Cy Twombly - RIP

Famed American painter Cy Twombly, who first found the limelight with his calligraphic paintings in the late 1950s, has died in Rome aged 83.

The US artist was widely known for abstract works that used oil paint, pencil and crayon to create repetitive lines and scribbles on canvas.

‘It Does Not Illustrate’

In the only written statement Mr. Twombly ever made about his work, a short essay in an Italian art journal in 1957, he tried to make clear that his intentions were not subversive but elementally human. Each line he made, he said, was “the actual experience” of making the line, adding: “It does not illustrate. It is the sensation of its own realization.” Years later, he described this more plainly. “It’s more like I’m having an experience than making a picture,” he said. The process stood in stark contrast to the detached, effete image that often clung to Mr. Twombly. After completing a work, in a kind of ecstatic state, it was as if the painting existed but he himself barely did anymore: “I usually have to go to bed for a couple of days,” he said.

New York Times

On yer bike!

A nice little comp with a great Dutch bike up for grabs, lets hope the sun keeps shinin'...

http://www.bear-bicycles.com/content/21-summer

Craft course July 17th galway

http://www.craftinireland.com/events/details/beginners-creative-textile-course/

An article in the Irish Times, about new publishing formats

Read the article about flipback books in the Irish Times.
It is interesting how book formats are adapting to the way people are used to read now.

Zine Fair poster

Here is the lovely poster Sarah Bracken sent me for the Zine Fair, I have a larger jpeg of this image if you want a copy, to post, blog, share or steal it here...just pass it on Tinderboxers

Photography possibilities for the Gods and Monsters zine

                                            Trapped monster

                                               Sealing the monsters

                                             Upside down world

                                           Tortured nature

Hi guys. Here are somo possibles for the new zine, wanted your opinion. I found it a bit difficult to come up with something that would be related to the subject by taking a photograph but I hope I achieved it a bit with  these. The third photo 'Upside down world' is an old one and my other version of it that I posted here before is in black and white. I've tried adding colour to it to give it a kind nuclear doom type of feel but I've just started using Photoshop Elements, don't know much about how to use it and it could probably be improved. What do you think? The other three photos I took during a walk into town last week and I had the Gods and Monsters theme in mind. The first one might be a bit silly actually. I was in a Butlers cafe having my latte and I spotted this stain on a light on the floor that looked like a kind of cutish monster (at least to me) so I took a photo of it. I got some funny looks, ha, ha, people must have thought I was a bit potty (and they wouldn't be far off...) The second one is manhole cover with the symbols that indicate that's been sealed so that nobody can get out of it from below. I've noticed a lot of these around the time of Obama and the Queen's visit and they fascinate me. I had a better photo than this but it was portrait format so I took this one and brought up the colours to make it more interesting (hopefully) for the zine. The 'tortured wood' one I took in the Iveagh gardens. There's some dead wood there with great shapes. I changed the colours to bring out some red and I think it looks pretty shocking!
Well, give me your opinions. May be two or three could be selected for the zine, although I could still try to do something better... Would each image take up a page with some text underneath, or would the writers you were talking about write a text about it on the page next to the image?
About the funding, thanks for that sheet Elida! I've printed it out and will try to do something with it. I was actually thinking of offering to take portraits of my friends in exchange for whatever money they want to give towards it. I've just emailed Blackrock Market and hopefully I'll get a spot on Saturday the 16th of July. I could bring some of the old zines there. And finally, remember I have a little cash from the last market available...

Ponoko - you design they build it

I've been looking about for where one might get laser cuts done and came across this website, you design it and they'll source a maker to bring it to life, from a one off piece to a hundred, just click on the link its a pretty neat site!  http://www.ponoko.com/

Gods and Monsters of Tomorrow - sponsorship sheet

Hello!

Here you have a sponsorship sheet I made with Eoghan's help (thank you!). In it, a few ideas to shake your friends, family and dogs for a bit of funding for the next Tinderbox publication!

You can download it, print it and use it to get funding ideas, to track the money you collect and to show your friends you are not going to drink the money they give you but it is actually going towards printing a book!


Good luck and oh! it would be fantastic to see pictures and hear stories of those fun-ding events.
:]elida.

A new work

A new work with flowers from my paper garden.
  I hope you like!

