What we learnt

There was so much to see at the conference; exhibitions, panels, demonstrations and 'poster presentations', [for those like us who don't know what these are - they are session slots for a stall or stand to be presented, so called because they have posters pinned up behind them].

Over the 4 days it was a military operation to make sure you got to the sessions you wanted to get to without missing out on anything else if you could possibly fit it in.

Here are some events that I found interesting and that may have some implications on both my own practice and planning for the future of Hot Bed Press:

screenprinted enamel, cupric chloride etching, graphic cement, 24hr lamppost gallery, pulp printing on paper, and even printing on water


We will expand on our experiences and thoughts on at least some of these over the coming weeks, and pint people in the right direction to find out more.

It was also interesting to hear from print studios such as Northern Print Studio [NPS]and Dundee Contemporary Arts, [DCA], on initiatives such as the Northern Print Biennial, run by NPS, which has taken over the gap left from the Bradford Biennial, which sadly disappeared from the print calendar some years ago, and which this year, it's inaugural year in Newcastle ran a vast array of print exhibitions under the guidelines that any art that 'encountered print' was acceptable; a brave widening of the print genre, and showed some of the best and most challenging printmaking going on today.

Annis Fitzhugh elaborated on the role of a print workshop working with artists to edition work and commission major new prints, such as for the Venice Biennale.

All this goes to show the capacity of todays print workshops to be leaders in the field and to in some ways be the future of printmaking in the UK.

Sean Rorke - Development Manager Hot Bed Press

IMPACT 6 Printmaking Conference

Representing Hot Bed Press Sean Rouke and Emma Kelly attended IMPACT 6 Printmaking Conference. 10 years after the first conference was hosted in 1999, IMPACT returned to Bristol, bringing together over 400 delegates from accross 32 countries. Print studios, print curators, artists, students, academics and industry were all welcomed and encouraged participants.

IMPACT 6 celebrated the international diversity of the discipline, from its roots in industrial communication through traditional, fine art based processes, to the current cutting edge technology and theoretical debates. With Papers & Panels, Academic Poster Presentations, Exhibitions, A Product Fair, Demonstrations and Open Portfolios the conference is definitely a must in the printmaking calendar!



We will be using this blog as a way to inform you all on what we experienced over the 4day conference and incourage you all to start saving for IMPACT 2011 in Melbourne, Australia!