31/12/2011

Happy New Year!

Just in case I have loyal followers here that don't use Facebook or Twitter (or do and have never found me there) and also aren't on my mailing list, here is a link to whats coming up in the New Year for me.

http://www.gemmacumming.com/dec_newsletter.htm

I hope you all have a fabulous night tonight and that 2012 is your best year yet.

Happy New Year!

Balloon!

14/12/2011

Printmaking updated

Does anyone remember the blog post way back in February, where I explained the current series of prints? If not feel free to read it again: link

It's now December and I recently put the last of my monthly prints up on the website. An image of Cowes, it's original photograph was taken in June 2008 during Cowes week.

Sunny Cowes 2011 drypoint on tissue paper, handcoloured

Since starting printmaking at South Hill Park I've learnt a great deal. I've had to put it on hold during the last term due to financial and time pressures, but hope to get back to it in the near future.

Since last I spoke about it, the reasoning behind the prints has not changed at all. However after doing 14 different images I felt I wanted to explore other ways print could be used within my practice. Print after all has a great variety of processes, some of which suited the postcards on tissue and others that didn't but had other intriguing qualities.

As well as drypoint, I learnt how to etch plates which was one of the few processes I had done once previously at University. It worked quite nicely for the postcard prints, two plates were made using this method, a Venice and a Southwold image.

Beautiful Venice 2011 etching on tissue paper, handcoloured

The display of the tissue prints was an issue until I came across clear frameless acrylic frames from Muji that are both extremely unobtrusive and very clever. I would have them suspended in front of a window allowing the transparent qualities to shine through. Obviously in a home setting this isn't always entirely possible, after exhibiting them recently in this fashion I now understand the rate that the inks lose their colour. This can be only a matter of months for obvious discolouration, so in a home setting you might want to actually hang them out of direct sunlight, maybe even in a different sort of frame that has UV protective glass.

Southwold Beach Huts 2011 etching on tissue paper, handcoloured

There were two other print processes that while they didn't work for the postcards on tissue were very interesting nevertheless.

Solar plate is a process that uses a photo sensitive layer on a metal plate. It is then exposed to light through a transparency printed with your design. The black areas on the transparency stop the light while the pale areas let light through. When gently washed in warm water the areas that were protected from the light wash away, leaving an indentation. In many ways the process is like etching and drypoint, where it is the worn away areas that hold the ink and produce the black areas.

The results tend to be a very close to a photographic reproduction of the original image, and it was for this reason that it didn't suit the tissue paper postcards. When shrinking the original A4 drawings down to A6 size, then computer printing for the transparency, the small imperfections that make it look like a drawing are lost. When printed as a solar plate, while beautiful, they looked too much like a computer manipulation rather than a drawing. This was too close to the mass produced nature of the postcard for me.

Sunny Brighton framed at South Hill Park Student Open exhibition

Polymer Plate Lithography uses a plasticised paper that you can transfer an image onto. The action and method of transfer changes how areas of the plate react to water and oil. On the transferred image water is repelled and the oil based ink can adhere to the surface, while on the white portions the water stops the ink from sticking. (This may be a little inaccurate, I'm only just getting my head around the concept).

Like solar plate, the images are photographic transfers, rather than hand “drawn” like etching and drypoint. Unlike solar plate the images have to be far more graphic and less tonal. This method does not deal with grey areas well at all.

Beautiful Venice framed at South Hill Park Student Open exhibition

Both of these processes have some very interesting qualities, so some of my most recent prints have been looking at starting a new series that uses these photographic qualities along with the notion/subversion of the postcard. I also have another project in mind that will utilise the polymer litho but both projects are in very early stages. Another development has been the use of coloured inks as well as black.

I have however used all of the above processes in my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project, which is nearing completion and will require it's own blog entry very soon.

11/12/2011

Photos: "Summer is Coming"

Last week I put Summer is Coming up in the window of an Empty Shop in Maiden Place shopping centre, Lower Earley, Reading. It will be there till about the beginning of January and while we were putting the work up we already got some good comments. Hopefully the shoppers will appreciate a little reminder of summer in these dark winter days.

Here is a selection of photographs from the install.




If you would like to visit this link should get you close: Link

09/12/2011

Exhibition Update: While Things Were Good

Another exhibition update!

I've been keeping this one a little quiet but now the brochure and other publications are out I am revealing all. Although sharp eyed readers might already know about it.

In February I will be showing a selection of my larger works at my local arts centre South Hill Park in Bracknell, in a solo exhibition entitled While Things Were Good. The exact selection of works is yet to be decided but I have been feverishly painting to try to complete 2 new, large scale, 80 x 120 cm paintings.

