Archived entries for Text based art

Letterpress Workshops

I have just completed my first letterpress workshop in my new studio. I am mentoring some people who are taking part in the Book Apothecary Project. The people who came today are all running their own projects as part of the Book Apothecary. The first part of the day was looking at text as art and we all made some site specific text based art installations within the studios, an old church, as it was rainng outside.

The afternoon took this work to inform making letterpress pieces – a mixture of printing tecniques from blind printing to debossing and straight up letterpressing.

You can see some of the images here

British Institute for Human Rights

In the lsr few months I have been involved in a project with Arcadea and BIHR on a pilot project trying to encourage people to use the arts to exercise their human rights. As a result of the work undertaken the project had an exhibition at the International Centre for Life. When I was living in Denmark Rosa Luxemburg was very popular amongst the left wing  greens – not that I could ever be as eloquent as Rosa so I went for keeping it simple.

When thinking about making these new works I wanted to emphasise that our human rights came about by people challenging the inequalities they witnessed, refusing to accept the status quo they found unacceptable no matter how difficult that was for them personally. I also wanted to aknowledge the personal responsibility we all have to uphold these rights, I was moved by Rosa Luxemburg, who said ‘Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.’ Essentially we need to be pro-active, empowered to maintain and assert these rights

Salisbury Arts Centre

In December I went to Salisbury Arts Centre to do a talk with Gini and Juan from The View From Here exhibition. It’s strange going to an exhibition where you have work never having seen it. Usually you are there to over see the installation and know how it looks, make a decision about being happy with it, having tweaked, designed, redesigned the show. This time due to budgetary and time constraints I hadn’t had the opportunity to go and install, I had come up with concepts and sent my instructions and intentions to the curator of the show. Then i had sent redesigns and these were passed on in best ‘chinese whispers’ style. Whilst the execution of the text is low-fi I was happy with the hats.

Initially i had sent text to be placed over the stained glass windows of the old church – a new trinity – Ruminate, Gestate, Initiate. Hoever the ambient light just made the text as it was in situ just not workable. The text was moved onto the columns in the cafe.

Salisbury Arts Centre

I have been asked to respond to the exhibition ‘The View from Here’ at Salisbury Arts Centre This is what they say about my work.

Aidan Moesby works mostly with text. Its physical manifestation is as important as the words themselves, made into objects or created fleetingly for site-specific installations; isolated words and short phrases draw you up short, engage you in a dialogue, interrogate their context and throw you back on your own resources. Here he will be making a new work as a commissioned response to the other artists’ work and the setting of Salisbury Arts Centre, scattered words moving the viewer through the space physically, visually and psychologically, and in some indirect way substituting (perhaps usurping) the absent aural and written content of delGado and Bruch’s conceptual postcards

The Art House Exhibition

So Wednesday the 28th was the opening of my exhibition. It is tentatively called Everytime I’m in a queue I always imagine what I’m going to say about a hundred times’. This exhibition is part retrospective part new work – site specific or made especialy for the show, The title is taken from a new work regarding my new fictional newspaper which I am working on for my Engage Everyone residency at Dundee Contemporary Arts. This time it is more of an intervention.

As part of the opening – and I must admit it was unlike any I had been too – not the traditional private view. The Art Walk was so people were moving from venue to venue. People also tended to cut through the foyer – which is where many of the works are – and go straight to the studios. At 7 i did the now de rigeur artist talk. This was fine – there were even a few faces in the audience i didn’t recognise. One of the questions asked was if i am moving to be producer cleaner- crisper work – referencing my recent foray into vinyl.  I am enjoying playing with text and vinyl, but i remain of the view that i will produce work which fits the location, space or word the best. I still like being able to see the marks of the process which contributed to the execution of the work. My two new vinyl pieces are in the lift and main corridor of the art house.

Continuing my theme of communication, dialogue and the view that the more connected we are the more disconnected we become – the whole digital/social media diaspora then I am showing ‘Solitary’ in a paired down version without any additional text on the nature of lonliness.

There is always that element of how the work is going to breathe on its’ own. I think there is a good mix or old and new, things in the gallery space and thos site specific and installational elements. I guess that’s my work done on it, I’ve done all I can. Now I am waiting to hear the feedback, see what people think.

Peering Sideways

Exhibition Openings – now there’s a mixed bag of ‘stuff’ if ever there was. One of the most ephemeral temporary works I have ever made -  fleetingly appeared at the Peering Sideways opening on Friday 9th of september. The piece – Draft – was one I had struggled with. I was happy with the idea, concept etc but not the execution. Then I reworked it – it ended up being made of sawdust from the install. So fine was the text and so minimal was the piece that within 10 minutes it had been obliterated. A young girl on a scooter rode through it – i liked that – subtlely adding to it – but the photographer documenting the exhibition maybe should have been more aware – he was the first of many. I can’t really attribute blame. Or Fault. I had been talking to Phil from PSL about maintaining it and how close to sweep to it. We laughed later about the futility of the conversation. I had made an ephemeral piece – just it wasn’t supposed to be ‘THAT’ ephemeral. So yes I was little  dissapointed, upset, angry it didn’t make it through the opening evening. I have to let it go. As i have to let a few other things go from the evening too. The word had been ‘Draft’ perhaps i should have made it ‘Respect’.

Project Space Leeds – Exhibition

Peering Sideways – the overall title for a 3 group show opens Friday 9th September. Runs until 10th December. I am there as part of Welcome to the Real World showing with the Art House. The flyer is here.

PSL Peering Sideways Flyer

Centre for Fine Print Research – Bookmarks

A few years ago I signed up to do a limited edition of 100 bookmarks. Time passes. Then a reminder comes and you have to pull it out the bag. Anyways, I have my 100 bookmarks ready to post off. Hand printed using an old Adana flat bed quarto. I love letterpress. I love the lo-fi way. There is something exquisite about the process, the marks, the individuality and hand craftedness that is imprinted into the paper.

All in a row

Soften

During the Hepworth at Wakefield opening I had the opportunity to show some work. This print is coloured only by the patina of the wood blocks.



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