posted by: Kristin Adolfson
At our recent members meeting we had a fruitful and inspiring brainstorming session regarding the 2012 collaborative project. This page is to serve as an area where all members can converse, brainstorm, and exchange ideas by replying to this post below.
We will be having a new brainstorming session in person at Block Nite, Wednesday January 11th, 5:30 pm.
Ideas that were brought to the table in no particular order:
How? a bound book. Possibly a series of books. Small in size in order to use the recently purchased binders board.
Common Theme: Even if there is a series of books, we would like to have a common theme to tie the project together.
Common Size: We would have a common size for the series.
Theme Ideas: Collection of Fables / Encyclopedia of the World / Atlas of Secret Diseases / Marginalia / Six word stories /
Method Ideas: Shuffle book (where each separate book could be “read” in a random order with the others and be cohesive / Small Team Model (break into small teams to produce a book from each team) / Collaborative (do we want to print and respond?) / Should we all work on one book? / 2 people teams could work on a press sheet together, which would fold into 8 pages and then we can bind them all together /
So those are the current ideas and thoughts we discussed. Please contribute your ideas, feedback, questions, or inspiration below!
Filed under: Announcements on January 10th, 2012
Hey everyone,
I had a chance to run some of our Collaboration ideas from the Saturday meeting by Dean this morning. As we chatted things crystallized a bit.
We talked about the idea of creating working pairs. Each pair producing an eight page signature for inclusion in a book that we create and bind as our 2012 collaborative project.
(The eight page signature gives us a chance to play a bit with page sequencing…and will create a series of mini-chapters in our book.)
Each pair of artists would be able to use their signature in whatever way they like, even using different papers. Commonality would be trim size and ability to sew through the fold into a book.
Dean and I talked more about the idea of fables as a starting point. Aesops fables? Native American fables? Asian fables? Sami fables? Each pair of artists could take on a fable and reproduce the text in any fashion they like and then embellish, annotate, illustrate as they are moved.
Thoughts?
Josef Beery
I agree a common set of dimensions would be a must. Do we really need a theme? I’m on fire about the idea of multiple small groups putting together books with a subject they are passionate about. Why hem things in by having a common theme? Why don’t we leave the theme up to the groups who have come up with some great ideas already?
Lana Lambert
Sorry I had to miss Block Nite tonight. Hope someone will post a synopsis.
I would like to say,I am not too inspired by the fables, just seems overdone or something. Rather the six word stories, atlas of secret diseases, or even marginalia seemed to involve creativity in both the theme, and what we might do to embellish thereafter. I am happy to work within the smaller size to use the binders board we now have. I look forward to working collaboratively, what a fun group!
Laura
Sorry to miss block night and last Saturday’s meeting. I hope to come next time the project is discussed. The topic that excites me the most is the Atlas of Secret Diseases–unity with enough latitude to be creative. I find the fables least inspiring. And I think working in a team of two would be fun–more people would be hard to coordinate.
A final thought: As someone who comes from a writing background more than an artist, I would feel most comfortable on a project where there was an opportunity to write something–and if we do teams, to be paired with an artist!
Nancy Kober
Please rember to sign your comments when replying to this page…
so we can tell who wrote what. Thanks
Garrett
“Archetypes” as a theme….
Even with just a few comments in, it appears there is nothing like a consensus on what to do. And in my opinion, this kind of virtual forum is not a very useful place to sort that out. I am willing to take on almost any project. Postcards, Indulgences, folk tales, fables: everything can be done badly in a stereotypical, overly cute or clichéd fashion. Everything has been done and done badly, but we can’t let that stop us. I suggest, as always, a broad thematic approach, linked together with a narrowly defined formal set of parameters. That is, an exacting page template and all that, but also a rigorous set of procedures for a working schedule and how to work, collaborative instructions, a schedule for passing folios to each other, or some procedures like that…just rigor in procedures period. – Dean Dass
…For a rigorous and clearly defined FORM in a project will make an otherwise widely disparate group of works hang together…I am also in favor of this year once again tackling a bound book project. – Dean
I agree with Dean that this virtual forum is a difficult place to handle give and take that benefits from face-to-face discussion. I, also, would like to see us do a bound volume this year. And I would love to try the idea of collaborative teams working on “chapters” which fill this creation. Perhaps our work becomes a book of various expressions all created within the same physical limitations…number of pages, size of pages, printing techniques…so they might be bound together in a unified fashion.
Josef
While online forums can be a little clumsy if you’re used to having face to face interactions, they’re not impossible. Baren Forum (for japanese woodblock printing) is an international group that’s for the most part been online since 1997. About once every year or two they have a summit at a physical location. There are members from all over the globe and they hold regular frequent exchanges. It just takes a little more patience and clarity. As printmakers, we come by that naturally.
For anyone who’s curious: barenforum.org
Benefits to both in person, and on line IMHO. I can be shy when new to a group, and feel more free to express ideas online. It’s good we can use both. I agree with Dean Dass that a well defined form will, in and of itself, bring the completed work together, almost no matter what the theme(s). -Laura Skauge
Unfortunately I was out of town for the face-to-face meetings, but got filled in at the bookmaking session yesterday, and I am very excited about the idea of making books for this year’s project. I LOVE the six word stories idea. Like the postcard project, there would be a theme, but wide latitude within it. I have to say that, though I didn’t participate in the “Indulgences” project, I did help with the binding, and I found the process painfully drawn out and felt that the binding material was not in keeping with the theme nor up to the standard of the individual work, so for another book project I would vote for a simpler binding of natural (i.e. paper of some sort) material, though I guess we have acquired these boards. Artistic collaboration makes sense, but I feel that it could take away from the “process” that “rescues us from the poverty of our intentions.” (Thanks, Dean, and Elizabeth King). The thing I loved most about the postcard project was how my original idea kept changing as I got further and further along. As a beginner, that was very exciting. I know that the quality of the final “product” could be higher with collaboration, though,—is that a/the goal? Barbara P.
