Transforming Print: An Exposition of Key Issues Affecting the Development of londonprintstudio
W Beech
Prof JM Woodham
The research study seeks to fulfil two key aims:
The first aim is inscribed in the architecture, organisation and cultural programmes of the londonprintstudio, which are documented on a CD ROM (Primary Evidence) will accompany the thesis.
The second aim is pursued through a thesis, which examines the relationships between printmaking technologies and practices and their social environments, and explores key issues relevant to the creation of educationally focused, contemporary print studios.
From the 1970’s onwards there has been a global development of printmaking resources, providing access to facilities for artists and educational programmes to a wider public. The literature on this subject is extremely limited.
The general literature on print workshops considers this subject from the vantage points of either; the efficient arrangement of the mechanical environment, or the presentation of studio products to the consumer.
This study seeks to extend understanding of open-access and educationally orientated print workshops, in respect of their organisation, architecture and programme, and their relations to their environments and audiences.
The open access studio, catering for a wide public clientele, it is argued, must address a broad range of issues that will effect the organisation and its products.
The multiple use of facilities, and partnerships with other organisations will make demands on the organisation, which must be addressed at all levels of the studio’s design and practice. The range and diversity of interests of the studio’s clientele will require the organisation to mirror and respond to diverse perspectives.
Two case studies explore the social-cultural contexts, which lead to the recent establishment of two print workshops: the John Maufengajo Arts Centre (Namibia), and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute.
However, the primary case study addresses the realisation of the londonprintstudio in which a radical approach to public access was developed, which promotes inclusion and participation to a level previously unrealised in the contemporary printmaking sector.
By providing a systemic exposition of the construction of a graphic arts facility the project aims to contribute to knowledge and understanding that will support and assist practitioners and strategic planners to develop printmaking and media resources in different social contexts.
The study employed a multidisciplinary approach, and uses Systems Theory to unite the diverse elements of the project.
