Participant list with assigned days and percentages

new
1. 0-1% Angela Hed
2. 1-3% Sonja Olson

waxing crescent
3. 3-8% Erin Maurelli
4. 8-15% Beth Dorsey
5. 15-23% Barb Gibson
6. 23-33% Sara R. Parr
7. 33-43% Olga S. Ricalde Moreno

first quarter
8. 44-53% Allison Bolah

waxing gibbous
9. 56-62% AnaLaura Juarez
10. 67-75% Betsy Byers
11. 77-84% Raychel Steinbach
12. 86-91% Anna Boyer
13. 93-96% Lynda Monick-Isenberg
14. 98-99% Holly Rios

full
15. 99-100% Hend Al-Mansour
16. 99-100% Rebecca Alm

waning gibbous
17. 95-99% A.K. Vincent
18. 90-96% Mary Leikvold
19. 83-91% Diana Eicher
20. 75-84% Laura Brown
21. 67-75% Monica Edwards-Larson
22. 57-65% Carol Inderieden

third quarter
23. 48-54% Jennifer Hibbard

waning crescent
24. 39-43% Pat Benincasa
25. 29-32% CB Sherlock
26. 21-23% Bridget O’Malley
27. 13-15% Abbi Allan
28. 6-9% Caitlin Warner
29. 2-4% Emily Hoisington

Thoughts (from Raychel)

My apologies for getting these on here so late, but I have been working like a mad woman getting my proof together and have been thinking more and more about the questions. 

• What does it mean to you to be collaborating with this group of women? 

I am honored to be invited to participate in this project. Some of you I know as mentors, colleagues,  friends, and others I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting. I just moved to Bangkok, Thailand in April and have been working non-stop getting everything I need to set-up shop here for 2 years. This project comes at a very important time for me as I try to re-establish myself in a new place but also long to stay connected with the fabulous artists I know in Minneapolis / Saint Paul.

• What would you like to learn or receive from the others? 

I am interested to learn other people's working process, and if some might be interested in sharing their studio set up and process work, I would LOVE to see it!

• How does this project relate to your other artwork and interests?

I have never dealt directly with the subject matter of womanhood previously in my work. I am, however, very interested in cycles, mapping, movement, and water (which I am working with in terms of tides). The more I thought about my connection to lunation, the more I realized how closely related all of my interests are with woman's cycles and the moon's effects on our bodies.

• What topics are you researching in preparation for your print?

Besides lunation, I have been researching the topographical maps of the moon, the tides, the ocean, reefs, and the menstrual cycle as it pertains to my assigned day in the lunar cycle.

• How are you interpreting the proportions of dark and light visually and conceptually?

I am using a combination of printing methods - photo polymer plate, linoleum block, and mono printing. I am keeping in mind the percentage of light and dark with the plate and block. When these layers have been completed, the exact shade I choose for the monoprinted portion will (hopefully) maintain the percentage and add a bit more illumination to the piece (hopefully the silver ink I ordered arrives in time!).

• What thoughts or concerns do you have about making something that will be understood in the context of 28 other prints that you haven't seen yet?

I normally don't find myself spending this much time going back and forth about what the print should look like - usually I try to create several mono prints and work on them simultaneously. Eventually I abandon all but the ones that I feel are best conveying my meaning.
With this piece, I have felt a significant amount of pressure to 'get it right'. And I have also tried to consider how my piece will set in the book amongst the rest - for example, I considered sewing into my print, but didn't know how the stitching on the backside might negatively impact the piece on the next page, so decided against sewing.

• What is significant to you about what it means to be female and experience the rhythm of the lunar cycle?

I am mostly amazed when talking to my partner about how he doesn't notice certain things about what is happening inside his body. This isn't necessarily a female-only ability, but for me, being aware of what is 'normal' for my body during certain times of the month, during season changes, and when changing environment is very important to how I feel I fit into the world around me.

Allison Bolah's thoughts

Apologies to Allison for the delay, she sent me this for posting a long time ago but it got lost in my inbox. The rest of this post is directly quoting her:


What does it mean to you to be collaborating with this group of women? How does this project relate to your other artwork and interests? What is significant to you about what it means to be female and experience the rhythm of the lunar cycle?

