School of Art, Media and Design, UWE Bristol:
Hafod Press : One-off and Digital Artists’ Books
Noelle Griffiths
4th May – 15th June
I am a painter who has made artists’ books since 1996. My books fall into two categories. Firstly, a series of Travel Books which visually record the essence of my experiences of travel. This series started with Mexico – Five Mayan Sites (1996) and now includes Italy Books (1997-8), Sri Lanka (2001), Camping Book, India Books and Andalucia (2003).
Secondly, books which are made and exhibited as part of a series of paintings. Book of Balance Volumes I & II (1999-2000) is central to a series of paintings made over three years which relate to my experience in the landscape at the time of the Celtic cross-quarterly festivals of Beltain, Lammas, Samhain and Imbolc. Water Passion Books (2000), Shrine Books (2001), Box Books (2001), Hands Books (2002) all relate to series of paintings of the same titles. Three Letters Books (2002) relate to a large diptych painting on canvas ‘Failure of the Imagination’ made after 9/11.
Making books is a natural extension to making paintings, and often opens up new imagery and visual narrative, which then feeds back into the painting. I usually make series of paintings or use a diptych or triptych format, and this extends to making triptychs of books, which are handled separately but exhibited as a whole. I enjoy the intimacy and physicality of the book format, the way one image leads to another, the way a concertina book can be read page by page and also as a long multiple image.
Until 2003 my books have all been one-off hand painted books, with the exception of Hands Books and Letters Books, which are collograph concertina books with an edition of three. In 2003 I started Hafod Press and began to print books digitally. I wanted to be able to create books using photographs and text as well as drawing and painting. It enables me to make larger editions, which are more affordable and less precious. The most recent digital book The Sacredness of Matter is a subtle form of social comment and protest and includes an excerpt from a poem by Jungian psychotherapist Marion Woodman.
Making artists’ books in collaboration with other artists or poets is an exciting departure from the more isolated and individual practice of being a painter. My most recent book Koyaanisqatsi is a collaboration with artist Jane McCormack and uses the music of Philip Glass as its inspiration. It is a concertina book, which opens out to 2.5 metres long, and combines screen-printing, painting and digital imagery. At present I am working collaboratively with two poets on two books.
Hafod Press
Snowdonia, UK
2005
www.hafod-art.co.uk/gallery
New Website for Artists' Books
www.artistsbooksonline.com
A new artist-run website is being set up to bring together a diverse range of artists who make one-off or small limited edtions of books (maximum 50 copies).
It will provide an opportunity for artists to share the costs of exhibiting online, attend artists book fairs, collaborate making books, run workshops and curate exhibitions.
For more information contact:
Noelle Griffiths
Hafod Press
Maentwrog
Gwynedd
LL41 3AQ
with SAE, or:
e-mail: hafod.art@virgin.net
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