Issue #156 - The Spaces in Between
Issue #156 - The Spaces in Between
Remarque Print
It’s been a fun week, meeting new people, people IRL, visiting people in their work spaces and even catching up on a few jobs and things I’ve been meaning to do for ages. I’m feeling productive, which despite the negative press, is okay by me. I hope that you are well, don’t let my opening energy fool you, my body still aches and I’m not getting the sleep I need, but somehow I am managing to get a few things done.
In between adventures, I spent the week giving feedback on student work, which is terrific, this group have worked hard and produced excellent outcomes. The writing in particular is fascinating. I asked the class to reflect on their educational journeys, interrogate their experiences and talk about themselves as life-long learners. These reflections have been incredibly open and honest, I’m grateful for their sharing of some of the challenges they’ve encountered, and their descriptions of inequalities that they’ve experienced or witnessed. Reading through is thought-provoking and sometimes humbling.
It is Spring Break at the uni, my students are busy working on their projects, panicking I’m sure and I’ve already been asked for deadline extensions which of course I say yes to. We’ll run out of time though, I need to submit marks soon.
Thank you too for comments and emails, I tried to answer everyone but I know I owe a few replies and I’ll try to get to those. I’m really grateful for the support that you provide, writing this newsletter every week. It feels like a community, especially when a few of you are also writing and sharing, or sending me recommendations or articles I should read, there’s a lovely flow to conversation at the moment that I’m incredibly grateful for.
So, let’s take also take a break this week and not talk too much about teaching.
Stephan
Spaces to Connect
On Tuesday I spent the day with my new friend Dan visiting his company Commonwealth Press which has a warehouse near South Hills Junction. The Trolley that I catch to work rolls past this building every day, so I’m familiar with where it is and finally had the opportunity to step inside.
Dan is very easy to get along with, and proud of the business that he started with his wife Shannon in the basement of their house, printing posters and t-shirts for local bands around Pittsburgh, and, after a few moves, finally relocating to an old ice-cream factory, deeply in need of care and reconstruction. The building is a work in progress, Dan is busy fixing up different areas, providing space for artist friends alongside the main screen printing business.
It’s been a while since I was at a printing press, and it was strange and wonderful to re-acquaint myself with the sounds and smells (mmm…that silky green emulsion) of a busy unit. And also to see the sort of cool new tech that we certainly didn’t have access to at the Badger Press, that little printmaking studio in Bishops Waltham that I looked after for a few years. There are giant spider presses, auto-reclaim screen washers, dryers and clever image transfer magic machines that are much more efficient than dodgy acetates and long exposure times.
Of course all the old stuff is still around, and none of the immediacy of print is lost, especially for some clients who still need posters and flyers. I saw work by Zeb Love, who regularly uses CWP for beautiful prints for amazing bands. This is amazing shop and love the feeling of the place. There’s plenty of room to make things, and even a mirrorball for..well, whenever you need it.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
I’m full of admiration for Dan and Shannon and this little company that does big things. I heard Dan say that he wanted to “own a company that he would actually like to work for” and it’s clear that they’ve succeeded in that, with a talented and loyal team, and a raft of appreciative clients.
Life Lessons
I bumped into a few other artists this week at the opening of a new site for East End Brewing, one that’ll be within staggering home distance just a few streets away. Pittsburgh has a vibrant artist community, many who exhibit at events such as Handmade Arcade or Three Rivers Arts Festival. It’s lovely meeting a few of these people in person after following their work online, such a friendly community of immensely talented folks.
I don’t think you can have enough art in your house. I encourage you to buy a few pieces, perhaps from Workerbird or Strawberryluna and hang them on your walls. Know that every piece was loved and that the artist probably felt a little anxious to sell it and wonder if you’d like it as much as they do.
With all that in mind I need to get cracking, there’s a layer of dust on my sketchbook, some of my pens are drying up and paint brushes are turning brittle. I feel as if I’m in a rut with these portraits, that seems to be all I’m capable of drawing at the moment and okay it is great to focus on one thing, but not to the exclusion of all others. I’ll see what I can manage.
Of course wandering around CWP got my creative juices flowing and I sometimes wish I was back in the press drinking tea, waiting for screens to dry, sketching designs and chewing Licorice All Sorts. I hope all is well in Bishop’s Waltham, I hear the press is changing hands again. If you can wait another ten years, then I might find myself back there, I would be happy to look after it again.
Lost and Found
Okay, I had time to fall down a few rabbit holes and read some articles, and here are the ones I thought you might be interested in.
I’m writing an article about VR Production companies and lost a few hours looking through works by Felix and Paul, who are responsible for some of most well-known projects to come to a headset. Of course it is really difficult finding the experiences, some are on Oculus TV, others standalone apps, it isn’t easy.
I enjoyed this comic in The Nib called “Not Working” by Issy Manley, which thinks about a future where work hours have been reduced in order avert total climate collapse, where people get rich on time, not money.
We followed this Teriyaki Chicken recipe that doesn’t use sake or rice wine, it was delicious and went down well with the meat eaters in the house.
I’ve listening to a lot of BBC Radio 4 as I’ve been driving around this week and it seems to the Tories have gone full Maga in desperation at the prospect of a shellacking at the polls. They’re trying to shift blame for all things that voters complain about, to the tiny percentage of refugees and asylum seekers who land in the UK every year, less than any other nearby country and a fraction of what the US or Australia accepts.
I’m pleased that there are a few experts left to expose the fact that proposals are unlawful, and that the home secretary in particular is ignorant of procedures and statutes that previous (conservative) governments have put in place. It is frightening hearing culture war BS being spouted at home, it is taking politics into a very dark place.
This episode of Everything is a Remix, provides a quick history of AI in creativity and suggests directions about where it is going. (via Kottke)
I bought some pencils for the room and thought I’d add a Toni Morrison Quote, if you want more then these Five Poems will live inside you once absorbed. They are published on The Believer, where some truly wonderful writing lives.
Thank you
It is raining outside, but that’s okay, we’re indoors watching the eagerly awaited (at least in our household) return of The Mandalorian and preparing for a birthday weekend.
Oh, we had our first food truck of the year, Old Ben’s Cantina, best food in the outer rim. I had a Burger-Fett and Dylan had a Jabba-the-Hotdog.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the Welsh Music web-only micro that I published exclusively online. Many of you arrive via email, so might have missed it. It’s in the archive along with all the other editions.
We have a busy weekend, I’m heading out for the docu-poetics workshop that I mentioned last week, and finally getting some house chores done.
Have a good week, take care.