FAIR
PRINT WEEK Helen Rosslyn, Director of the London Original Print Fair, speaks to Leonie Bradley about exciting plans for a Print Week in May
supports independent retailers. It was a huge amount of work in a very short space of time, but with the help of Branch Arts, whose founder Susie Lawson was part of
LB: The art world has been shaken by the
of ‘social distancing’. But this became a
our PR team, we were very proud of what
pandemic, what did 2020 mean for LOPF?
reality almost overnight and one print
we created.
dealer who was exhibiting at TEFAF HR: LOPF was due to take place at RA in
caught COVID pretty badly, so we knew
When the site went live on 1st May the
the first week of May 2020, so we were
we had no choice but to cancel our Fair.
first couple of hours were chaos with the
one of the first Fairs to move online.
volume of traffic – quite a challenge at Fortunately, we had just invested in a very
the time but a testament to the number
The most extraordinary thing was that it
good website and database system, so we
of print enthusiasts who didn’t want to
all had to happen so quickly. I remember
were able to move the Fair online. This felt
miss out.
speaking to a London dealer in the middle
completely in keeping with our reputation
of March, who was just leaving for The
as a specialist Fair that supports quite a
LB: What have you been organising since
European Fine Art Fair Maastricht (TEFAF)
number of smaller dealers, perhaps you
then behind the scenes?
and was questioning the new concept
could liken it to bookshop.org, which HR: This experience made us realise that there was definitely room for a year-round Platform for Prints, where exhibitors at the Print Fair could carry on selling and updating their stock throughout the year. This is what we have been busy doing since then and we have been delighted with the response. The other huge advantage for us as organisers was that we got to see every single print at the online Fair, as we were uploading all the work ourselves. So often I come to the end of a physical four-day Print Fair and realise that I have barely scratched the surface of everything there is to see. LB: How have initiatives such as Need Inspiration? and Collectors’ Choice encouraged visitors? HR: Being aware of the huge variety of prints on show led directly to our initiative of Need Inspiration? Often – even at a physical Fair and certainly online – the choice is overwhelming. We decided to
A New Day (2020) Ramiro Fernandez Saus. Etching on Japanese Paper, 205 x 215 mm. Edition: 20
Long and Ryle will be showing new work by Ramiro Fernandez Saus: ‘This colour print is a complex etching, made with two plates forming a double collage on Japanese paper. In this work, featuring Ramiro’s iconic use of animal characters, he has created a contrast of two atmospheres within the print. This is highlighted by the duality of the interior and the exterior. The window has been a motif that Ramiro has used time and again in his work. Ramiro says that “the open window represents something that may happen… an expectation”.’ www.longandryle.com
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create themed exhibitions of prints, e.g. ‘The Nude in Print’ or ‘Landscape Prints’, to give viewers a good starting point. My own personal favourite is ‘Iconic Prints Throughout the Ages’, because it gives a great insight not only into what wonderful prints there are on the market, but also demonstrates just how important printmaking has been throughout history.
LOPF
Julian Page represents Alexander Massouras: ‘From Good and Bad at Waiting, a new series of etchings about narrative devices. Before the point where our own experience begins are other people’s narratives. Good and Bad at Waiting is an experiment in placing disconnections between text and image alongside these gaps between experience and narrative. It will appear in Late Work, a new collection by Alexander Massouras that will be published later this year.’ In a house with nothing to fix (2020) Alexander Massouras. Softground etching, 100 x 150 mm. Edition: 60
www.julianpage.co.uk
The other thing we have been delighted
out there of people who love prints,
can’, but please sign up to our newsletter
with is our Collector’s Choice selections,
so we are going to see what we can do.
and watch this space!
as there is no doubt that seeing what
For the moment, we are just saying
people choose is fascinating – and there
‘Celebrating prints in whatever way we
www.londonoriginalprintfair.com
is a good cross section of people who love prints, from interior designers to actors and musicians and, of course, curators. Both sections have led directly to sales – and every time we send out a newsletter we get a rush of enquiries for prints that we have illustrated, which is rewarding. LB: What do you have planned for LOPF 2021? HR: We are keeping our Platform for Prints running all year round but we are really hoping that we will be able to do something more. Our plan is to turn the London Original Print Fair into a London Original Print Week for 2021, which will give us much more flexibility. From 1–8 May, we are encouraging all our London exhibitors to put on print shows, possibly collaborating with an exhibitor from out of town or one who doesn’t have a gallery space. We are aiming for a real celebration of printmaking, with talks and demonstrations where possible –
Waning (2019) Sarah Duncan. Limited edition etching on Zerkall paper, 700 x 700 mm. Edition: 10. Credit: Sarah Duncan & Smithson Gallery
and if we are lucky our annual glass of champagne – albeit on a smaller scale than a full-blown Fair at the RA. LB: It’s incredibly difficult to make plans at the present, you are remarkably adaptable! HR: What we have learnt in this past year is that there is an ever-growing market
Sarah Duncan will be showing with Smithson Gallery: ‘My practice has always had a strong link to the natural world. Although the time without access to the print studio might be frustrating in some ways, in others it’s given me time to reflect and re-evaluate. I have returned to memories, sketchbooks and photographs from previous experiences and environments. Once I can return to the print studio, my work will be inspired by trees, forests, mountains and bodies of water. I aim to convey a sense of calmness and resilience.’ www.smithsongallery.co.uk
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