Baren Digest                Monday, 28 July 2003        Volume 24 : Number 2320


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From: "gluedtke" <gluedtke#prodigy.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 08:58:53 -0500
Subject: [Baren 22362] Re: Curtin Uni Exhibition 
Jan,

I enjoy _your_ work immensely.   It has quality and craftsmanship and
content that seem nowhere to be found in the example you shared with us from
your travels.   Someone of lesser ability will always find a way to make
more money, isn't that common _everywhere_?

Gary


> Dear Myron,
>
> Thank you for posting these four examples of the artists involved at
> Curtin.
>
> The Oggier print is almost  the same format (no red) as the one in the
> exhibition and if there were more like this overall then I would have
> been less "critical" of the whole exhibition in general!  The other
> three Simonin's examples of her work were similar to those I
> experienced.  There were many others like them.
>
> I came away from the exhibition thinking " why am I spending all this
> time carving intricate blocks trying to perfect the thinnest most
> intricate detail like the Japanese print forebares in technical skills
> in modern design when I can just slap together one like these"..... I
> took myself off and had a long cafe latte and waited for the rain to
> stop before going to the carpark.   The coffee gave me a "warmer"
> feeling than the exhibition!!
>
> Maybe I will "chuck" in a few googlies from time to time and see if
> they "sell" quicker than my 3o hours of carving ones!
>
> Selling commercial prints also came "home to me"  recently when we were
> in the far north of Western Australia for our son's wedding and my
> younger daughter wanted to buy a commercial print of Helen Norton's who
> used to live there, but now lives in Vanuatu to save her food money
> from the tax man!  Nicki bought several postcards which she has had
> mounted and framed by my framer because she liked the simple comic
> whimsical content of them.  At the framers, George had more of Helen's
> prints in A4 (page ) size framed and she wanted one (which had been
> signed by the artist) for her birthday.... "Cocky and Wildflowers"....
> so I obliged for my discount price of $150Aust.  .... the same price I
> am able to sell my unframed woodblocks for, but admittedly her market
> is bigger and more publicised and I am a "kept woman" now!!  Helen
> sells her originals that size and bigger for the thousands..... I think
> I will go back to painting with a big brush!  Her website:
>
> http:// www.cockatoogallery.com.au
>
> Enjoy,
> Jan  (Perth, W Aust)
>
> On Saturday, July 26, 2003, at 09:00  PM,
> owner-baren#ml.asahi-net.or.jp wrote:
>

> > Jan wrote of her disappointment with the print exhibition at Curtin
> > University.  To begin with, I was curious about the artists who were
> > making
> > the woodblocks, so I checked out the names on Google.  While I couldn't
> > find any examples of his woodblocks, it turns out the Franz
> > Eggenschwiler
> > was one of the most important Swiss artists of his generation, as well
> > respected as the more internationally known Dieter-Roth.  I was,
> > however,
> > able to find examples of work by Francine Simonin, who teaches in
> > Quebec,
> > and by Renato Oggier.  Personally, I thought their work was
> > interesting.
> >
> > The Oggier print is at:
> >          http://www.room535.org/misc/Oggier.jpg
> > The Simonin print is at:
> >          http://www.room535.org/misc/simonin-print.jpg
> > In addition to Simonin's print, I've also posted two works by her, one
> > a
> > sumi-like ink drawing and the other a painting:
> >          http://www.room535.org/misc/simonin-ptg.jpg
> >          http://www.room535.org/misc/simonin-brush.jpg
> > What's interesting to me is that Simonin's print is a reflection of her
> > painting.  One of the unfortunate aspects of a show dedicated to
> > printmaking is that often it removes an artist's prints from the
> > context of
> > the larger body of the artist's work, within which it is more fully
> > understood.  Something similar occurs in many print competitions.  You
> > send
> > in (usually) three slides and your money.  On the basis of that
> > fragment
> > information the juror has to make a judgment.  In some international
> > print
> > competitions, they ask whether you've ever been in any other
> > international
> > competitions and whether you've every won prize.  I suppose that helps
> > make
> > the the jury's task simpler--sort of like being seeded in tennis.  But
> > again that hasn't very much to do with the artist's work, much less
> > with
> > the aesthetic context from which it takes its life.
> >
> > Myron
> >



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From: Jan Telfer <jtelfer#iinet.net.au>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 00:00:31 +0800
Subject: [Baren 22363] Re: Curtin Uni and Helen Norton's work 

Dear Myron


> I took a look at the Helen Norton site.  I am not entirely clear 
> whether
> you are critical or admiring of her work.


Helen Norton has been lucky enough to capture the desire of the public 
in wanting to own her paintings as they are great conversation pieces 
and very pleasing to have on any wall.  She has a whole gallery in 
Broome and also sells well here in Perth whether the sales are for her 
originals or her commercial reproduction ones that she signs, they are 
sort after.  The bright blue and the red earth of the north west of 
Western Australia and the content of her work is very typical of the 
residents of the north west or any country town in Australia, so she 
has probably captured the essence of the community.

