Research Publication
Over the course of the MA, I have created a body of research which includes: stories from the media, a collection of mine and my colleague's experiences, marxist theories from archives and from figures such as Antonio Gramsci, first-hand image taking from protests, and literary influence from working class writers such as Charles Bukowski. I wanted to try and come up with a publication that would be determined by this body of research and over the Summer, I decided I would try and come up with short texts based on my own experiences, which I would feature either as prints or alongside prints in an artist book or some sort of zine. These texts would be of the influence of Antonio Gramsci, particularly his notions of "pulling oneself up by the bootstraps" in relation to 'common sense'. Cole, NL. (2020) What Is Cultural Hegemony. What Is Cultural Hegemony? (thoughtco.com)
I began by purchasing a cheap notebook which I am using to write down short texts, (which in a way could be seen as poems although I am not keen on this idea). The idea was that I would use this notebook to collect research and have this in the same place as the work it was influencing. Much of these texts are written at work or during the journey to and from work, or before work when I wake up, whilst much of it is recollected from memory.
I began practicing with letterpress and chose to use the font named 'Times', in capital letters, to replicate a newspaper headline. I wrote "ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER" to describe the repetitiveness of the routines many workers, including myself, experience under capitalism with a play on the phrase 'another day another dollar' - which is a sarcastic comment relating to the struggles faced by workers in the wider context of the cost-of-living crisis. I planned to then scan this print and edit it, as well as experiment with different sizes, so that I could screen print the phrase in different ways.
Above is an image of the edited prints ready to be exposed. Whilst printing the image, I was working quickly and noticed that the text was being printed under the screen and then onto the acetate I was using to register prints. This was because I was working quickly and without breaks to try and mimic past experiences with labour, as you are expected to be as productive as possible and often without breaks, especially in hospitality where I work at the moment. At my workplace and others I have experienced, it is referred to as 'getting a break' in the same way you 'get' a Christmas present, or 'get' something from the shop with money. I see this as a form of cultural hegemony in the work place. Break time should be a moral right and not something you are awarded; it is something you need in order to maintain wellbeing and also to minimize the chance of mistakes. These 'mistakes' are what lead to interesting marks made from the overlaying of text on the acetate and on the underneath of the screen.
As I enjoyed this aesthetic I decided I would work to purposely create marks this way. I then took the acetate from the screen printing workshop and brought it outside. I began holding the acetate in front of different surfaces, before photographing them and making prints from the result. That day, as it was raining heavily, I took the bus to work and decided to bring the acetate and stick it to the inside of the windows, so that I could photograph behind it the world working around me, juxtaposed with the phrase 'ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER'.
Some examples using this method of image making.
Next, I chose an anecdote from my notebook and began to print the text in letterpress. Letterpress enables you to edit how you are creating text and allows for marks, mistakes, texture and generally creates an atmosphere in the text which was what I wanted. I knew I would be able to scan these images and edit them on photoshop, as well as make different sized fonts as I had used before. I printed each sentence individually so that I had more freedom to break up the anecdotes and emphasize lines when I wanted. I could also use individual lines to create prints around or include within images I had done like with ANOTHER DAY.
In terms of font, this time I chose Univers as it resembles the font used in health and safety posters around the work place for regulations such as COSHH and Manual Handling.
I had been sure of the fact that I wanted to make a publication in the form of an artist book or zine, which would contain prints made from labour related and politically charged anecdotes; but was unsure of the form my work would take. During a bookbinding workshop, we were shown many methods of putting together a book and two of them stood out to me in relation to my practice and my vision for the research festival. The first was a book that was bound by nuts and bolts, which would provide an industrial link to the rest of my work, and the second was a book using an elastic band to hold it together. This again reminded me of something you may see in a workshop or in a toolbox, which gave me the idea that maybe my work could be contained in a toolbox or something resembling one. I decided I would make a tray from steel, similarly to how I had made one during my apprenticeship for my toolbox, and this could contain my work. The tray would then be covered in paper and card, which would be fastened to the tray using the same kind of nuts and bolts which would hold together one of my publications.
Above are drawings for the box/tray which hold my publications. I chose to add a print of Overtime, as this print of fatigue and exhaustion feels like a repercussion of what is mentioned within my publications. Overtime is a print which uses nitric acid to erode away steel before printing. The work is an example of how I work against the material, exploiting and manipulating it to create work. This manipulation of labour is the main idea which determines my work and is juxtaposed with text and prints that depict this.
Overtime - etching on Somerset, 12x12cm
I began laying acetates over one another, as well as over textures of decay and weathered paper. This allows me to insert more layers and textures of my own into an environment already withered and exhausted by natural causes. I have spoken more about this in my critical reflection.
Originally, the concept for my publication came from a project proposal that I came up with for a residency with TYPA, a print work centre in Tartu, Estonia. This space has screen print, etching, relief and letterpress facilities and I thought I could utilize these elements by creating a text and image based book of prints. This idea developed into working from my research and allowing concepts and influences to determine the direction in which the work has gone. I intend to send out my publication once finished to such establishments in the hope that they see an opportunity to work with me. I also intend on extending my research and output to create more publications as part of my practice.
My choice of print for the publication is risography. A risograph can easily create prints that contain depth and maintain texture and rich colour. I experimented with CMYK and am happy with the outcome. Although I have not began building my book yet, I am aim to experiment with how I compose the order of these prints. I want there to be some sort of narrative so maybe they will follow the order of the text of which they are taken, but I have also been planning to create five prints for each sentence to replicate the traditional working week.
The smaller book will contain scanned images and photomontages of newspapers, notes, images and text. I plan to print onto different papers including torn billboard paper, paper I use at work to write down orders and old notes I have kept relating to old jobs etc. I will use dye transfer and collage to create photomontages that will contain information from newspapers and compose that next to primary source information in the form of anecdotes and texts written at work or regarding work. I have collected anecdotes from colleagues which I have featured in some of my texts which will also be present.