ZINE COSTS

Hi Tinderboxers

1.Elida and myself had a meeting yesterday about the quotes we got from printers. 500euro seems to be the benchmark for a 32 page, double sided colour printed booklet for 100 copies, thats 5 euro a book. Paper stock, as we are printing digitally seems to be a stumbling block but we have sourced printers that can give us something that is not on bloody god awful glossy stock.  So each page could work out quite costly for a person, 500 divided by 32 is 15.65. The number of pages maybe come in under that but realistically it will be around that amount. This is just printing cost. We wanted you guys to be aware of want costs we are encountering. 

2. So costs of course led to..... 

Funding. We looked at a web site called Fund-it, which has a very interesting premise, you set a taggert amount and pitch your idea for your art project in a video on line to get funds. It sounds perfect but when I went through the red tape it just sounded a bit of a quagmire. For one thing they asked for credit card details and will debit said credit card of the funds for 22 days, IF, you reach your target,  at which point they refund you. So forget that, we can have our own Fund It type project. The premise of a pitch is a good one, so pitch it too your friends, family and patrons. A Tinderbox event or mini events will be needed. Maybe Mini events can help in your own funding our help the group. Myself and Elida made a list yesterday of things, within reason and the law you can do. Elida will post on this. Please!!! throw out ideas for funding. Ok thats enough for now. 

Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus

This is a pretty nifty infographic video on a pretty scary subject that fits in well with the 'Gods & Monsters' theme.

Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus from Patrick Clair on Vimeo.

Solstice Cork

Hi Guys,

I'll be in Cork this weekend taking part in the Solstice event, which will have art, performance, theatre and much more besides. Some of my work is being exhibited with the other visual artists involved, too many to mention. All details can be found at the website:

www.solsticecork.com

If any of you are around, pop in, I will be there from Sat. to Mon.


Alan

future sounds from future people

Hi Guys,

this is my friend Cian Corcoran's end of year project. i'll honestly say this is probably the only time you'll get to see it, as its quite likely that government will try and make this boy disappear. or steal his brain for secret testing. http://vimeo.com/24894367

all the best,

your pal mr steve mccarthy

WE HAVE A STALL

How'd ya like them apples! Thanks to Jane for the post on the 

stalls available for the Zine fair in August in Ranelagh. I emailed Sarah Braken

and she has marked us down for a table. Hopefully we'll have a sweet Zine to sell

Here are links to Sarah's own website, she's a zine publisher. 

www.brackensarah.com

www.babybeefartpress.com

"BOOK BY IT'S COVER" WEBSITE

This website is the bomb yo, it has so many great things from serious art books to the art of the Zine. Maybe some more inspiration could be garnered here. There are brilliant links too, for independent publishers, on-line independent book stores, artists who love book arts and their sketch books. Here's the link check it out,  http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/

looks interesting !!!!

I just spotted this guys , I would love to do it can someone organise it ??

jane x

It was on the visual artists Ireland email.

Call for Zines/Artist Books and Independent Publications

On Saturday 27 August the Ranelagh Arts Centre is hosting a zine/independent publishing fair. There will be over 20 stalls full of artist books, zines, comics, and D.I.Y. /independent publications. The event will be accompanied by live music provided by band Gypsy Rebel Rabble and will be followed by a screening of a zine documentary with popcorn.

A full table is 20 euro, half a table is 10 euro. Act fast as the stalls are booking out quickly. If you would like to have a stall at the event, please contact Sarah Bracken at sarahranelagharts@gmail.com.

Lost in a digital city [white on black]

Another member of the growing family of drawings with words in them.

Tinderbox Zine 6 Deadline

Hi guys thanks for the feed back on the brief. The deadline for the zine is set at 30th of June. Please, Please  have work ready for then please. One month, times a ticking!

Janusz Kapusta Exhibition

I think a few of you would be interested in this exhibition.
It is on at the Centre for Creative Practices, in Pembroke Street, until June 12.
He has been a regular illustrator for the New York Times since the 80s.

Tinderbox Zine 6 !!!!!!!!

Hi all

So myself (Emma R) and the wonderful Elida have been thinking of producing a Zine as both of us did not fancy going it alone we joined forces. We have been batting ideas back and forth on what we would like it to be. We both had the mind set that it would be produced to a specific brief; most zines till now have been an accompaniment to exhibitions. This zine of course will accompany future exhibitions but could also be sold in say places like the Winding Stair. Secondly we would invest more in its production and finish.

