events and exhibitions

What’s On

LAUNCH OF THE SPIKE PRINT EDITIONS

Friday 7 December 2007, 6-9pm

Commissioned and produced by Spike Print Studio, these six Limited Editioned prints were made possible by funding from Arnolfini Collections Trust. The artists are:
John Wood & Paul Harrison; Mariele Neudecker, Ged Quinn, James Ireland, Daphne Wright and Andrew Mania.

DO JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH!
Champagne will be served from 6 til 7pm

People of Note, Bristol’s award-winning community choir will sing to celebrate the opening at 7pm

After show party from 9pm

The exhibition is open two weekends in December, and then by appointment until 21 December. Please ring 0117 9290135 to arrange to view the work.
Sat 8and Sun 9, 12-5pm
Sat 15 and Sun 16, 12-5pm

ALSO ON AT SPIKE PRINT STUDIO

A Backward Glance – a Peter Reddick retrospective
Spike Print Studio
Opening Friday 7 December 2007 6-9pm
Exhibition runs 8-21 December 2007 (including weekends), 12-5pm and from 7 Jan to 29 February (not including weekends), 12-5pm

Saturday 8 December Talk by Peter Reddick at 2pm at Spike Island Gallery.

Around 50 works, including wood engravings, woodcuts and lithographs will be shown at Spike Print Studio. Four prints and a slide show are to be exhibited downstairs in Spike Gallery to complement the launch of Spike Print Studio’s Editioning project.

For opening night only: a selection of Limited Edition prints by Peter Reddick will be for sale at a special price.

A catalogue will be available and all work is for sale.

Peter Reddick – a short biography

Peter Reddick was born in Ilford, Essex, in 1924. Both his parents were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and he too joined the Society at 16. He registered as a conscientious objector in 1942 and spent the War doing land work. He trained at the Cardiff School of Art between 1947 and 1948. He then spent three years at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and a further year at the London College of Printing in 1959. He was Lecturer in Design at Kumasi College of Technology, Ghana 1960 – 62. Between 1963 and 1967 he was a Lecturer at Glasgow School of Art and then held the post of Senior Lecturer at Bristol Polytechnic between 1967 and 1989.

He was a founder member of Bristol Artspace and sits on the Management Committee of Spike Print Studio (formerly Spike Island Printmakers). Peter is one of the country’s leading wood engravers and printmakers; he also makes watercolours and coloured woodcuts. He has illustrated a number of books for the Folio Society (particularly the work of Thomas Hardy and Anthony Trollope), the Limited Editions Club, New York, The Readers Digest amongst other publishers. His influences as a student were the English Romantic engravers and the work of Blair Hughes Stanton, Gertrude Hermes, Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious and his early work as being “romantic ruralist”.
He was made Gregynog Arts Fellow between 1979 and 1980 and the work he made during that year was sponsored by the Welsh Arts Council on a tour that went to twelve different locations ending in Cardiff.

In 1988-1990 his retrospective exhibition toured six venues in Wales. In 1996 his work was featured in an exhibition at All Saints Library, Manchester University. As well as the RWA he regularly exhibits with the Society of Wood Engravers. Manchester Metropolitan University’s archive collection holds a great range of his developmental prints and original sketches as well as some editioned prints, original artwork in other media and some associated correspondence. The archive collection is a resource of national significance for the study of twentieth century book illustration, art and design and textile design.

SPIKE PRINT STUDIO AT RUH (ROYAL UNITED HOSPITAL) IN BATH

18 OCTOBER 2007 – 28 JANUARY 2008

Spike Print Studio is delighted to be part of the highly respected RUH exhibition programme in 2007 and in 2008. Around 50 works are exhibited showing the wide range and diversity of work by our members.

SPIKE PRINT STUDIO AT WATERSHED

PRINTED IN BRISTOL

3 AND 4 NOVEMBER 2007

1 AND 2 DECEMBER 2007

Spike Print Studio approached Watershed in June 07 to look at ways in which we could work together. Watershed is interested in supporting creative industries, and out of the print Studio’s 140 members, there are a number of printmakers who produce very beautiful, sellable – yes, commercial – works. They need an outlet for such work, so Watershed agreed to let us pitch up outside their doors and along the covered walkway throughout the weekends in August this year.
We are now planning to run the art market on the first weekend of each month ie
Sat 6 and Sun 7 Oct
3 and 4 Nov
1 and 2 Dec
Open 11am to 6pm.

Entitled Printed in Bristol, we recreate an alternative Covent Garden in the city. A large number of original Limited Edition prints and cards are for sale at very affordable prices, and all designed and printed by printmakers, who are members of Spike Print Studio.

People are excited by seeing us in such a prominent space and we have had really good feedback.

One of the most important benefits of these markets has been the diversity of people who have looked at the work and talked to the artists. This is a different audience to the usual visitors who come to Spike Island for open studios and events. Outside Watershed we have met and sold work to people who might have been intimidated by the idea of going to an ‘art’ event but have enjoyed the market set up and felt confident enough to buy work and engage with the artists.

By taking our work out of the studio and to the public we are gaining much needed feedback. The artists are building up their confidence in talking about their work in an informal setting. It gives them an alternative ‘shop window’ in which to show their work.

The partnership between Watershed and the Print Studio signifies support for the visual arts and creative industries in general in the South West.
INSIDE THE SQUARE
WARRINGAH PRINT EXCHANGE AND SPIKE PRINT STUDIO
In 2006 Spike Print Studio was invited to participate in a print exchange project with Warringah Printmakers, Sydney, Australia to celebrate Warringah’s 10th Anniversary exhibition.
The brief was to create a print to fit on paper size 21cm x 21cm. Everyone who took part received a print from the other print studio.
The final exhibition of 44 prints was shown in May/June at the Balmain Watch House in inner Sydney and at Spike Print Studio in September 07.

http://www.printstudio.org.au/

IMAGE
Perhaps Events and Exhibitions? As a visitor I may be interested in an exhibition of prints (and exhibit launch night) but not inspired by an ‘event’. Could be a ‘What’s on’ page instead with latest headlines linked from the home page. Best informed by examples of real content.

News under blog – short title/excerpt on home page linking to full article

What about one-off or short notice events?

Getting the archive right – how should this work? How should it be managed? For example, by date? Does the latest event simply appear at the top – is anything more complicated required?