• I had an interesting (and somewhat contentious) conversation with an MFA classmate about menstruation. He said he wouldn't want to be a woman and have to deal with his period every month. It's funny, I've never 'resented' or wished my period away; I've been working to bring myself in sync with my body, its needs throughout my menstrual cycle, and its connection to the lunar cycle. In fact, when things run smoothly during my period, I take it as an indication that in my larger life, I'm doing well. I think women (very generally speaking) have this built in rhythm that can serve as a metaphor for other things. If there's such a thing as women's culture, this and childbirth might be the root of the symbols that shape it. In my work, I think about language; far from excluding trans-women or other for whom the accepted biology of 'womanhood' is not the determinant of their woman-ness, menstruation as concept not an experience is something we can share between women to elucidate our understanding of other lived experiences.

What would you like to learn or receive from the others?

• I have no idea what I'm doing! (Seriously) I'd love to see how other artist respond to and shape hints, loose parameters.

What would you like to share of yourself with the group?

• I worked in isolation until August 2012; I hope to bring my 'A' game and see my work in conversation with others'. I don't even know what I have to share at this point.

What topics are you researching in preparation for your print?

• I'm pretty certain I'll be working with text, so my research is how to illuminate that text on black paper. I'm thinking of working with silver ink…

How are you interpreting the proportions of dark and light visually and conceptually?

• The silver words will mathematically (loosely) take up 15% of the page

What thoughts or concerns do you have about making something that will be understood in the context of 28 other prints that you haven't seen yet?

• No concerns. Well, maybe that my work will be very plain or unskilled as I'm still getting the hang of things…

What are your hopes and dreams for this project?

• I hope my portion comes out right!!!

Who do you imagine to be the ideal audience for this project?

• I'd love the self-identified women in my life to find personal resonance with the work and and the self-identified men in my life to know a little bit more about the depth and breadth of experiences of womanhood.

Thoughts on Paper?

Hi all, Erin sent me this:

"Paper:  http://www.frenchpaper.com/

I have been looking at French Paper Company for dark paper.

There is a rich dark blue, and a pure black under the 'Construction-Tones'  (They have funny names for all of their collections.)  50 sheets of 80lb Cover, size 12.5" x 19" is about $28.  This would be fine for Letterpress printing, relief block printing.  I'm not sure about silk screen - it might curl.

It is not 100% cotton paper, so it is not forever archival, but I think it would be ok.  They have many other colors too, if people are interested."

I'm thinking of using Rives Lightweight, which is the same weight: 115 gsm, 80 lbs/1000

 

You don't have to have your working proof printed on your final paper if you are still researching and testing papers to find out what will work best for your print. If you have comments or questions let's discuss them on this blog!

 

Emily

Hi Emily and all others,

Finally registered successfully to this blog. There are only found 5 posts. Is that all or is there something more?
It surprised me that I am assigned the full moon. I like it of course. But I did not think I will get it.
I was humbled. Thanks
I am working on creating a drawing for a photo-polymer plate. Nothing worthy of display yet.

More notes and reflections from last Sunday's meeting.

Here's a bit more from last week's meeting:

People attending were Emily Hoisington, Betsy Byers, Erin Maurelli, Hend Al-Mansour, Sonja Olson, Olga Ricalde, and Angela Hed.

We talked a bit about technical details, starting with paper: Erin is considering using a French paper and could organize a bulk order if anyone else wants to, please contact her. We discussed how the book will be more varied than unified, because different print processes will required different papers, and some people might be making their own paper, so we will not be all using the same paper. The important thing is that everyone keeps in mind the flexibility required by a stab-binding when selecting paper and paper grain.

We talked about bleed prints vs. prints with borders. Several people thought that bleed prints (going off the edge and even continuing under the gutter where the book will be bound) would work best with the idea of progressing from dark to light to dark. I agreed that would be nice but stated that I do not want to require any limitations beyond those that were in the original invitation, because some people have already begun work on their plates and at least one person has already delivered completed prints to me (Thanks Pat Benincasa!) So, the conclusion is that you may make a print with borders or not, but if you haven't committed yet and think that it's a good idea, you might want to consider running it off the edges.

We talked about wanting to have uniform signing guidelines. I should make an example of that quickly, as some people finish their prints! We thought that signing prints on the back would be nice, and to make sure that signatures will not be hidden in the binding.

We talked about the kind of collaboration that this is. Some people were interested in coordinating colors with others in the book, while others wanted to work independently and be surprised by what others made. I set the project up so that people could work as independently as they like, but everyone knows who is doing what page in the book and has each other's email addresses, so if you'd like to talk to those whose print comes before or after yours, you are welcome to do that!