What we wish to do is a landscape sized, A5 format, colour printed and a cloth-covered spine. In order to achieve a finish of a high standard we would ask that those that wish to submit would pay for the pages they use. For instance I wish to use four pages and would be quite willing to contribute to what I use in order to get a high quality finish. Please check these links out as to what we aim for. Nobrow was something I looked and Elida at Cabanon Press. So you can see we both are on the same zine page (insert groan here).  

http://www.nobrow.net

http://www.nobrow.net/2355 please take a look at this Nobrow press book in particular. A bunch of creatives where ask to reinterred the beginning of time story. One choose a nordic folk tale, other's a spiritual approach, some scientific other where very tongue in cheek. So you can see that a theme can have many different approaches and styles.   

http://www.cabanonpress.com/

We are thinking about other forms of money raising/funding, with the aim that this will not be the only zine created. But a group contribution is what we are looking for, for this zine.

Ok! So, the evolution of theme. Elida and myself were both affected by a documentary called Into Eternity. (It’s about what to do with nuclear waste that has to be hidden for 100,000 years and thus the implications of this, it’s quite fascinating because language as we know it now may not be enough to warn future generations. 100,000 years is a looonnnggg time). Please see link below for a more in-depth look and explanation.  http://www.intoeternitythemovie.com/ Not knowing that each of us had seen it we pitched it to each other as something that spoke to different themes we both were exploring so it was quite serendipitous.

GODS AND MONSTERS

Subtitle: Monsters of tomorrow

Gods and Monsters, I know it’s a movie title but it has a ring to it. We can change it around.  I won’t go too in-dept into the themes myself and Elida talked about as regards our own work because I don’t want to limit your interpretations of what the title can mean to you guys. Maybe you see duality in this title, I was thinking we maybe need new fairy tales as warnings for new monsters, Elida was concerned with waste and its longevity. We hope that many things can be woven by your minds into this title. The links I hope will be of help. Leave your thoughts and intentions of interest here and Elida and myself will get building.

We were also thinking of inviting the fabulous writers of Fighting Words to collaborate with us once again, writing texts around the Gods and Monsters/Monsters of Tomorrow theme, that we could illustrate.

P.S. Deadline will follow soon. 

Grow Your Own City [colour]

Hello!
Yellowhammer, this is for you, since you kept asking when would I post a colour version of this.
The colours are those of the streets of Dublin.
I like it, but also, the text seems to vanish. Hmmm.

I welcome advice!
elida.

home sweet home zine ....etc

Hi Y'all

been kinda busy with dodging the horendous rain and wind here in Mayo and zoning in on all things cozy and interior .

It was so horrid , I gave my market stall a miss yesterday (anyone lend me a tenner ?)

I have just made an installation in the museum of country life , its temporary ,responding to our feelings around home and involved over 20 artists , mostly working outside, lucky me escaped the elements and was to be found importantly placing primroses around a dolls house inside........you know , all in a days work !!

BUT the bit I really enjoyed making was the zine.

I bought a mini zine from nathalia of stitchy press when I was at the independants day fair last year with our very own tinderbox heartstrings collection song drawings extravaganza.

I put it away and then was reminded of this super handy and so do-able format when I spied it on miss maiques totally smashing blog.

As you can see it is a mere A4 page ,folded in a certain way ,which I cut and pasted manually my images and then got photocopied to give away to those clever enough to spy the little message within my museum within a museum .

If you are really more than interested there are simply loads more images and info on my very own blog ..ok ?

jane x

Tinderbox Summer Skill Exchange

Hello Tinderboxers
I have had a few enquiries recently about our skill exchange workshops and I was wondering if any of you talented Tinderboxers would be interested in sharing your skills.

Skill Exchange Workshops

• Life Drawing
• Lino Printing
• Zine Making
• Collage Workshop
• Web Design Basics
• Photography Basics
• Digital Illustration
• Animation
• Proposals and suggestions welcome

The aim of these workshops is to share skills and encourage collaboration. Admission fees should be kept as low as possible and used entirely to cover the costs of materials plus a small fee for the teacher/workshop leader.

What you will need:

• Cheap / free venue
• Lesson plan / project-brief or outline of a project to be completed within the workshop. This should include an introduction to the topic.
• Materials / info in advance for participants to bring the right materials
• Refreshments. This isn't essential, but at previous workshops we supplied some wine and soft drinks at the end of the session. It gives participants a chance to chat about their experience and give feedback.