I am really excited as the works will be in the Atrium, the exhibition space/bar/restaurant, so should have a lot of people seeing them.

I have wanted to exhibit at South Hill Park since about 2003 when I was mired enough in the art world to realise that South Hill Park actually had exhibition spaces. Before then I'd only known its as a child seeing Shakespeare performances with my secondary school or as a place to get messy with clay one summer holiday when I was about 7. It was in fact while wandering around the Mirror Gallery, looking at the 2003 Wrexham Print International, on the verge of going away to University to study Fine Art and trying to explain contemporary art to my mother, that the thought that maybe one day I could exhibit there popped up. At that point it seemed an impossible dream, heck until about 3 months ago it still seemed improbable.

No photos of the new works, they are secret until the 10th of February, but here is a little publicity.

By the way I'd love to see you on the 10th 7 – 8:30 pm for the private view, as well as my own show there will be three other exhibitions opening that evening, including South Hill Park's Jeweller in Residence Bev Bartlett, winning photographs from the local councils annual amateur photography competition and some amazing prints and sculptural paper works by Jeannie Driver and Chris Lundie.

More info 

There might even be free wine. 

Extract from current South Hill Park Brochure

Extract from upcoming exhibitions leaflet
 

08/12/2011

Welcome to Simons Wood Reflected

So it's that time again where I try to reflect on the years photographic project.

So if you missed it, some background. I was attempting to work on a follow up to the previous years project Perambulation, looking at the reality of a place and trying to recreate it through photography. Using a strict set of rules, I tried to capture a specific view throughout the year with an aim that while it might not be possible to create a truly objectively real and complete view of a place it was possible to be more objective than the Perambulation project.
    Week 1 - 20th November 2010
    Rules
     1. As from the previous project, there will be no post production editing of the photographs. With the exception of cropping and resizing for the internet.  
    2. The camera will be set to scenery mode, and the only setting on it I can change will be the white balance to the appropriate weather conditions (either cloudy or sunny)  
    3. I will go out when I should, no matter the weather at the time.  
    4. I will go to the same place and take a photo of the same view  
    5. I will go out weekly, Saturday at 12pm.  
    6. I may change the day (but not the time) if life conspires to make Saturday impossible. The day should be as close to Saturday as I can make it and I should make every effort to do it on a Saturday.  
    7. I will attempt to do this for a year.
Week 5 - 18th December 2010

It's been an interesting year. When I started I thought the lack of creative input would damage the project. It was very strict, almost verging on the scientific, and while that lent focus to what I was trying to achieve, it became routine and required little thought.

Routine tasks are part of life, and while my photography may have suffered from a lack of constant creative input, it did become familiar and comforting in a strange way. I would look forward to my weekly walks with intrigue as to how I would find the pond and take interest in all the smallest changes. 
 
Week 20 - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Practically it was easier to deal with than the Perambulation project, which was good as I have been far more busy this year than last. I didn't cheat once, although I did have to change my day far more often than I would have liked.

As a realistic view of the place? Certainly it is a realistic view of that years worth of Saturdays. Any years worth of Saturdays? Maybe. As a realistic view of that place throughout the year? Probably not. I seemed to get a high proportion of grey days which, I promise you it is not indicative of where I am. The rules I set in place certainly helped to make it a more realistic view of the place it did not create an utterly realistic view. But I went into this knowing the restrictions.

Week 21 - Saturday 9th April 2011

So what to do now with the project?

This is something I will have to think on, but much like the Perambulation project I think film or a book would be the best way to show them. Obviously 53 images are easier to deal with in a gallery setting but I like better the idea of a more fluid image progression either through an AV (which you can already get through Flickr slideshow) or a book. Of course a book is still planned for the Perambulation project so hopefully I will get around to it. I'm not entirely sure who would want to buy it though, but as a record and exercise it's a good idea.

Week 32 - Sunday 26th June 2011

I'm looking potentially at two photographic based projects next year now. One will be short term if it is accepted, but I will talk more on that at a later date if it is to be realised.

As to a year long project, I feel a more creative approach is needed, to explore my photographic skills more if nothing else. So this one will probably reflect Perambulation more than this one. I might also lift all geographical restrictions, but keep a date/time one. All in all, I'm still too deeply thinking about this current one and all the other artwork I have going on to have found time to focus my thoughts, but over Christmas I will be.

Week 50 - Saturday 29th October 2011

Photos: A selection of images from Welcome to Simons Wood