Project: The Meal
I responded to the Art House Co-op’s first annual global snack project, called The Meal, which the team in New York, based at Brooklyn Art Library, described in a few simple but beautiful words as “One moment. One meal. Let’s eat”. The team had asked thousands of people around the world to participate in a simultaneous meal with strangers, which took place on 24th Feb 2012 at 12pm EST. The team had also said that the aim of the project was to encourage the artists to “take a moment from our hectic lives” in order “to inspire a feeling of community across geographic and cultural boundaries”, while addressing the statement “you are what you eat”. The slogan “what you eat” is never enough for nearly a billion people around the world and the project is, therefore, a call for our awareness of the growing problem in the struggle against global hunger.
My piece is called London Meal as I have lived in London (UK) for over 20 years. As London is ahead of New York for 5 hours, it meant that my meal had to be prepared for a traditional British afternoon tea at 5pm (GMT), to be eaten with a cup of British style tea rather than with a can of Coca-Cola as in New York. To emphasise the concept of the multi-cultural and global event, I, therefore, decided to test my technical – culinary – skills that I learnt in my mother’s kitchen in Slovenia. I also thought that such a global collaborative event had to be documented differently, not directly associated with the cooking skills of Slovenia, but by applying a valuable skill of hand-made lettering, I have ‘acquired’ it in London while attending a pioneering course on experimental typography at the University of the Arts. The course reopened endless thoughts and searches on how one can make use of any traditional technical skill for a project and recycle it in another context to give it a new meaning.
I first prepared yeast dough, used traditionally in Slovenia at the carnival and at other special occasions, which needed to rise. I then created letter templates for letters based on Helvetica. Once I cut out the letters from the dough, the letters had to rise again. They were then deep-fried, drained from oil and decorated with icing sugar.
All photos were shown in an exhibition documenting the world’s largest communal snack on 5 April 2012 at Brooklyn Art Library.
Sketchbook Project 2012: Stitches and Folds
I decided again this year to participate in the Sketchbook Project 2012, the main project out of many run by the Art House Co-op based at The Brooklyn Art Library in New York. This year nearly 20,000 of sketchbooks will be exhibited in 14 cities across North America, and for the first time this year, in London for contributors from Europe and in Melbourne if the artist resides in Australia.
For the details of the Project Overview, see the post about last year’s Fiction Sketchbook. The only difference between this and the fiction one is that with this project, you did not have to tell the story in text. You are free to develop your theme.
The theme I picked this time is Stitches and Folds. The entire sketchbook was folded and stitched. I folded the pages inwards, starting from the middle of the sketchbook, with the first two pages folded so that the outer edges met the gutter. I then folded each page, with the size of each fold decreasing in equal increments towards each end of the book. I then added various papers under each fold, stitching folds and papers together each time with a different kind of stitch and at a random pace, using threads varying in thickness and colour.
For images of all other pages of this Sketchbook Project, click Flickr. Here are some examples.
The tour starts in April, and we shall welcome the sketchbooks in London this October.
Brooklyn, NY Apr 14–30Brooklyn Art Library
103A N. 3rd St
Brooklyn, NY 11249 Chicago, IL May 3–5 Hyde Park Art Center 5020 S. Cornell Avenue Chicago, IL 60615 Portland, OR May 11–13 The Cleaners at the Ace Hotel 1022 SW Stark St Portland, OR Vancouver, Canada May 15–16 W2 Media Cafe 111 W Hastings St. Vancouver, BC Los Angeles, CA May 24–26 iam8bit 2147 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA San Francisco Bay Area Jun Pop-Up Library Greater Boston Area Jul 6–8 LynnArts 25 Exchange Street Lynn, MA Portland, ME Jul 11–14 SPACE Gallery 538 Congress Street Portland, ME 04101 Toronto, Canada Jul 18–22 The Gladstone Hotel 1214 Queen St. W Toronto, ON Philadelphia, PA Aug 23–25 The Painted Bride co-presented with InLiquid 230 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Atlanta, GA Aug 29–Sep 1 MASS Collective 364 Nelson St. SW Atlanta, GA Austin, TX Sep 8–16 Co-Lab Project Space 613 Allen St. Austin, TX London, England Oct Canada Water Library co-presented with The Albany and Southwark Council 21 Surrey Quays Rd. London, SE16 Melbourne, Australia Nov 10–21 NGV Studio Federation Square Russell & Flinders Sts Melbourne
Sketchbook for a Journey: Exhibition Opening
Photo Melita Zmazek
The opening of the exhibition Sketchbook for a Journey took place at Knjižnica Ivana Potrča in Ptuj, Slovenia on 24 August 2011, showing original works by Andreja Brulc, created for various book projects – including work for Beletrina (a major literary imprint of the Slovene publisher Beletrina Academic Press) and a children’s picture book Barvice. The exhibition is part of the Days of Poetry and Wine Festival, and was accompanied by a children’s creative workshop.