It can be a very rewarding experience to share your skills with others. If you are interested in volunteering or if one of these workshops appeals to you, please post a comment below or contact me

tinderboxnetwork [at] gmail.com

souvenir

Hey guys,

some of you might remember waaay back, i posted a wee project i was working on called SOUVENIR, lots of you joined in, which is fantastic! but its been a while now so i thought i better update you.

souvenir is an experimental exhibition project using old fashioned mail and futuristic e-mail. you can take part by sending a postal address to:

sendmeasouvenir@gmail.com

there are 96 people signed up already, from all over the world, but i have 100 pieces of artwork to post so i need 4 more. i hope to see the project evolve in regular audio visual mixtape with lots of fun spin offs. issue 1 is ready to go, and i can't wait to finnish issue 2

all the best,
your pal mr steve mccarthy

www.mrstevemccarthy.com

Moate Culture Night

Good news Tinderboxers, I have secured a shared exhibition space for a Tinderbox exhibit as part of Moate Culture Night in about two months time (date to be announced). The event will be listed in the National Culture Night brochure. Darren Doyle of Studio93 is heading the event and has agreed to showcase our work. It's an external space with a fantastic stone archway which will house most of the work.

A table will be set up to accomodate cards, prints, whatever you have. Framed pieces can be hung, (we are looking into this), and if any of you have installation pieces that would survive the Irish weather that would be great too.

So, expressions of interest are welcome, send them to me here or at: nagle.ab(at)gmail.com
I am in Dublin on the 28th-29th May if any of you would like me to pick up stuff, but we can organise to collect the work at a later date. Those of you outside Ireland, email me if you would like to post something over, or we can print here if that is easier.

Mossy Nolan album cover

Hey everyone,

haven't posted any of my own stuff on here in a while so here's my most recently completed project, which is also my largest ever papercut!

My friend Mossy wanted me to do a papercut that he could photograph and print as an A3 poster that would also fold up to hold the cd inside. I did it A1 size so the small detail would be easier to cut out and it features scenes from the 10 songs on the album intertwining around Mossy playing his mandolin, which is the front cover after it's folded.

You can check out more pics of it on my blog here (didn't want to be clogging the place up here!)

I Heard You Looking

Hey folks, just thought I'd share something I’ve been working on over the last few days. It’s a Tumblr blog called I Heard You Looking. I’ve basically been uploading imagery and music which I feel enhance each other or play off each other in interesting ways. Maybe some of ye might like it. I've also set up a Facebook page for people who aren't on Tumblr but would still like to follow the blog.

thank you elida

would not violets grow from her heart
a solo show of new work

jane o'sullivan
custom house studio gallery
westport
co mayo
on till june 6th

as dear elida mentioned in the below post :)
I have indeed just opened my first (absolutely) solo show .
I have worked as an artist for like .....ever, happily showing within a group scenario.
I still love mostly to work collaboratively but I was awarded this show after many many applications.
I am delighted with it,it is just what I had imagined and the gallery space is just beautiful.

If you like take a look at my own blog you can see more images of the opening !
I will film a little virtual tour of my show over the next few days and I will post that , I feel it will be the best representation of the work.
Hey guys , thanks so much for the lovely messages and interest.
After all its the work that has to fly off now, not me (but it hears your love and respect xx)

Would Not Violets Grow From Her Heart

See the beautiful invitation to Jane O'Sullivan's solo show "Would Not Violets Grow From Her Heart", opening tonight.

If you find yourselves in Co. Mayo, this is the place to go:
Custom House Studios Gallery,
The Quay, Westport,
Co. Mayo.

Until June 6th.

(Since she has not posted this, I shamelessly did!)
:] elida.

Zine possibilities

Hi guys! I've been going through my photos looking for a possible image or images for the next Tinderbox zine. Would love to get your opinion about these three possibilities. I took the first photo this morning in town using my zoom trick. The other two are older shots. The one in the middle is a reflection of the Ha'Penny (obviously) of which I have a vertical version which is better than this I think, but I was thinking of Elida's suggestion for a landscape format. The last photo is an upside down reflection taken at Ballydehob (West Cork) last Summer. Could you give me your honest opinion about them? Be as critical and brutal as you like, please!
Also, I'm going to apply for a spot at the Crafty Market on Saturday the 18th of June. This would probably be too early for the new zine to be ready (would it?) but I could display some of the older zines at my stall, and any sales from them would go towards funding the next zine or any future projects of course.