The Art/Text/Clearinghouse project will be part of a two-part show at the Perth Centre for Photography which was scheduled to opening in November 2011. PCP is currently considering moving its location and have rescheduled our show for February 2012.
Exhibition opening: 8 February 2012
Exhibition dates: 9 February to 11 March 2012
The project aims to showcase new digitally printed books highlighting the variety of ways artists and writers work together and to encourage critical writing about art in Western Australia.
You might be a photographer or visual artist wanting to commission a critical essay on your work. You might have a series of photographs that would make a great book. You might be someone already in deep collaboration across the Art/Text watershed. You might be a writer seeking images to work with what you have already done or you might want to stretch yourself to create new work inspired by new imagery.
You might meet any one of these conditions or be somewhere in between but most of you will not be able to secure a large publisher — or to DIY fund and market a fully-fledged offset printed book. But new developments in technology now put self-publishing and promotion within the reach of artists and writers.
We want to create an exhibition of digitally printed books (through services such as Blurb http://au.blurb.com/) to speed up the process of art book production and to encourage exchange and collaboration between artists and writers in Western Australia. We want to see more critical wrting about contemporary art and photography happening in the western third of Australia. We see the project as creating a space of exchange or clearing house to get innovative Art/Text ventures happening in WA.
What kind of books are accepted?
- The visual art content is not restricted to photographs
- It can be a one-off artist’s book
- It does not have to be by a large commercial publisher — individually produced books are fine!
- but it must contain the involvement of a second person (& one of the people involved must be from WA).
The types of texts accepted include all forms of contemporary literature including nonfiction, fiction and poetry and also critical essays and theoretical texts. Books can even include forewords by a second person!
How it works
- If you are already collaborating or have recently collaborated/exchanged with your opposite (artist/photographer, writer) and will be able to provide one digitally printed copy of your book by 31 January 2012, fill out the submission form here and mail it to teapot@lethologicapress.org.
- If you have worked up an idea into book form (but without the corresponding text (or art) content). Lethologica Press can host a ‘stage 1’ version (a 72 dpi pdf of it) on the website (acting as a clearing house), anytime preceding the exhibition (but the earlier the better).
Why should I do it?
- To exhibit, promote and sell your book
- To pull out all those ideas (unpublished collections of images or texts, funky ideas or critical passions) that you have always meant to do but never got around to
- To develop the critical framework of your work/to critically engage with visual art in Western Australia
- To extend your practice by being challenged and stretched by exchange and collaboration
- To meet and network with the community of professional creative artists across art/text genres in Western Australia
How much does it cost?
A mere $60 per collaborative book.
Check out the FAQs here and resources here. If you have any further questions or would like to know more details, please contact teapot@lethologicapress.org.
