Book Arts

Stephen Fowler Residency Report
Stephen Fowler was our book artist in residence here over August 2011. He was always busy at work in the studio, and proved to be very popular here, not only for his artwork, he also bought croissants and sticky buns for us on his way in each morning! Stephen produced a new body of work during his residency, some of which was selected by Jeremy Deller for an exhibition The Strawberry Thief, 7 – 28 October 2011 at The Fine Art Society, London
Stephen Fowler’s artists’ books have been exhibited around the world and in national collections, such as The Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain, Leeds University and the University of the West of England.

Stephen runs printmaking and bookbinding workshops and teaches drawing at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Whitechapel Gallery, Wallace Collection, Kingston University, University of the Creative Arts and Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.

At the end of his residency Stephen left us a complete set of prints produced, a copy of Sacred Things and the rubber plant he bought with him. We have added the prints and books to our archive where they are being enjoyed by students and visitors, the rubber plant (christened Leon) now lives on Angie’s desk in our office where it is doing very well.

http://stephenfowler72.blogspot.com

Stephen Fowler Artist in Residency at the Centre for Fine Print Research August 2011
List of things made:

Rubber Stamps

1	Nigel Henderson portrait round rubber stamp easykut on chest of drawers handle.
1	Round rubber stamp Dracula’s bride portrait mounted on chest of drawers handle.easykut
3	x Colour rubber stamp separation stamp of a Rock Goby. Pound note eraser & etched lino
1	2x colour Heart Urchin. Eraser
1	Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca).Soft Kut
1	Seaweed (porphyra umbilicalis). Soft Kut
1	Winged Kelp (alaria esculenta). Pound note Easier
1	3 x block Radish. easier
1	2 x colour Flatfish/Turbot. Oval easier
1	2 x colour Flatfish. Small oval eraser
1	2 x colour Cushion Star Starfish. Novelty eraser
1	2 x colour Edible Sea-Urchin (echinus esculentus). Round Novelty eraser
1	Multi-sectioned Parish Church (of Gardiner, Maine, U.S.A).Pound note eraser
1	Single block La Seu Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca,Spain.
1	Man with Caul Membrane over head & shoulders.
1	Aristocrat head with crown.
1	Spirit with Heart & Aureole Rays.
1	Common British Jellyfish (Rhizostoma).
1	Votive hand or Hand of Glory.
1	3 x colour Turnip.
1	2 x block WILDMAN text.
1	Wildman portrait.
1	3 x block edible Whelk
1	Moody Baby/Baby Jesus with Aureole Rays.
1	2 x block Aureole

Woodcuts
	‘Head’
	‘3 gods, saints’ – version 1
	‘3 gods, saints’ – version 2
	‘3 gods, saints’ – version 3
	Christ – ‘like an owl in the desert’

Printed Editions
	Head
	Like an Owl in the Desert
	Saint Breward – Altar with Gifts and Clouties
	Votives and First Fruits.
	All the rubber stamps

Artist’s Book
	Rubber Stamp Catalogue No:1 Sacred Things.

Experiments
	Techniques explored.
	Etched Lino, experimented with time lengths – combined printing with rubberstamps.
	Etched Rubber Stamp – doesn’t work.
	Multiple printing with Softkut lino,Soft Kut and Rubber Stamps – all printed using printing press.
	Offset printing from rubber stamps – something to explore further – a very ethereal effect.
	Printing Softkut Lino stamps onto oval beer mats using the relief printing press.

	Materials explored:
	Softkut Lino
	Softkut Lino Discs
	Soft Kut
	Large erasers – backed onto greyboard – works well, stick with ‘No More Nails’.
	Oval Beer mats

	Ideas explored:
	Sacred rock pools – prints and drawings in sketchbook – influenced by alchemy prints.
	Votives, gifts for an Altar using beer mats.
	Gifts in transparent bags.

Artist residency top ten tunes:
	Love in Islington – Stanley Myers
	Couperin – Francois Couperin
	Thunder Entered Her – John Tavener
	Oliver Cromwell Lost his Shoe – Folktrax
	Child’s Christmas in Wales – John Cale
	Paris 1919 – John Cale
	The Endless Plain of Fortune – John Cale
	Porpoise Song – The Monkees
	Daddy’s Song – The Monkees
	You Told Me – The Monkees

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