Exhibitions

An exhibition is a body of work, displayed publically that centres on a theme or message. There are a number of venues one can host an exhibition and various exhibition types.

A gallery, dedicated to the display and sale of art works are a good start. They are already established within communities and have a loyal following of art lovers interested in purchasing original works.

• House of illustration
• Illustration Cupboard
• Beach London
• Kemistry

National exhibitions offer a great deal of acclaim and publicity, it maybe significantly more difficult to get work featured, as it first needs to either win or be shortlisted to feature in these prominent events.

• Serco Prize
• Grafik Magazine

Festivals are great in number and appeal to a wide audience because they are more accessible to a broader range of people. They are usually very informal affairs, open to new and established artists of all ages. They often host events that the public can get involved in and are dedicated to the production and sale of original, affordable art.

• Artists Residence Brighton
• Pick Me Up Summerset
• London Illustration Fair
• Illustrative Berlin
• Design Event
• London Design Festival
• Holts Yard

When preparing your own exhibition there are a number of things to take into consideration, these are very important if your exhibition is to be a success.

• Target your audience
• Know the market
• Set prices costs to expectations
• Design the whole show
• Promote promote promote!
• Invite guests to a VIP or private showcase
• Consider how the whole package ties together

Sponsors can be a god-send and those who are directly involved in the art world can be great financial backers, especially if you're using their products to create your master-pieces since this is great advertising for them. It is a symbiotic relationship and if done well, both artist and sponsor will do well and perhaps the partnership can be duplicated in the future.

Talk by Frances Moffat

 

Frances Moffat

Frances Moffat is a fashion illustrator from a small town outside of Middlesbrough. She studied for her MA so she could deliver lectures and teach.

Frances studied fashion and was an assistant accessories designer for Luella, creating rough, quick drawings of jewelry and fashion accessories before stepping out on her own as a freelance illustrator. 

She started by purchasing up to date contact information of publishers and agencies, then conducted a self promotion campaign using this information as a point of contact within those companies.

She decorated her envelopes (which contained her portfolio information) with red thread, making them different and stand-alone. This is likely how and why she caught the eye of the Bright Agency. The agency is a Children's Fashion, Illustration and Greetings Card publisher.

Frances wasn't happy initially with the publisher, as once she was signed up with them, they took 35% of her profits as commission for representing her. They would take this even (and in some cases this happened) they had nothing to do with her receiving an offer of work.

After only being with the agency a relatively short time, Frances decided to go freelance and she looked back at this decision as well timed as, eighteen months after her initial self promotion, she was approached by Batsford. They had seen the material she had sent them and being impressed, kept her on file for when they had a fashion project available.

If Frances had still been with the Bright Agency, then they would have been eligible for 35% of the advance, commission and book sales following the completion of the book, Frances then went on to publish in June 2014.

Frances had a lot of freedom working on the 'Fashion Exercise Book', which is a 190+ creative pages aimed at people of all ages who wish to express themselves through the creative fashion process.

Cover of Fashion Exercise Book by Frances Moffat.

Every page is filled with very simple, stylish designs and while the pages are far from blank, they are plain enough for anyone to have-at and stamp them with their own creative flair.

The Pitch - LINO PRINT

Our task this week is to research in depth a form of printing.

I have chosen Lino Print as I have some experience with this method and it is also a process I have enjoyed and I feel this is imperative when trying to sell something. How can you sell something you do not believe in?

The Process

Lino printing is a very simple affair and the materials are readily available to all.

You will need;

• Linoleum
• Lino cutter
• Block printing ink
• Paper

Linoleum is a soft, flexible material, almost like plastic which was invented in the 1860's but wasn't used for printmaking until the 1900's in Germany. It was used to create the repeating patterns of wallpaper and artists such as Picasso and Mattisse have created art using this method.

 

Henri Matisse; Pasiphae

 

Because the linoleum is so soft and supple, it makes it very easy to work with and the cutting tools used, glide through the material like a warm knife through butter.

 

The designs are also easily marked out, graphite transfers well onto the surface of the linoleum, making it easy to first sketch out a design and then cut out.

 

Depending on the effect you're after, you can either cut out the lines themselves and end up with a image similar to the one above, (since the ink is only printed where the linoleum makes contact with the page) or you can shave away the negative space, so only the body of the work is printed, leaving the surrounding area of the image, white (see below).

 





 

Hellish Lino-print (my own work)

 

The material used to make the impression is Block Printing Ink and because we are able to wipe clean the linoleum of the water soluble ink, it means we can use the same stamp time and time again.

 

Commercial uses for Linoprint.

 

Lino printing is no longer used in any great commercial practices anymore. Those who use the technique do so for the love of creating wonderful works of art. That's not to say it can't be used, its just not financially viable for any companies to do so. Most rely heavily on digital methods to create their produce as its quicker and more cost effective (if very impersonal).

 

While using lino print is no longer the best way of producing repeat-patterns on wallpaper, it was once the only way this was done. There are now more user friendly and cheaper ways to produce these items, but if you want a truly unique piece of art work, that's different every time you print, then Lino print is the way to go.