2011
It’s been an interesting year; one without too much travel, but lots of fun.
MCBA
The big thing throughout 2011 has been my MCBA/Jerome Foundation mentorship. It’s been a really satisfying opportunity and the experience of working with the other five recipients, everyone at MCBA and our three generous mentors is one I’ll treasure.
A year ago I knew nothing about letterpress printing on the Vandercook, lead typesetting, silkscreen printing, case making, multi-signature sewing, book binding, pressure printing and many other techniques. Today, I’d like to think I know a little more.
It wasn’t necessarily an easy project and I didn’t see anything of the spring, summer and autumn because I was busy working at printing the images, laying out and printing the text pages and making the case, but that’s the kind of environment I love to be in. The results of my labour can be found here on my website.
SANTA FE
A short break came in July, when I got to make an unexpected trip to Santa Fe and the Land of Many Uses for the opening of Cy DeCosse’s show at Verve Gallery.
GREECE
After the MCBA opening in early November, I flew to Greece with Beth to assist her with the images for her McKnight Fellowship. We did a lot of walking and a four day road trip; Athens – Corinth – Nafplion – Patras – Delphi – Athens. I even managed to drive through the morning and evening rush hour traffic in central Athens, eventually parking the rental car in the tiny parking space outside our hotel like a true Athenian. Read into that what you will…
I realised I had to be one of the few Britons who had never been to Greece before, but I absolutely fell in love with the people, the landscape, the food and the temperament of the country. The trip also gave me the opportunity to catch up with my old friend and photographer Martin, someone I hadn’t see in sixteen years but who I’d spent many, many days and even more evenings with in the 1980s and 1990s. Back then I was printing in London and Martin was one of those photographers who had started as a client but quickly became a close friend. We only got to see him again briefly as he was passing through Athens on his way back to the UK, but it was as if we’d only seen each other the day before. I guess wine has that effect.
Beth using her iPad as an 8″ x 10″ point-and-shoot.
As I write this it’s 7pm CST, so I guess that’s about it for 2011. Here’s wishing for a wonderful 2012.