Exhibition dates: 29 September - 3 November 2018
Private View: Thursday 27 September 2018, 6-9pm
Private View: Thursday 27 September 2018, 6-9pm
Turning the Page is an exhibition of artist books that is the culmination of a collaboration between Art Byte Critique – a Japanese artist collective and artists in the North West. The dialogue between these groups was established in 2017 enabling an ongoing sharing of ideas and practices that manifests in the works presented at PAPER.
The artist books on show depict the underlying practice of these seventeen artists, nine of which are based in the North-West and eight artists living and working in Tokyo. Although influenced by a range of interests and concerns, as well as where they live and work, the books are a visual expression of personal work with some interesting connections. These artist books have many guises, created using materials ranging from traditional paper and printed ink, to fabric surfaces, found objects and much more. These books and zines push at boundaries, extending and questioning the form to convey messages of personal passions, to provoke memories and to comment and question life and the world we inhabit.
The artists’ books were originally brought together to celebrate World Book Day 2017 and shown in libraries throughout St Helens before travelling to Tokyo. This exhibition at PAPER will run concurrent with a showing of the artists’ work at Launch Pad Gallery in Yokohama. The project is the first stage in a cross-cultural dialogue and a base for future collaboration.
About Art Byte Critique
Art Byte Critique was created in 2012 by Arthur Huang in response to a desire for a community of artists interested in sharing ideas and providing feedback for work; its purpose was to find a productive outlet for resources that could grow studio practice. The collective has become a touchstone or home base for the participating artists. The term “Art Byte” is a play on the Japanese (German-derived) word for part-time work, アルバイト (arubaito), as most of the participating artists also have other occupations. Driven by concerns about the sustainability of an artistic practice in the current globalized contemporary art environment, Art Byte Critique focuses less on the big picture of the contemporary art world and more on the development of a smaller, more actionable community of artists with a range of practices and perspectives. There is no formal membership in Art Byte Critique, rather a conscious decision to create a fluid environment where all artists are informed of all activities and are invited to participate as and when they wish.
About Nine Artists
Nine Artists are a group of artists living and working around the Northwest town of St. Helens. Their individual artistic practices are diverse but their shared interest in engaging with a wider audience has been the starting point for the collaboration with Art Byte. An initial research grant, awarded to Joan Birkett by Heart of Glass, enabled the pursuit of connections in Japan where Joan has family. The exchange of artist books created by members of both groups has been the first of many future initiatives that bring the individuals, their practice and their culture together.
Nine Artists are a group of artists living and working around the Northwest town of St. Helens. Their individual artistic practices are diverse but their shared interest in engaging with a wider audience has been the starting point for the collaboration with Art Byte. An initial research grant, awarded to Joan Birkett by Heart of Glass, enabled the pursuit of connections in Japan where Joan has family. The exchange of artist books created by members of both groups has been the first of many future initiatives that bring the individuals, their practice and their culture together.