The UK Fine Press Book Fair at Oxford Brookes University last weekend was a happy event as usual. For a very good resume of the state of the art read Sebastian Carter's excellent full page article in
October 30th TLS ( no.5561 ) ( where he was also kind enough to give me a mention).
There seems to be a good feeling of moving forward within the association and a good variety of books on show. I was very happy to be awarded one of the Judges prizes for my large
And Other Fairy Tales - in itself a recognition that 'arty-er'types of hand-made books are being welcomed on board and that all kinds of aesthetics can co-exist happily.
My personal favourites were as usual -
Shanty Bay Press from Canada, and my dear friend
Dmitry Sayenko - Nikodim Press from Russia ( who again managed to share Lewes Bonfire with us just before the Fair).I forgot to photograph Shanty Bay's stall this year ( tho they are in the middle of producing another large pochoir book still unfinished - Walter's monoprints are also beautiful) and I'm afraid all the photos are rather blurry as it was dark in the hall, and I found half way round the M25 at 6 a.m that I had forgotton my glasses and a hastily purchased pair of reading glasses failed to really do the biz...
here is Dmitry's stand..
Our other news is that we have taken on new premises in Lewes at
151 High Street - near the Bottleneck traffic lights at the top end of the town.
Primarily a new dry home for the
Tom Paine Printing Press ( the shop is right opposite the Bull House where Tom Paine lived and worked as Customs officer and tobacconist for 6 years, which is an ideal position ) it will be Peter's workspace for his letterpress and where he can give classes for those interested.
The Tom Paine Press is an educative and non-profit making enterprise to promote Tom Paine's profile in Lewes and show a hands-on approach to printing, but we need to pay the rent so we will also be putting on small shows of prints, printed matter and Artists Books..
starting with a show of Dmitry's prints and books at the end of November ( once the press is completely up and running again - it moved in in pieces last week )and a special display of small stocking fillers for
Lewes Late Night Shopping on Thursday 3rd December - watch this space...
Peter will be printing broadsheets - he produced some for Lewes Bonfire - a few still remaining, plus some Tom Paine pounds...and working with poets who would like to produce single sheets or small pamphlets of their work, with or without images
and I will be able to make use of his skills as well...
The 'shop' will be called
PRINT 
I will shortly be exhibiting at
Kaleid EditionsThe grand Plasto-Baader-Books
2-24 December 2009
On the 1st of December 2009, KALEID will be
transformed into a cavernous assemblage of unique
artists’ books selected for their originality and
conceptual response to the book form. Curated by
Deeqa Ismail and Aylin Kunter, the group show will
involve an international network of artists working
closely with KALEID editions.
In 1920 Johannes Baader erected Das Grosse Plasto-
Dio-Dada-Drama as part of the First International
Dada-Messe. “It looked like the aftermath of an accident
between a trolley car and a newspaper kiosk” . Inspired
by this original architectural feat, Ismail and Kunter will
select artists to show individual or collections of unique
artists’ books during London’s festive season.
KALEID is a contemporary artists’ books project and
retail space located on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch
close to Artwars Project Space, Trolley Gallery, Maverick
Show Rooms, Museum 52, the Boundary and
Shoreditch House Members Club.
Unit 2, 23-25 Redchurch Street,
London. E2 7DJ
0785 213 825
deeqa@kaleideditions.com
www.kaleideditions.com
Wednesday to Saturday, 12-7pm
Late night Thursdays and
informal Sundays
I will also be showing in Brighton at
SIX
Judy Stevens' Open House
6 Clifton Street Brighton
BN1 3PH( very near Brighton Station )
weekends 28/29 November
5/6 December
12/13 December
12-6
watch this space for more details...
