Oct 09, 2023
In February 2023, Artist Rob Foster-Jones was thrilled to be a recipient of one of the a-n Artist Bursaries to conduct a 6-month period of professional development at The Curwen Print Study Centre to learn new skills in printmaking. Rob has wrtiten a blog about his time in the studio top share his experence:
"The a-n Bursary consisted of funding to support a series of one-day courses, a day of mentoring, materials budget, and 6-month open access membership, I was excited to use the project as an introductory journey into the world of print and all that the studio had to offer.
Printmaking has always been something that has fascinated me, but because of time constraints and lack of resource, had remained something of an unknown. Aside from some very top-level introductory sessions to lino and screen printing at college, and explorations into paper marbling in recent years, suffice to say that my starting understanding of printing was fairly limited. I must admit that it was a bit daunting at the start of the project, knowing some of the history of the Curwen and the notable artists that they have worked with during the 20th and 21st century, but the team provided great support and encouragement, making me soon feel right at home.
Text and language have always been part of my practice; forming part of sculptural works, writing as image for digital prints and spoken word for live performances, so it is no surprise that the Curwen’s incredible collection of Letterpress equipment was immediately of interest.
The intricate forms of the type, the specific terminology of typesetting and the methodical act of setting up the chase, rife with trial and error, all formed a fascinating starting point.
The compact scale of the table-top Adana presses immediately made me think back to my collection of antique and vintage postcards that I have been gathering for years, albeit recently forgotten about and languishing in a box. It seemed the perfect opportunity to get them out again and consider the potential for capturing a sense of memory and nostalgia, the frayed edges and sepia tones of the images, a seemingly ideal pairing with the ornate mechanical typefaces.
As part of the bursary project, I was also able to attend different one-day courses to kick-start my knowledge of a variety of techniques. The workshops were a great opportunity to learn from the Curwen’s range of experienced tutors and meet other local artists looking to expand their knowledge of printing or looking for inspiration in trying something new.
The courses were a perfect introduction for me, providing time and space to learn and develop confidence with a particular method, with view to take what I had learned back to the open access studio to follow up on experiments in greater depth.
I was struck by the sheer depth and range of possibilities available in printmaking and, although 6-months was a generous amount of time, I felt that I was only really scratching the surface. However, gradually I began to feel as though I was getting to grips with some of the basics and to look for ways to combine different techniques together, often starting with mono prints as a base to build upon using lino or letterpress. Over the course of the project, I was also able to try out lithography, drypoint etching and Gelli plate, each helping to add another piece of the puzzle to my overall picture of printmaking. It was often quite boggling to think of the infinite potential in all of these techniques, but the overwhelming feeling was one of inspiration to see these methods being practiced and taught every day.
Each open access session was also a chance to learn from the other members working at the studio, seeing this wide range of practices and methods in action, and I feel immensely grateful for all of the friendly help and advice that I was given along the way. I was also fortunate enough to be able to participate in the Curwen Members Exhibition in the gallery during March and April which was a great opportunity to show some finished results and to celebrate the work of the community of artists working on site.
Come July, I was sad to see the project come to a close, but able to reflect on all that I had been able to learn and create along the way. My hope was that the bursary would offer time and space to push my work further, giving a chance to discover new ways of making to bring into my wider practice. My time at the Curwen delivered that and so much more, opening up so many possibilities and giving a glimpse into the amazing variety of all that printmaking has to offer. I am sure that this is only just the start for me, and I have a long list of techniques that I still have yet to be explore such as screen printing, solar plate, cyanotypes, and plate lithography, so much to look forward to.
My thanks to Anne, Emma, Lorraine, and all of the team at the Curwen for making the project such a wonderful, supportive, and inspiring experience, and to a-n in providing funding to enable this work to happen.
To anyone considering open access membership, or signing up for one of the courses on offer at the Curwen, I would say go for it. You will not regret it and who knows where it could lead to!