All Things Considered

John Byrne
Posted by Simon Lewin

We went along to the opening of John Byrne's solo exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh last night.

'Moonlight & Music' - which coincides with the publication of his Lund Humphries biography - features paintings, drawings and etchings, including artwork from Donald & Benoit.

The exhibition runs until 5th September 2011 at the Open Eye Gallery, 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH3 6QE.

Posted by Simon Lewin on August 13th, 2011

Lineage
Posted by Angie Lewin

Currently showing at Edinburgh Printmakers is this exhibition of new and recent editions by Michael Craig-Martin, Ian Davenport (see below) and Julian Opie.

The prints on show have been published by Alan Cristea Gallery in London and explore the use of the line, whether drawn or dripped, cut out or printed.

The exhibition runs until 3rd September 2011 at Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LR.

Posted by Angie Lewin on August 6th, 2011

Michael Papworth
Posted by Angie Lewin

I've just spent an inspiring week at Edinburgh Printmakers trying to master the alchemy of stone lithography. This makes it easier to appreciate the title of Michael Papworth's one-man exhibition at Gallery Plus in Norfolk, 'Grease and Water', opening on the 5th of August and running until 21st August 2011.

For several years Michael worked alongside a wide range of artists as a skilled studio printmaker at the renowned Curwen Studio.

Michael's lithographs portray the English countryside and the show will feature new work based on the North Norfolk Coast.

Posted by Angie Lewin on July 30th, 2011

Sophie Elm
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friend Sophie Elm has an exhibition coming up at Rural Arts in Thirsk, running from 1st August to 21st September 2011.

Here are a couple of examples of the work Sophie will be exhibiting - if you're unable to make to Thirsk, we do have copies of 'Home Sweet Home' (printed by Dan Bugg at Pendfold Press) at the gallery.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 28th, 2011

Poster Poems
Posted by Simon Lewin

The post below about Martin Clark's poster for Andrews of Arcadia has prompted me to post about another recent project.

Our friends at Tinsmiths currently have a series of letterpress posters - a collaboration between Martin and poet Nick Alexander.

Twelve lines taken from Nick's work made graphic in twelve limited edition posters.

There are just a few copies of each edition left, available from Tinsmiths.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 11th, 2011

Paul Furneaux
Posted by Angie Lewin

Earlier this week I was at Edinburgh Printmakers working on a new screen print based on my Los Gázquez sketches. On the second evening I was lucky to able to go along to a talk by Paul Furneaux about his current exhibition of beautifully crafted sculptural woodblock prints at the gallery.

Paul uses Japanese papers, enjoying the way the water based inks are absorbed and become a part of the paper itself - but he then takes this onto a different level. Prints on fine but strong paper are then wrapped around wooden box lids and other found objects or in the case of some of his most recent work he has developed his own forms onto which the minimal, abstract images are wrapped.

'Paul Furneaux: Mokuhanga' is at Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street Edinburgh EH1 3LR until July 23rd 2011.

You can also find out more at Paul's website.

Posted by Angie Lewin on July 1st, 2011

Oranges & Lemons
Posted by Simon Lewin

Richard Ardagh and Graham Bignell have just printed a second edition of this wonderful letterpress poster.

First printed in 2008, this print has been sold out for almost two years. A second run of 200 prints is now available to buy from New North Press online shop.

'Oranges and Lemons' is an English nursery rhyme which refers to the bells of six churches, all within or close to the City of London and dates from around the 17th-century.

The edition was printed in three stages: the bell was screen printed in thinned bronze ink on 300gsm Heritage white stock, then the type was printed in two halves on a hand-pulled Albion press.

You can view more of Richard's work over at his online portfolio, Elephants' Graveyard. And hopefully Richard and Graham will be contributing to our journal Random Spectacular later this year.

Posted by Simon Lewin on June 28th, 2011

Festival Mug
Posted by Angie Lewin

Here's a detail from my latest lithograph, Festival Mug, which is now available and will be featuring in my exhibitions later this year.

It features our treasured mug designed by Norman Makinson and produced by Wedgwood to celebrate the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Available now from the St. Jude's online print store.

Posted by Angie Lewin on June 19th, 2011

Michael Kirkman
Posted by Simon Lewin

Opening at Emma Mason's gallery in Eastbourne on Saturday is the first solo exhibition of prints by Michael Kirkman.

Last year Michael completed his MA at the Royal College of Art and this is his first solo show. Many of the editions he has created to date have sold out and Michael has recently completed commissions for Faber & Faber and the National Theatre.

Simon Martin, Head of Curatorial Services at Pallant House Gallery (Chichester) explains...

"Whether depicting a busy London market, people at work, a coffee shop in Borough Market, or a building site in Bethnal Green, Michael Kirkman captures a sense of modern urban life that is at once both contemporary and timeless.

He is an enormously talented printmaker, with a sophisticated visual language that takes up the baton of Edward Bawden, Edward Burra and Keith Vaughan. Yet with a rare economy of line and playfully ambiguous forms he has developed a style that is distinctively his own."

The exhibition runs until 11th June 2011 at Emma Mason British Prints.

We hope to be working with Michael on screen printed fabric for St. Jude's. As always, sign up to our e-mail newsletter if you'd like to receive details of its progress.

Michael Kirkman "Smithfield Market" linocut

Michael Kirkman "Theatre" linocut

Michael Kirkman "Boat Boy" monoprint

Michael Kirkman "Cowboy - Scene One" lithograph

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 18th, 2011

East Coasting
Posted by Simon Lewin

At his last St. Jude's exhibition, printmaker Christopher Brown created a series of 14 linocut prints entitled East Coasting - A Journey Through East Anglia.

Designer Brian Webb explains...

“If Chris Brown’s postcard size pictures of East Anglian landmarks were picture postcards they would be the ones you would send to your closest friends.

The lino cuts that illustrate East Coasting, following on from Cuts from Memory, are full of incident and detail - look out for Edward Bawden, portfolio under his arm, walking out of the picture of Brick House.

Bawden, Chris Brown’s tutor at the Royal College of Art wrote, “you are a line chap just as I am and as you know there is nothing that gives greater vivacity to a drawing than quality of line”. Bawden could have added colour which Chris now uses with delicious delicacy. ”

Produced in an edition of 25 copies, numbers 1-10 have been sold as complete sets. We still have a few of these complete sets available.

And for a limited period we're offering these at a reduced price and will include a copy of the linocut Chris produced of our gallery in Norfolk. View the set of East Coasting prints.

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 17th, 2011