Personally I find for an individual book project the six word stories may be too limited for a multiple page book. At the initial meeting someone commented that may be more suitable for a broadside or something of that nature, of which I agree. I like the idea of six word stories but not sure the book project is the right vessel for it.
One of the earlier collaborative projects involved each person taking on a piece of a story – introduction/climax/resolution/etc. Perhaps each “chapter” could be a segment of a book in that nature. Could our collaboration be in the interweaving of the story as a whole? With Frankenstein we already had a story with which to work from. Could we create our own? Or parts that could work together to make a whole while loosely intermingling?
I still feel strongly that we need to have some kind of theme that ties it together. If we don’t have a theme, and have physical limitations that tie it together I worry it would be disjointed. Can we agree upon a theme that would work as a bound piece?
-Kristin
Yeah, I like that idea, Kristin, and agree about the theme. Maybe it would be better for those of us who are excited about six word stories to make broadsides or small books as separate offerings for the auction. Barbara P.
A few more ideas that might work as the thematic thread that binds a collaborative book:
• ADICE TO A PROPHET – after the poignant ‘60s poem by Richard Wilbur, offering our own 21st c. implorings
• “13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A…” (something other than a blackbird, after Wallace Stevens)
• ALIBIS – we’d have to come up with the crime first (a purloined letter H? an altered book?)
• TURNS TAKEN AROUND AN ICONIC GAMEBOARD(e.g., Life, Chutes & Ladders) – could include gameboard as end papers
• Garden gnome travelogue featuring a gnome carved by Frank who appears on each page; could be in famed literary locations (Baker Street, Gatsby’s estate, Pip’s graveyard)
Really like the idea of Turns Taken Around an Iconic Gameboard! Josef
I really liked Kevin’s idea of a an encyclopedia of small books, united by size and sellable individually or as a box set. But, perhaps the amount of work is prohibitive?
Melanie, Glad we had a chance to discuss the project in person at block night last night. Hope more join us soon. Looking forward to continuing our discussion on Saturday afternoons as well. Really think you should cut that little stink bug print and start posting it…everywhere! Josef (Do email me about the chicken order…josef@josefbeery.com)
There are so many good ideas out there. I have a compromise proposal (attend, Congress!) to allow as many as possible to happen.
WE DO THE MANY-BOOKS PROJECT—establish same trim size. Allow people to form teams to pull together to do any one of the good ideas floating out there. Then we could see many of these good ideas come to pass. Deadline: Oct 15 (so we can scan and show some work.
BUT, ALSO WE CHOOSE TO DO one 8-page-signature-only project on a theme (same trim size as other project) for which we will supply paper. You really need to have the same sheet size to provide any consistency. We make this at the same trim size as the other projects. Deadline: all signatures in by Sept 1 so the binding can proceed.
So, people can contribute a whole new book (book board supplied, paper up to creators), or just one signature to a joint project (paper supplied, VABC will bind), or even do both.
All we must do then is pick what would be a good theme for a signature book where many separate works can get stitched in. All ideas not chosen commonly get to live again if you can pull of the book with your team by October. We hold several events to flesh out what books we will attempt to make.
The common size will make all these projects hold together…yes, a book shelf of what we accomplished in 2012.
–Kevin
Definitely the “year of the book” at the VABC. I love the idea of us creating a book shelf of common size books. Do we have enough energy out there? Josef
Garrett,
What is the biggest production hurdle? I am a newbie to this, but have a lot of mechanical experience as a sculptor. I would be willing to learn, and pitch in, even the less glam parts to help make this happen. Laura Skauge
I definitely want to throw my hat in for one of the “many-books” projects.
I like Kevin’s compromise idea. It would be helpful to have a face-to-face meeting something to discuss it more.
Nancy Kober
after seeing a lengthy article on six word stories in Oprah, that kinda leaves me flat, will bring it in and leave it there. janet eden
A small group of us have discussed doing a boxed set of books with six-word stories, with each book having a theme (required word) and the set having a theme (of sorts) — based on Laura Pharis’s idea at our annual meeting. We’ve generated enthusiasm but haven’t yet sat down to look at the practicalities and hammer out a project plan. —It may not work out but, for our group at least, wI like Kevin’s compromise because it would allow us to pursue our boxed set while also joining the “big book” project(if we had enough and nerve!).———– Anyone else in the small group want to add comments here?
Anyone care to talk about edition sizes or dimensions? There are some great ideas floating around that need to hatch out of the ether and get into production so we can all go “ooooooooh, ahhhhhhhhhh!”
I was also initially intrigued by Patrick’s suggestion that we create a project around 6-word stories because he shared a particularly compelling example (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn”). I’ve since read others that I don’t care for much — they all seem to have punch-line finishes and not enough “story” to them. I suspect they’re harder to write than we think! Would they be better produced as a portfolio of broadsides rather than a boxed set of books, even miniature books?
I liked what was brought up at the meeting, about the signatures being representative of “new books” to come. Gives a theme to no theme. They are all Chapter One………..