a can of xylene and keep the pen, tip down in a closed jar with a little xylene in the bottom. It only comes out when I want to transfer, and then I do it outside or with the respirator on. The respirator after 50 is a pain because it leaves indents in your face all day, under 50 your skin is elastic enough, or has enough collagen to spring back. Bummer or the older set, just plan to stay in that day or don't care. Sharri ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 23:10:57 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7101] Re: Collaboration Horacio wrote: >After the master print/key block is chosen, the first participant would sent >the master/key block to the following member on the printing production >line, who will be responsible for designing the other blocks (using or not >the original master/key block in a reduction method) necessary to make a >color print. >After that, other participants of the group adhere to the work flow until >the print is completed. >I hope you understand my suggestion. I understand the *how* this can be done, but cannot see *why* it would be done. I think we discussed this at length and it was generally agreed not to do it I see it more of an assembly line procedure rather than and art form. Art, as I understand, is personal endeavor and the image created is a statement without words. Is the statement of a collaborative piece meaningful? Or is it just foolin around....with a lot of "wonder what ifs" Just a thought Graham ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 11:12:24 +0200 Subject: [Baren 7102] Re: Baren Digest V9 #816 Xylene is one of the more nasty solvents devised by man. Using it outdoors OR with a respirator are both bad ideas (you probably knew -someone- would respond to your post, didn't you?) Xylene can enter your system not only through your lungs, but through your skin with contact, and through your eyes and to some extent through your skin through contact with vapor alone. It is one of the solvents that is not eliminated by your system, but just builds up in your liver as you are exposed. Making sacrifices for your art is one thing, but this stuff isn't worth it. Having said that, I too have had exposure to way too many nasty chemicals over the years doing art conservation, and that was all for other peoples art. I don't any more, but I have the health problems as a reminder. Jack ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V9 #817 ***************************