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Photographing buildings - my skills need some work ... but I did complete a course with SPAB. Creatively I was reasonably pleased with the results. But I could do with practicing with the exteriors of large buildings. I was drawn in by the grunge (again!).
Fascinated to 'discover' James Mosley's 'discovery' of the early sans serif lettering (though a few letters don't comply with being fully sans serif - the v in cave for instance) used in the grotto at Stourhead Landscape Garden.
James Mosley wrote an essay on this 'The Nymph and the Grot' in 1965, and discussed this further in his blog in 2007 I'm now 'discovering' more of his writing about lettering on buildings. It is fascinating and frustrating in equal measure that lettering on buildings can be the detail that we can't help but be drawn to - we almost can't help ourselves reading it - and yet the process by which it comes into being (who does it and in what style or design) is rarely written about. Maybe I just haven't found enough of the right sources yet, or maybe it is not interesting enough to write about. It does feel like a subject that falls through the gap between lettering and typography experts (who look at the style) and building historians (who look at what it is part of). Footnote: It's a shame that muddy footprints obscure this lettering (and apparently this is unfortunately a re-creation after the original was carelessly lost). But in the dark in a grotto I imagine any trip hazards to keep people off the floor would be a problem. Even though its unique and important enough that the National Trust base their own typeface on this lettering. Incidentally designed by Paul Barnes - a Reading Typography department whizzkid, who I remember from a couple of years above me sitting operating the Monotype machines. One of those experiences my 18-22 year old self wasn't brave enough to apporoach - I'm remembering with pure envy, and a reminder to my current self. I recently visited Ghent in Belgium. In the Saint Bavo cathedral we did not visit the Ghent Altarpiece, what with time, cost and queues and all that. But I did spend time with Arcangelo II (San Giorgio) 2023-2024 by Berlinde De Bruyckere and an incredible tree of life pulpit by Laurent Delvaux. Its easy to think 'same old, same old...' when stepping into another cathedral. But inside there can still be surprises. Impossible to capture with photos, but each piece was moving and made me stand still. It is also interesting that the core of the visual hooks that do it for me still have so many common threads and patterns. I wonder how these will manifest in the research interests in building history.    Wikimedia: preekstoel door Laurent Delvaux. Collectie: Sint-Baafskathedraal in Gent  This blog was originally active from 2014 to 2016 during the time I was at Kingston University and working towards my MA Art & Space with Professor Charlotte Cullinan and Jeanine Richards.
During the intervening 10 years, I've been progressing my art practice in a variety of ways and with a variety of projects. The best outcomes of which are documented on my website at www.janeglennie.co.uk This autumn, I am going to be enrolling on the MSt Building History degree at Cambridge University. I've been thinking a lot about it since I heard that I'd got a place on the course earlier this year, and remembered the practice of using this blog along the journey of my art degree. Two years flew by, and while it seemed a bit useless at the start, by the end it had become invaluable as a tool: to look back over, to identify the common threads of interest that sparked, and to formalise my thoughts and experiences through writing. So, I have decided that I should begin this practice anew. I debated whether to start something entirely fresh, but given the 'interconnectedness of all things' (thank you as ever Dirk Gently/Douglas Adams), I decided that I should continue to fill the same tank. I still like thinking about the water tank as a metaphor ... though my brain is probably silted-up with another 10 years gone by .... hopefully HRT keeps me flowing.
I'm into the very last weeks of my MA at Kingston University. My friend and fellow student Louise made a list of all that has gone on throughout this experience. I thought I would make some lists too of what I have done on this journey:
Things I have bought, borrowed or acquired for making art
Things I have taken photos or films of for making art
Some of the people I have listened to in talks Mark Wallinger / Tracey Emin / Doug Ashford / Gavin Turk / Bracha. L. Ettinger / Faith Wilding / Griselda Pollock / Mary Kelly / John Miller talking about Mike Kelley / Rut Blees Luxemburg / Saskia Sassen / Samuel Bianchini / Chris Ingram & Miroslav Pomichal / Ansel Krut / Sarah Michelson Some places I have shown the work I have created
Some places I have been ICA / Hayward Gallery / Zabludowitz Collection / Camden Arts Centre / Tate Modern / Tate Britain / White Cube / Royal Academy / Dusseldorf / Cologne / Wuppertal / Monchengladbach / Krefeld / Leverkusen / Tate Liverpool / Saatchi Gallery / 4COSE / The Serpentine / Tender Books / Claire de Rouen Books / Donlon Books Some new things I have used or done in the workshops
All in all I have done so much, but it has opened up my eyes and my ideas to so much more. I just hope I can continue where this course leaves off. Exciting to be the first project through the brand new Risograph press. Some teething troubles but all part of learning more about what Risograph is good at, bad at, and how to work with it.
