Times and Dates of Whitechapel Book Fair

Friday 25th September 2pm – 5pm Private View
5pm – late Open to public
Saturday 26 September 11am – 6pm Open to public
Sunday 27 September 11am – 6pm Open to public

LABF Whitechapel Gallery Book Fair

I shall be having a stand at the Whitechapel Artists Book Fair the last weekend in September - 26/27 September - am just waiting for confirmed times of opening. Watch this space or try Whitechapel's website.
These images are of the latest cut-out version of And Other Fairy Tales which I will be showing at the fair( among other things ).....

Next Up

What we have been up to

A quick update....
for pictures of the Tom Paine Printing press in action, do go to John May's blog where he has posted up some really good pictures. Look under 'Posts' for Tom Paine Printing Press.
All those involved with the Press, and Paddock Printmakers new book and exhibition, have no time at present to update their own websites, so many thanks to John for putting us on his.

http://hqinfo.blogspot.com

Also check out the post on John's blog (The Generalist) where you will also see he has written about John Michell's Memorial service in Ladbroke Grove a week or so ago; John was a lovely man I first met through Keith Crichlow. Keith gave wonderful lectures at the Slade; among much else he introduced me to Kathleen Raine's books about Blake. He performed John's eulogy.

The picture above shows Paddock Printmakers at the Do-At-The-Depot last week, advertising the studios and showing our new book - Tom Paine in Lewes and the original prints used to make it. Here I'm showing it to Julian Bell while Vivien Halas looks on - she is one of the printmaking group but was also promoting her book about her parents,'Halas and Bachelor', who made influential animation films in the forties and fifties, including the animated 'Animal Farm'.
In the background you can see June - June is a printmaker and her husband Peter did all the graphic design for our book, and provides support extraordinaire. You can see them both behind me on the picture on John's blog.

The Do was to launch the new Lewes Pounds - new designs, and new denominations of currency pending I believe. The only currency in the world to have Tom Paine on the banknotes!

The Paine Festival has been a treasure trove of interesting lectures and events; the High Street was closed for an afternoon and there was dancing in the streets, as well as lots of dramatic events and a Mummers Play about Tom's life in Lewes.
The Generalist also now has a lot of photos of the dancing in the streets - check out the one headed 'Nail Dance'.

The highlight for me was (archaeologist)Martin Brown's guided walk celebrating the spirit of Independence in the town, with costumed figures delivering their testimony - sometimes moving, always inspiring and very informative - covering the Peasants Revolt, Bonfire and its origin in religious persecution, the Civil War, artistic freedoms, Edward Warren ( the Warren Cup, Rodin's the Kiss and the gay community at Lewes House at the beginning of the twentieth century ) - ending up on Cliffe Bridge to celebrate Independent Brewing with Miles Jenner of Harveys Brewery.
You may know Martin from occasional TV archaeology programs; his walks are brilliant and this one was particularly well attended with a very spirited crowd.

Seth Gopin, from Rutgers University USA , has been doing a wonderfully lively introduction to Tom Paine's life and work in the Town Hall each day; its been great to get the American perspective on this, as well as learn the results of the new research done by Seth, Paul Myles, local historian Colin Brent, and art historian Deborah Gage - descendent of General Gage of Firle Place ( just outside Lewes )who commanded the British troops in the War of American Independence.

Sales of our Book and prints are going well and hundreds of people have passed through the Press - around 200 each day.
Check out the Tom Paine Printing Press website in a week or too to catch up on recent developments there.
Meanwhile I am hoping to get back to work on my own books soon!

UPDATE; the new Tom Paine Printing Press Website

The new web address for the Tom Paine Printing Press is now
www.tompaineprintingpress.com
which is operating alongside the blog and has the most up-to-date photographs of the press being installed.

June already fast disappearing...

and I have been much pre-occupied with the fast approaching Tom Paine Festival here in Lewes and my printmaking group's new book - Tom Paine in Lewes.


There have been the usual hiccups with printing - well more like loud burps actually - driving us to distraction; the usual story, paper mills closing down or their products becoming unavailable or changing their character completely whilst still being called 'exactly the same thing' despite being miraculously smoother, shinier, thinner ......and whether we can actually believe this story or not ( but sadly yes, we probably can...)

oh well - the images look lovely; please check out our website
http://paddockprints.wordpress.com

The book is being bound by Bookbinders of Lewes at this moment.

Do come along to the show, which will up all through July and until 24th August; there will also be a trail of mounted prints in the windows of many of our individual shops along the High Street between Westgate and School Hill for the duration of the actual Festival - 4 - 14 July.
There is a good program of events, dramatic productions and free talks and debates, and a nail dance in the streets - see the official Festival website
www.thomaspaineandlewes.com

Paddock Printmakers will also have a stand at The Do at the Depot at Harveys Depot in Pinwell Lane , Lewes on the 3rd of July
see http://www.thelewespound.org
for details of that event....

and most excitingly -
the Tom Paine Printing Press is now installed in the Market Tower ready for the festival, and my husband Peter Chasseaud will be demonstrating how it works every day, and printing some Tom Paine material, beginning with the 'Case of the Officers of Excise' which Tom wrote whilst living and working in Lewes.
The press was built by Alan May, who made the Gutenburg Press for Stephen Fry and which was the subject of a very good television program. This facsimile Common Press is from a really beautiful piece of oak and looks wonderful as well as printing well despite the rather wobbly floor of the space in the Market Tower where they used to house the town Fire Engine.
Alan and his wife Judith brought it down from Stafford in a trailer and we really enjoyed getting to know them better over the two days it took to get it up and running. There is still a lot to be sorted out but Peter has kindly agreed that Paddock Printmakers can use him as a base for selling our book and unframed prints and cards during the summer.
The Press is going to be available for artists projects, so maybe one day we will be able to print one of our books with him, straight from the wood or lino blocks on the press. After our struggles with digital production the thought of a hands-on and within-our-control in-house production seems very tempting, tho would doubtless bring its own set of problems and surprises.

See more about the Press , with lots of pictures, on
http://tompainepress.blogspot.com

Images from Selector's Choice Exhibition at the Regency Town House

kindly taken for me by Peter Flanagan; the house is such a lovely space everyone should go and see it .