I think I've come to terms that this blog is over. It was a fantastic way to meet people and talk about my thoughts and processes, but I seem to be channeling that sort of thing in other directions now.
I've started a PhD at the University of Canberra, looking at poetry and print technologies and artists' books, which is a delightfully useless topic to be exploring in this particular political climate, when there is a hard push for everything to be vocational. Heh, I guess this stuff is my vocation, so all I can do is forge ahead.
[2023: this never actually happened, but I'm hoping to get something like it up sometime, will add the link here when it does] As part of my research, I've started a new website/blog thing called PRETEXT. It aims to be a one-stop resource of weblinks, reference materials, primary sources such as re-published catalogue texts that are out of print, and new writings by people who are at the coalface of book arts in Australia and New Zealand. I launched it in January, and it’s having a slow and steady start, but as the momentum builds I hope that people (YOU) start to interact with it: leave comments, start discussions, send me information, write words for it. It covers the whole spectrum of book making and processes that lead to books, like binding, papermaking and printmaking. I’m interested in all forms of book-making that step sideways from the mainstream publishing industry. They all need to be explored and supported and above all, discussed. I’m attempting to build up a proper living and pulsing picture of what is happening in Australia right now, and of what happened in the last 4 decades up to now, so that when people want to know about our regional condition, as I do now, the information is freely there, to be worked and reworked to our mutual advantage.
Pretext has a Facebook page, and has a Twitter feed (@pretextual), to advertise events and news, so if you want to be involved, that's also a good way. If you have any events or exhibitions you'd like me to spruik, please get in touch: caren at pretext dot com dot au.
Thanks so much for reading me and talking to me over the years. I'm still putting stuff onwww.ampersandduck.com (new website), mostly practice-related. I think I'm all talked out about my personal life, but you can never say never :)
I'll leave you with a photo of Padge, wearing his happy face. Remember to breathe x
I've started a PhD at the University of Canberra, looking at poetry and print technologies and artists' books, which is a delightfully useless topic to be exploring in this particular political climate, when there is a hard push for everything to be vocational. Heh, I guess this stuff is my vocation, so all I can do is forge ahead.
[2023: this never actually happened, but I'm hoping to get something like it up sometime, will add the link here when it does] As part of my research, I've started a new website/blog thing called PRETEXT. It aims to be a one-stop resource of weblinks, reference materials, primary sources such as re-published catalogue texts that are out of print, and new writings by people who are at the coalface of book arts in Australia and New Zealand. I launched it in January, and it’s having a slow and steady start, but as the momentum builds I hope that people (YOU) start to interact with it: leave comments, start discussions, send me information, write words for it. It covers the whole spectrum of book making and processes that lead to books, like binding, papermaking and printmaking. I’m interested in all forms of book-making that step sideways from the mainstream publishing industry. They all need to be explored and supported and above all, discussed. I’m attempting to build up a proper living and pulsing picture of what is happening in Australia right now, and of what happened in the last 4 decades up to now, so that when people want to know about our regional condition, as I do now, the information is freely there, to be worked and reworked to our mutual advantage.
Thanks so much for reading me and talking to me over the years. I'm still putting stuff on
I'll leave you with a photo of Padge, wearing his happy face. Remember to breathe x