Photo Melita Zmazek
The event was followed by the opening of another exhibition showing the books cover of poetry collections by Tomaž Šalamun, and then by a poetry reading by Anunciada Fernández de Córdova (Spanish Ambassador to Slovenia).
Interview with, and review by, Boštjan Najžar, at the opening of the exhibition Sketchbook for a Journey, for the news site Udarno (the site no longer available), published on 30 Aug 2011. The whole interview (length 2:56) was broadcasted again on Radio Prlek (Oddaja o kulturi) on 15 Sep 2011.
Interview with Petra Skok at the opening of the exhibition Sketchbook for a Journey, Dnevnik TV Maribor, 25 Avg 2011.
For more photos of the opening go to Flickr.
Press Release: Exhibition: Sketchbook for a Journey
25 August–10 September 2011, Knjižnica Ivana Potrča, Prešernova 33-35, 2250 Ptuj, Slovenia
Exhibition: in August, Mon 12–19pm, Tue–Fri 8am–15pm, Sat-Sun closed; in September, Mon–Fri 8am–19pm, Sat 8am–13pm
Exhibition Opening: Wed, 24 August 2011, 6pm
Children’s Workshop: Sat, 27 August 2011, 3–5pm, Vrazov trg, Ptuj
Summary
An exhibition of original works by Andreja Brulc, a London-based Slovene graphic designer and illustrator, created for various book projects – including work for Beletrina (a major literary imprint of the Slovene publisher Beletrina Academic Press) and a children’s picture book Barvice. The exhibition is part of the Days of Poetry and Wine Festival and will be accompanied by a children’s creative workshop.
Exhibition
The title of the exhibition, Sketchbook for a Journey, refers to the creative process of moving towards completed work for publication and to the visual inspiration found on that journey.
Sketchbooks have been used by artists, designers and illustrators for centuries as part of their creative process. These books, such as the currently famous and fashionable Moleskine, are designed to be easily portable and are often kept in an artist’s pocket. As such, they offer a glimpse into the artist’s personal work, ranging from drawings, doodles and notes, through observations of the world and reflections on the self, to explorations and creations. The observation sketchbook focuses on the external world and is best known as a way of documenting and recording one’s experiences while travelling. The invention sketchbook, on the other hand, focuses on an artist’s internal journey while developing visual ideas. Some sketchbooks are self-conscious, with every page signed, while others are filled with seemingly random, hastily drawn sketches and doodles. Still, others reveal the progression of an idea or are conceived as a whole.
The exhibition, therefore, shows various pieces and fragments, some taken from actual sketchbooks, others being preparatory materials and finished elements produced during the exploratory journey towards not only finished work but also the discovery of new concepts and techniques. The exhibition shows a strong interest in typography and in combining illustration with photography, typography, traditional techniques such as hand-printing, stitching and patchwork, embroidery, knitting and crocheting, and industrial materials such as sandpaper and scrim tape.
Andreja writes, “Using a sketchbook to develop the ideas helps to open a valve in the brain that releases the pressure of what is unknown. Once the ideas are released in a sketchbook, they are like planted seeds that start to grow and develop. For me, a sketchbook is a place for visual experimentation.”
Children’s creative workshop
Children (3–18yrs old) will be invited to create illustrations based on the poem Lepa Vida v akciji by Andrej Rozman Roza. The pages will be into a picture book, which will be distributed in digital form.
Notes for editors
Andreja Brulc
Andreja Brulc completed an MA in Art History at University College London and worked in the Exhibitions Department at the Royal Academy of Arts for nearly ten years. After studying design, typography, illustration and printmaking at the London College of Communications (University of the Arts), she won a public competition to become a principal cover designer and illustrator for Beletrina. By the end of her fifth year in this role, she will have created around 180 book covers, along with with promotional material for books and literary festivals – and a series of murals in the publisher’s press room!
Andreja’s illustrations for Beletrina have been selected for prestigious national and international biennials of illustration. Her book covers were given an award of excellence at the 4th Biennial of Slovene Visual Communication (2009). She was nominated as an Honorary Member of the Slovene Design Society (2010) and has won the highest funding award given to an illustrator for 2010 by the Association of the Slovene Fine Artists’ Societies. Work for Beletrina was shown in an exhibition Book Covers for Beletrina in London (2010), accompanied by a literary event and a children’s creative workshop, which produced a picture book Tales from Slovenia. Andreja has also produced her first picture book, Barvice (2010), a book of children’s poems on 12 colours, written by Feri Lainšček.
