April 05 – 06, 2023, 10 am – 12:30 pm
Many thanks to the artist Emily Hunt for her workshop introducing our participants to EXPERIMENTAL DRAWING: Artist Books during the basic course within the Studio Program at BAI | Berlin Artist Residency, Art School, Arts Incubator, and Live Online Courses & Classes.
“The workshop will provide a short introduction to the history and contemporary use of artist books in drawing, printmaking and collage. The lecture will begin by covering surrealist artist books and investigate current contemporary artist books, occasionally referred to as ‘zines’. Producing and selling zines is one of the best way to create an artwork to be seen by a larger audience, without the restrictions of applying to galleries or installing exhibitions. In this course you will collaborate with the whole class and design eight complete individual publications consisting of 8-pages each. The theme of each zine will be decided by each participant at the beginning of class. This is an exercise of collaboration. The one-off book can be narrative based, without words, or non-fiction, though it must be constructed entirely from drawings produced in class. You must decide on one evocative word for the theme. You may use handwritten text as well and collage elements throughout.
DAY 1
10 – 10.30 am
The workshop will begin with a presentation and lecture that will explore the history and contemporary use of the book-form as an artwork
10.30 – 10.45 am
The objective of this two-day course is to collaboratively produce an artist book, (zine) that focuses on a particular theme. To begin, each individual will select an evocative word to serve as the foundation for their contribution to the artist book. This keyword, theme, or concept will influence the creation of original drawings and collages. To guide participants through the creative process, Hunt will demonstrate her approach to developing her own artist book.
10.45 – 12 noon
Each artist will create three original drawings or collages on A6 paper, with each piece relating to their chosen word. For example, if an artist selects the word ‘puppet’ as their theme, they will produce three artworks on A6 paper that explore this concept. Artists will work on their individual themes until completion before moving on to the next artist’s chosen word, such as ‘shelter’, and creating a series of drawings and collages around this new theme. The ultimate goal is to compile all of the works produced by each artist under their respective themes into a cohesive artist book
12 noon – 12.30 pm
At the end of the first day, there will be a group discussion to review the progress made so far and to assess what work remains to be completed on the following day. This will provide an opportunity for participants to share their thoughts and insights, and to receive feedback on their work. After the discussion, there will be a general tidy up to ensure that the workspace is organised and ready for the next day’s activities
DAY 2
10 – 10.30 am
The course will commence with a presentation by Emily Hunt, exhibiting her personal collection of artist books. This will provide participants with an opportunity to gain insight and ideas into the creative possibilities of the book-form as an artwork. Following the presentation, there will be a discussion on practical matters such as where to find stockists for self-published books, setting personal deadlines, and securing funding for artistic projects.
10.30 – 11.30 am
During focused work time, artists concentrate on completing their drawings and collages for each theme.
11.30 am – 12 noon
After completing their drawings and collages, the pages are assembled into a book. Each participant receives a finished artist book that contains their work on their chosen theme.
12 noon – 12.30 pm
After completing their artist books, participants engage in a discussion about their work. They review the successes and failures of their books and reflect on the skills they acquired. This discussion provides an opportunity for feedback.” (Text by courtesy of Emily Hunt)
Emily Hunt (b. 1981) lives and works in Berlin since 2017. Hunt has been running Big Ego Books since 2015. She was the co-Dictator of DUKE Magazine, an artist magazine focusing on Australian artists and thrift culture between 2005-2009. She has shown extensively in Australia since 2012, including at the Museum for Contemporary Art Sydney, First Draft, Casula Powerhouse, UTS Gallery, Artspace, Bundanon Trust, UQ Art Museum, KNULP and The Commercial gallery.Her work is held in collections that include The Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art (CCWA), Artbank, and Manly Art Gallery. She was awarded Marten Bequest Scholarship for Painting (2015), and Ian Potter Cultural Trust Grant (2017), with two grants from Australia Council for the Arts (2014 & 2019). Her work has recently been shown at the Arp Museum Remagen, Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien, Zitadelle Spandau (ZAK) and Sim Smith Gallery, London. In 2020 Hunt was selected as a participant in the Goldrausch Künstlerinnen Projekt. In 2021, Hunt’s first solo exhibition in Berlin opened at Galerie Wedding.
More information on the Emily Hunt Website.