Interesting to explore the results of the sandblasting stencils. Initially I thought I would have the text 'reversed-out' of the mug. But then tried it the other way round, with the background sandblasted and the lettering left glazed. I think this is better because the background white unifies the mugs, I also like the way in which the original designs can be partially obliterated. The results achieved varied as to the processes used in decorating the mug - whether the design was on top or beneath the glaze, and whether the mug had an overall colour under the glaze.
 "When discussing installations and their perception, Ilya Kabakov wrote that the past, present and future should be suggested, but are perceived subjectively by the viewer. The future can be made by presenting familiar things in strange ways. The present is represented by the viewer, 'who is standing in the middle of the installation, in the centre or moving around inside of it'. While all of the objects are everyday and recognisable, it is not just the objects themselves, but the way that they are displayed - their density, juxtaposition, angle and point of view - that provides the narrative. All these the viewer perceives with his or her deep 'internal vision' as he or she contemplates the scene." p134
Art and the Home: Comfort Alienation and the Everyday Imogen Racz, I B Tauris & Co, London, 2015 The group met last week to plan the publication that will accompany our final show 'The residue of a flare ignited upon a boundary'. Each person had prepared 4 images. We discussed changing some people's images from black & white to colour or a combination of colours - using the palette of blue, pink, yellow and black. These colours roughly translate into CMYK, but the blue is more of a mid-tone denim blue, while the pink is florescent. Then the group planned the order that the pages would appear in the book. We decided that we would keep each group of 4 images from each artist together so that the changes from one artist to the next would be distinct. To keep things simpler in production each artist's set of 4 images will be printed 4-up on an A2 sheet of paper, to a maximum of a 2-colour separation - but of any combination - e.g. blue & black, pink & yellow, blue & pink etc. I will produce one master document for output to the Risograph press to ensure consistency of page size/positioning etc. We discovered how lovely the embossing plate is when I photocopied it. We decided to use this as the title page of the book. 
For making multiple stencils for sandblasting my mug collection, I collected scrap sticky back plastic from the Digital Media Workshop, and cut it into 25 x 15cm pieces. I'd planned to use the laser cutter to cut out the 'T+S' stencil. However, this was out of action and it was suggested that I could use the Zund machine. This machine is effectively a plotter with a scalpel blade at the end of it.
It took around a minute to produce 1 stencil. However, the way in which the Zund inserts the blade into the surface means that the corners are not so clean-cut as with the laser cutter. I am hoping that this is not evident in the sand-blasting. I visited the Stanley Picker house a few years ago on a 20th Century Society tour. It has left an impression on me. Particularly the 'fitments'.
Richard J S Gutman & Elliott Kaufmann Harper and Row, New York, 1979   The plate was made by acid etching. Different colour cards were tested, with and without embossed texture on the card itself. More definition is achieved in the embossing if the plate is laid down directly on the bed (scrap paper beneath), and this effect was better than if a blanket is beneath the plate.
The card is 350gsm, Colourplan with Gravure embossing. This range was selected by William following his visit to the paper merchants G.F.Smith. Finally the group chose a light grey colour. This will go with the inside paper: 100gsm Heritage White by J.P.Purcell Paper - also selected by William through discussions with Ioannis the Print Manager.  On reflection, the grass cutting effect was not distinct enough, though you could see it. I think it was just slightly too subtle. I was worried that this would be the case, but my plans had been stymied by 'Britain in Bloom'. The judging of the Britain in Bloom competition was to take place in the following week, so a committee somewhere in the Council ruled that I was not allowed to do anything more 'drastic' to the grass. Despite the fact that had there been any other kind of event on such as outdoor theatre or music that would have created more severe marks in the grass from stages or seating etc - I was not allowed to affect the grass by creating visual art (in an Arts Centre!). I think the overall result is likely to have been improved if I had been allowed at least two weeks growth instead of only one. More ideal would be if I had been able to make the grass go yellow. I have learned however, more about planning and dealing with the unexpected. Marks from yellowed grass will have to wait for another opportunity. |
Visual & ideasJane is less fluid and more organised at: www.janeglennie.co.uk
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