    I have a feeling that you have placed her in the camp of poor 
printmaking craftsmanship and slap-dash

> ("big brush") painters.    Perhaps the question about her work has 
> nothing
> to do with such issues as "big brush"; Philip Guston, one of the great 
> 20th
> Century American painters used a big brush.  Instead I would say that 
> the
> trouble with Norton's work is that it tends to be facile and 
> sentimental,
> sort of like those hoards of toddlers with big eyes, which I referred 
> to in
> an earlier post, and which used to be popular in the U.S.


I like her work and it would be nice to be able to emulate the content 
and the price tag!  Her simplified content and rendition is obviously 
popular....her work is certainly more inspiring than the Curtin 
exhibition and always will leave a smile on anyone's face!

Jan


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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:51:05 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22364] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2318 



> http://www.digitalatelier.com
> 


these are very impressive



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From: Wanda <robertson#canby.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 10:56:32 -0700
Subject: [Baren 22365] message from Bea: 

Audley, can you send me your mail address, please.  Thanks, Bea Gold

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From: Emkaygee#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 16:15:58 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22366] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2318 

Hi again!
Bill..I know that my missives temporarily stopped, but I am wading through 
all of your writings when I have had the chance! Really interesting reading!
<< Maybe the key is in the idea of "making an image." Maybe we don't really
 make images, they make us. >> That is an interesting thought, Bill. 
I have often thought that the images that come from our self conscious are 
us...in a very real sense. They can be considered our "essence." Therefore the 
truth of what is to be human....the recognizable sameness of our existence...we 
might actually be able to express so as to be recognizable to others on that 
very basic, Platonic level. If Brancusi can do this with a bird, why should we 
not also strive for the same level in expressing ourselves?
BTW... In addition to school I do work as a gallery assistant. Sorry not to 
have explained that... : ( 
If your interested in having a look, our website is: www.mpercent.com
Looking forward to more conversation!
Mary

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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 16:57:01 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22367] i need an answer!!!! 


hi everyone
   im printing my war and peace prints today      (i know ..... nothing like 
the last minute!!!!)   anyway  its hot and humid in my studio despite the air 
conditioner    my ink is very "fluid"   and im printing on rives light weight 
paper    do i need to wet this paper????
   thank you for any advice
georga



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From: FurryPressII#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 17:16:47 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22368] Re: i need an answer!!!! 



OIL OR WATER?   Western printing with rives lt. you don't have to      should 
print fine i never wet rives lt.     

john


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Archivist's note:  message about an email virus warning deleted (this warning 
is a well-known hoax)
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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 19:44:25 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22370] Re: i need an answer!!!! 



hi john
   im printing with oil based ink  so i shouldnt have to wet the paper?
thanks
georga



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From: FurryPressII#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 20:35:57 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22371] Re: i need an answer!!!! 



with revies lt   dry is fine      if you were to print on a heavy paper than 
damp would be better.   but if printed on a press not necessary.



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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 21:08:40 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22372] Re: i need an answer!!!! 



thank you so much john for your help   and id be interested in hearing what 
you have to say about hans balding gruen   do you like martin shoengauer?
georga


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From: Myron Turner <mturner#Ms.UManitoba.CA>
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 20:26:20 -0500
Subject: [Baren 22373] Re: i need an answer!!!! 


My own experience is that there's a great deal of difference between 
printing wet and dry on Rives heavy.  The paper doesn't have to be soaked 
but just damp.  Dampen eveyr second sheet with a brush or sponge and put 
into a plastic bag under weight--needn't be a heavy weight.  Give it an 
hour or two for the dampness to percolate though the batch.

Myron

At 06:44 PM 27/07/2003, you wrote:

>hi john
>    im printing with oil based ink  so i shouldnt have to wet the paper?
>thanks
>georga





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From: Barbara Mason <barbaramason45#yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 20:08:52 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 22374] very interesting site 


Jim,
I finally had time to look over your website...
http://www.missioncreep.com/mundie/images/index.htm. what an
amazing accomplishment. I am, as always, impressed with your
ability but I was charmed by your renderings as well. It was
fascinating reading and kept me glued to the computer right to
the last one...I forgot to look for the woodcut. Great site,
congratulations!
Barbara Mason




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From: G Wohlken <blueman#pantek.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 08:56:37 -0400
Subject: [Baren 22375] James Mundie website 

James, your new website is amazingly informative.  I have had to go back 
several times to read it all.  Your artwork is wonderful, as ever, and 
the photos (and interesting commentary) had me laughing as well as 
shaking my head in disbelief at some of the ideas about the people who 
were used as "freaks" in circuses.  I found your woodcut, by the way ;-) 
(it wasn't in the place I thought it would be).  

Gayle  




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End of Baren Digest V24 #2320
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