Touchonesque typographic collage

Following discussion about on-going work I have decided to continue with exploring a further range of collage styles and techniques prior to defining specific work for end of year assessment and shows. As part of some more recent practitioner research I have looked at the work of the Texas based collage artist Cecil Touchon. His work focusses on the use of typographic characters without image or any intended narrative.

In setting out to explore further approaches to collage and outcomes developed from this I intend to consider comparisons between work where there is clearly no narrative and visual outcomes are based on abstracts of juxtaposed objects and the resulting positive/negative space and balance/visual aesthetic created in this approach. Equally, I intend to investigate the inclusion of some percieved narrative linked to image and type based ephemera in the context of the collages I make ant the outcomes extracted from them.

Below are some recent typographic investigations. The rules: only to be constructed from a small set of flyers that were given to me.

More little round dots

In furthering my research into imagery developed from the nearly complete set of 'medical cards' I am now considering selected areas of original cards enlarged for print at approximately A2 size. Exploring the 'little round dots', screen angles and coloured backgrounds to suggest ageing newsprint, in order to retain the visual aesthetic of 'low fi' print influences from mid last century is a current focus. I see this as preparatory study for some sample screen prints and perhaps paintings to bring some comparative scale into my work.

I see this development as an opportunity to find methodologies with which to take my collages as a starting point and process further outcomes which retain not only the balance and juxtaposition of elements in the design but also the asssociation with a 'period' visual appearance.

The aim is to provide the low res, limited quality ink and registration appearance associated with the previously mentioned period.

Little coloured dots... medical cards

To explore the process of generating large scale images from 'bookish' sized collages, I have begun to experiment with breaking down images into oversized colour dot halftones to pursue some visual enquiry into the visual aesthetic suggested by the content of 'Sayonara, Home Run' referred to in the previous post. The imagery has been taken from my 'Medical Cards' series of playing card collages (which are nearing completion - only three cards needed to complete the full set) to consider visual effect. At present I have adopted standard screen angles and CMYK channels for print. As I define the imagery to use for these experiments I will consider variations to process colours as suggested by research into the print qualities of lo fi outcomes such as comics and cardboard printing from the mid 1900's. Experimenting with background colour print (base) is also proving to be important to generate the same visual qualities created by aged newsprint/low quality paper.

Sayonara, Home Run.... the little coloured dots

Having had the serendipitous find of the book 'Sayonara, Home Run' - a record of 1930s-1960s Japanese baseball cards - in an end of print/bankrupt stock book shop in Place St Michel,  Paris, on a recent visit, I have been investigating the idea of replicating the coarse screen four colour printing of that era. I have been experimenting with this influence as an approach to developing some of my collage work at larger scale whilst retaining something of that 'period' feel which is important to me for the direction of my process development this Semester. I will be posting more on my research leading from the book and collages,  but in the meantime here's a link to another interesting investigation/record of the media: http://4cp.posterous.com/?tag=specialeditions

Whilst I will continue to investigate the medium of collage and the aestheic of juxtaposed imagery, I see this as a starting point for visual elements that I can develop with further processes. What is key to me is that I continue to consider and define what it is about period ephemera and the organisation/juxtaposition and balance of elements on the page that creates the overall aesthetic for the viewer. The opportunity to explore the 'little coloured dots' associated with the 'lo fi' print processes of mid-last century will add another opportunity to investigate the visual aesthetic that associated with that era.

Medical Cards - progress

I have been continuing with this set of cards outlined in a previous posting. The set of 'Hearts' and 'Spades' are now complete and are posted here. There are a few omissions for the 'Clubs' and 'Diamonds' and these will be posted shortly. I have been trying to complete, on average, one card per day to realise the full set. I have endeavoured to stick to a set of rules with regard to ephemera included in the collages: main imagery from a 1953 'First Aid' guide book; supporting elements from my 'left overs' of ephemera cuttings which clutter my desktop; a dip into my old Letraset and Letrafilm collection and some snippets of billboard posters for some coloured tone.

My intentions are to get a limited edition of sets of these 'playing cards' printed to realise the original intention. Cards that are, first and foremost created and organised to be considered for their visual juxtapositions and aesthetic appeal relating to the starting point of  ephemera from the last century; rather than for perhaps, an intended practical purpose (see earlier post) of game cards.

I am interested in further considerations of visual aesthetic for both the individual cards - will these have the same visual balance/appeal at a larger size? Can they form the basis of 'lo-fi' screen prints? How do they all relate visually in  'sets' and 'sub-sets' as multiples. (See previous posting on artists stamps)

Multiples - Beatles 'bubblegum stamps'

Following the Summer break, through which I've been rather lazy with posting, I thought it was time to bring together work that I have been completing during the Summer to make way for the new semester and  a fresh body of work. So I have included here postage/artist stamp sheets developed from the Beatles gum card collages completed earlier in the Summer. I am always intrigued by 'multiples' and the way that they change the aesthetic of the original image but provide a new and sometimes more coherent balance. There is only one issue here, due to screen resolution and the miniature nature of each image, the quality is not representative of the printed sample.

I have printed these as artists proofs but am keen to looking limited editions printed on gummed paper and perforated.

Update on progress - Animation

Medical cards collage set is progressing slowly, but I am also still indulging myself with 'Beatles' ephemera. displayed here is the first of a series of Beatles A&BC gum cards stamp sheets. Mainly as a personal project but also as a vehicle for setting up templates for further series of artists stamps from more diverse collage based images.