Erin wanted to remind everyone about MCBA's open studios on Tuesdays from 6-9pm as a place to work or get advice, and that she will be around and happy to help people until her baby comes sometime in July.

Olga wanted to remind people of the research and inspiration available in MCBA's library, and she is there on Wednesday afternoons.

Several people were interested in meeting again before the deadline for working proofs. If you weren't able to come to the first meeting due to time/date/location and would really like to come to another one, please email me with your preferences and I'll see what I can do. I can't guarantee anything when coordinating a group this large, but I do want this to be a chance to build community and continue conversations. Please keep posting on this blog as a way to continue the conversation! Use the questions I posted before as a starting point if you like.

Hend sent me her thoughts in response to some of the questions:

Question 1

I have been collaborating with other artists lately. I have 2 other projects. It is not easy to collaborate but it makes the work richer and of a larger context. It opens me up to different things artistically and personally. I feel this would help to integrate myself within the Minnesota fabric by bringing me into intimate contact with other women artists.

Question 4

I hope to expand my printing techniques. My theme will not shift much. But the size of my print will be smaller. I had a dream of making a book one day, this might be a sage way to that.

Question 5

“The Full Moon” is a song from early Islamic community in Medina, the second holy city in Islam, it was sung by young women and girls of that city to welcome the Immigrating Prophet Muhammed from Mecca. The event is the start of the Islamic lunar calendar. The image I will make will be of a group of women singing with the background of Full Moon. It will also include an Arabic text of the lyrics and Arabic months.

Question 6

Because I love circles I will make a large white circle with silhouettes of figures, trees, houses and animals. One side of the print will contain the receiving city and people, the other Muhammed and his camel.

Question 8

Contrary to other cultures, the Arabic for moon is masculine while the sun is feminine. The words moon and the “full moon” in particular are used to describe beautiful people.

Question 9 My two hopes are to improve on my technique and to belong to a new community. 

I also have some written notes from Erin from the meeting (we did a few minutes of quiet writing before discussing) and I'll paraphrase them here:

4: Art work relates to current work: The body, particularly the feminine body, changes and evolves through time. Functions as a machine--autopilot as far as menses, menopause, pregnancy, etc. What happens when that machine malfunctions?

5. What are you researching for this project? Re-exploring kitchen witchery. Folklore and the mystical, connection to season, earth, cycle. Trying to integrate that with the more mechanical/medical imagery in my past works. 

7. Thoughts or concerns about making something to be understood in context: Concern that each of us iwll have a literal image of the moon on each page. My thoughts revolve around the New Moon as a beneficial time to start a project, adventure, or endeavor. But in a body/mechanical way. How do I approach mechanics in the new moon? Why does this folklorish concept resonate with me?

Ok, now you've all heard some from me, Hend, and Erin. Please post your thoughts here!

What does it mean to you to be collaborating with this group of women?

We had a good meeting on Sunday. Seven people came, a good representative of the variety in the group. I asked each person at the meeting to share their notes or reflections from the meeting on this blog. I hope those of you who didn't come to the meeting but who are interested in sharing your thoughts about being part of this project will also post to or comment on this blog so that the conversation can continue.

The question I'd like to write in response to is, What does it mean to you to be collaborating with this group of women? 

This group of women includes colleagues, friends, and acquaintances from several circles, people older and younger than me, those who are my teachers and mentors as well as students. I am approaching this project as a learning experience. As instigator/facilitator, my role is like being a teacher, and writing up the invitation felt a bit like writing an assignment. But I am hoping more and more to have my role be that of a student, to learn from the diverse perspectives that everyone brings to this project. It is also a chance to build community, and make artwork that draws its meaning from its context in that community.

Please post your thoughts and questions!

I was looking to see what I missed at the meeting on Sunday.  I will check again later on.  I am sorry I missed it, hope it was a productive meeting.  Let us all know!

Meeting at MCBA Sunday, June 23 from 2-4pm

Meeting: Several of you have expressed interest in discussing your ideas related to this project with other participants. I started this blog as a virtual way to do this, and now I've scheduled a time when anyone who is interested can meet in person. I'd like to invite you to meet at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts in the Bindery on Sunday, June 23 from 2-4pm. This should be good timing, as it is about a month before a digital image of a working proof is due. As a reminder, here are the important dates for this project:

July 26, 2013: Digital image of working proof, bio and artist statement due

October 25, 2013: Final prints and $50 fee due

January 10, 2014: Books mailed to participants and possible exhibition.

