Adventures with Penelope
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starring Chalkie, Jeremy and an all-star caste including Lars and Craig (playing himself).
Monday 12th April
So begins a steep learning curve, much more so for me than Chalkie as she has screen printing experience - I don’t.
For convenience and to allow scope for experimentation, we set up an improvised print space in the studio. Next, we needed to prepare suitable images from which to make screens to print from. Advice from Brian in the printshop, several trips to the library printers, and an illuminating discussion with new digital print wizard Lars moved things forward. Time to get messy!
At the end of a very tiring day, I’ve made a short run of simple, bold glove prints – which is a start – whilst Chalkie has started on the road to some lovely, delicate (perhaps too delicate this time around) and sophisticated images.
The problem with a messy day, is the clearing up and cleaning screens…
Coming up ...... DAY 2!
Tuesday 13th
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Early doors, time to experiment (break rules) in a sort of ‘what’s the worst that can happen.....?’
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Empty taps, that’s what happens. (Water turned off due to leak somewhere – nothing to do with tigers.)
Meanwhile, the ever helpful Brian was sorting out a new screen for me so it was over to Chalkie.
Artistic flourish or folk dance?
Not Penelope: it's lovely Lilith!
Chalkie's experiment with
over-printing (left)
Meanwhile, my new screen is ready. Here's the first proof. (left)
Then Chalkie laid down a base layer of acrylic on a large piece of canvas, which I subsequently threw paint at and abused before a sealant layer was added.
The plan – yes there was one (sort of) – was to ‘freestyle’ the position of each screen a la Rauschenberg and build up layers.
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We found that some colour mixes worked better than others and there was much trial and error with the proportions in the mix (don’t tell the proper printers, we didn’t keep notes!)
And include some extra images…
Whilst I was directed to clean screens and climb ladders, Chalkie set up lights and a camera (which she assured me she knew how to use…) to record our efforts.
Don't look Brian
This may be done … or not. We shall reassess tomorrow
Thursday 15th
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“Ying tong ying tong
Ying tong ying tong
Ying tong iddle I po…” more on that story later.
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Meanwhile, in the sunbathed upper echelons of Camberwell College of Art, it was reflection day.
What did the canvas look like the morning after?
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To stretch or not to nail over four lumps of wood?
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At close of play yesterday we talked of more layers, a grid perhaps, or more overt Lilith. Today the consensus was to leave it be…
Now cave painting associations come to the fore – which caused Chalkie to tell a story about Antony Gormley and interior decoration.
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Hand-prints! Expanding the collaboration to as many folk as we could muster we achieved ….
Then…
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We ‘ad a butchers ‘round the back (so to speak)
This led to a clamour of possibilities; from the front we had been thinking semiotics, memento mori v Memento vivere.
Taking stock, I THINK this is what we have concluded so far:
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Don’t stretch
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Minimise the rectangular nature of the canvas by draping, forming over a wire armature or similar
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Make a screenprint from it and further edit the copies
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Show the back
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Paint the back
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Collage the back
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Have another think
Some more printing was done...
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but not much and Lars gave Chalkie the lemon, so that be something for morning.
Check back tomorrow when there'll be something for the weekend....
Friday 16th
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Just a little solo printing today...
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and some more experimental display methods.
On the left is a trial print on acetate making this an invaluable aid when trying to print multiple copies quickly and accurately.
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The problem when printing one layer over another is trying to get the registration (i.e. the fit) right.
Using a clear guide to show where the print is going to go makes positioning of the paper (or other surface) a doddle!
Using the above method enabled me to pint these multi-layer images.
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This weeks adventures with Penelope have been productive and fun.
There’s one more instalment to come.
Watch out, the weeks behind you
There's always something to print around you
It's not nothing at all
Check out Sunday morning for full reflection from both of us…
I made it in just in time to return all the cameras and lighting equipment by 4.30 and I pondered on the weeks activities......I sifted though my rather un-uniform prints and realised the screen printing table was free, too tempting - so after printing on to a selection of canvases, which worked quite well with the aid of the the 'new Craig clamps' and a lot of white, I started to cut stencils and purchased some water based screen block, new goo to play with, I am hooked to the process again... you never know exactly what you will get and that is so addictive and exciting, if like me you are curious and like goo
- chalkie
Sunday 18th Reflection
Collaboration is, in many ways, a step into the unknown, presenting challenges, opportunities and innovation. When it works well it's energising and nourishing to one’s practice – fun too! In this case, for me there was the bonus of learning a new skill; Chalkie’s experience with the medium made what we achieved possible. Working in the studio, rather than in the printshop, allowed greater flexibility – time/access was not an issue, and we could take more risks.
Working on a single piece with another artist produces a unique dynamic. Both of us were involved at every stage, our different approaches producing interesting relationships in the work. The semiotic overlap in our practices allowed formal cohesion, yet at times morphing into something more abstract, referencing art history right the way back to cave painting.
The outcome was neither what I expected nor a disappointment. The very different types of image that we brought to the table worked to our advantage, generating a sophisticated and layered canvas capable of display in many ways (including from the back!).
Jeremy
As the last hour of 18th of April 2021 draws to a close I have found a moment to reflect on the week. It has been an action packed 7 days shared with Jeremy who some how has kept me gently moving and us both on course. Hoorah! I have been really impressed with what I have produced
with Jeramy it has been 30 years since my last screen print and the water based paints have been brilliant. I have loved this journey of rediscovery and I have managed to incorporate my current practice and intrests with ease, has also been a week of serendipity.
Saturday I had the opertunity to see prints by Robert Rauschenberg Night Shades and Phantoms and the Georg Baselitz. Both most inspirational. Click for Links.
Today I unpacked a camera that had arrived from my cousin she had inherited it from her father who had in turn inherited it from our Grandfather in April 1953. I intend to photograph my domestic every day and make silk screens with the results. On Monday I received a linkedin message from another cousin, one I did not know I had. Roger Sutcliffe has turned out to be a print maker and painter from Canada. https://www.rogersutcliffe.ca/bio
It looks like I may have help. xxx chalkie
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Chalkie Cloonan & Jeremy Scott
12.04.21 - 18.04.21
Don’t miss the next EXCITING instalment tomorrow when the dynamic duo try to do different things, on the same canvas, at the same time!
Sure recipe for more MESS.
Wednesday 14th
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Day 3, time to get interesting! Close proximity (Ooh Err Missus) printing on the same canvas at the same time….
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But first, we both had another go with the previous days screens.
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