Agenda for the meeting: Please let me know if you have anything else you'd like to add to the agenda.

2:00pm Brief introductions and quick clarifications of technical details.

2:15 Discussing questions in groups of 2 or 3.

2:30 Sharing and discussing as a large group.

3-4pm Time to share sketches and get feedback or suggestions.

RSVP: If you are planning on coming, please email me to let me know. This will give me an idea of how many people to expect. If you are not interested or not able to come, no need to respond unless you want to send in your own thoughts to be shared at the meeting.

Questions to discuss: I'd like to prepare for this meeting by asking all of you to share a question or two with the group that you'd like to hear other participants' answers to. You may email me directly with these questions, or post them to our blog. If you'd like, you can also begin to answer and discuss these questions on the blog. Please share your questions by June 16, so I can send out a list of questions to everyone to consider before the meeting. If you have discovered in your research any really tantalizing articles, poems, images, or links that you want to share with the group in order to discuss at the meeting, please share them in our blog or send me those links or attachments by June 16 as well. Also, if you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to bounce your thoughts off of others in the group, you may send me (or post on the blog) your answer to a question or two that interests you.

Here are some of my questions that I'd love to hear some of your thoughts in response to, and I look forward to adding more questions from the group to this list:

• What does it mean to you to be collaborating with this group of women?
• What would you like to learn or receive from the others?
• What would you like to share of yourself with the group?
• How does this project relate to your other artwork and interests?
• What topics are you researching in preparation for your print?
• How are you interpreting the proportions of dark and light visually and conceptually?
• What thoughts or concerns do you have about making something that will be understood in the context of 28 other prints that you haven't seen yet?
• What is significant to you about what it means to be female and experience the rhythm of the lunar cycle?
• What are your hopes and dreams for this project?
• Who do you imagine to be the ideal audience for this project?

Sharing process on Lunation prints

This blog is for the participants in the upcoming print exchange book "Lunation: 21 days of darkness and light" to use to share and discuss ideas and work in progress. Any participant can post to this blog.

“Lunation: 28 days of darkness and light” will be a book about the relationship between humans and the cosmos with a focus on what it means to be female and experience the rhythm of the lunar cycle. Participants will be asked to consider the amount of illumination visible during a particular day of the lunation and roughly translate that relationship of light and dark value into their print. Ideally, the book will have a flow from mostly darkness to mostly light and then back to mostly darkness again, giving unity to the diverse ways that each of the participants interprets the theme of the book.

Participants are welcome to consider these themes as possible inspiration for their prints: cycles of life and creativity such as menstruation, ovulation, fertility, motherhood, and menopause as well as how these physical experiences inform our understanding of dark and light, growth and loss, fluids and tides, mystery and dreams, mortality and the cyclical passing of time.

Size: 10 x 7 inches, landscape orientation - Paper should be flexible, text-weight paper with the grain running in the 7” inch direction (parallel to the binding).  Any printmaking or papermaking medium is welcome, but please leave a full inch on the left-hand side of the print to accommodate binding. Any imagery printed in this area will not be visible in the bound books.

Edition: 35 total - of these, 29 sets will be bound into books and distributed to each of the participants. Two sets of prints will be reserved for exhibition; one bound and one unbound. The remaining books will be available to donate to museum collections.

Fee: $50 per participant, due with the completed prints. This fee will help cover costs of binding including covers, colophon and thread, plus return shipping. Each participant will be responsible for the cost of shipping or delivering the prints to me.

Timeline:

April 17, 2013: Intent to Participate Due - Please respond via email to emily.hoisington@gmail.com

May 8, 2013: Finalized participant list posted and lunar phase assignments sent to participants

July 26, 2013: Digital image of working proof, bio and artist statement due

October 25, 2013: Final prints and $50 fee due

January 10, 2014: Books mailed to participants and possible exhibition.

Exhibition and collection recommendations: I am hoping to exhibit the lunation book and prints in 2014, both locally and nationally, as well as donate several copies to collections. Please send me your recommendations for exhibition venues and collections that you think would be interested in our book. If you know someone personally and think I should drop your name specifically in my exhibition proposal, please let me know.