She has worked on many other projects, including the UNESCO-sponsored public art project, Baptism at the River Savica, which dressed the principal statue of Slovenia’s national poet, France Prešeren, in a cloak covered in hand-made lettering from the poet’s longest work in verse. The national newspaper Dnevnik (22 May 2010) wrote that the poem was given “a form never seen before” and that “the project gave Ljubljana new artistic inspiration”.
Beletrina Academic Press
Beletrina is one of the most highly esteemed literary imprints in Slovenia. Beletrina Academic Press has gained its reputation primarily by introducing prominent works of contemporary national and world literature to Slovene readers. The publisher’s goal is to set standards for a new publishing philosophy which, in addition to focusing on noncommercial titles and giving priority to inventiveness, freshness and directness, respects authors and invests considerable effort in the promotion of their work.
Beletrina‘s list of contemporary Slovene authors is essential, focused as it is on highly regarded writers who not only attract substantial attention today but promise to flourish for decades to come. Although the imprint emphasises younger prose writers and poets, many older and established authors have contributed to its richness and diversity.
Days of Poetry and Wine
Days of Poetry and Wine, one of the most important European poetry festivals, will bring together poets from all over the world for the fifteenth consecutive year. The festival, which has to this day hosted more than 300 poets, will be taking place in the medieval centre of Ptuj. As tradition has it, poetry readings will be accompanied by other arts; several concerts, film screenings, street shows, performances, exhibitions, puppet shows, readings for children etc. will take place in the very centre of the town, which will be veiled in art installations for a whole week.
This year’s special guests will include: the Romanian poet Nora Iuga, French poet Jacques Roubaud and the Slovene classic Tomaž Šalamun. Each will be honoured by having a book of poetry translated and published, while the poetry of the other guest poets will be published in a multilingual anthology, Days of Poetry and Wine 2011. The accompanying programme will follow the central topic Poetry and Prose, on which a round-table discussion will be held. A rich selection of wines will ensure a relaxed, social atmosphere.
Contact
Exhibition:
andreja.brulc@gmail.com
www.andrejabrulc.com
Beletrina Academic Press:
info@zalozba.org
www.zalozba.org
Festival:
info@poezijainvino.org
www.poezijainvino.org/2011/
Images are available.
Fiction Sketchbook Project 2011: It must be …
The Cover
I participated in the Fiction Sketchbook Project 2011, which is one of many Sketchbook Projects run by the Art House Co-op (now called The Sketchbook Project) based at The Brooklyn Art Library. Since its inception in 2006, the Art House Co-op has initiated many international art projects and has brought together thousands of artists from all over the world.
The Project Overview
The Fiction Sketchbook Project is an opportunity to tell stories differently by fusing text and images. As a rule of thumb, the Art House Co-op recommends that you dedicate 51% of your sketchbook to words.
After one signs up to participate, Art House Co-op sends participants a Moleskin sketchbook (in this case, 5.25×8.25 inches). One can pick up the theme from a list of 40 themes, or choose to have the theme randomly assigned. However, once the theme is chosen, one is stuck with it! The themes are supposed to be a starting point, not a restriction. The theme I chose was It must be…
The Making
I decided from the start to treat my selected theme as if I was constructing a children’s picture book in the sketchbook. I wrote a simple narrative about four seasons seen through the eyes of a child. Each spread was, therefore, carefully worked out in advance on the basis that it was to contain a single sentence accompanied by the direct visual response.
As you are free to rebind the sketchbook, use a different paper, and do whatever you want to the front and back covers, I opted to rebind my sketchbook in a Coptic style binding using Fabriano Hot Press 90lb paper. This was an enormous fan as it was the first time I undertook such a process.
You can also use any medium as long as the book keeps to the same dimensions when closed. I used a mixed media combining illustration with photography, typography and traditional techniques, such as hand-printing, stitching, patchwork and crocheting, as well as and industrial materials, such as scrim tape.
Finally, as you are especially encouraged to write the text by hand, I chose to use a hand-written script type created a while ago in association with a book cover for Beletrina and have since used it in other occasions.
For all images of this Fiction Sketchbook, click Flickr. Here are some examples.
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
After travelling across the United States (see the venues below), the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library’s narrative collection.
Brooklyn Art Library 103A N. 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 (Open Tue–Sun: Noon–8pm, closed Mondays) www.sketchbookproject.com Sketchbook Project Tour Jun 10–12, 2011 Form/Space Atelier Seattle, WA www.formspaceatelier.com Jun 16–18, 2011 Madrone Studios San Francisco, CA www.madronestudios.com Jul 14–17, 2011 Hyde Park Art Center Chicago, IL www.hydeparkart.org Jul 29–31, 2011 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL www.fullsail.edu/galleryThe 9th Slovene Biennial of Illustration / Nov 2010
Some of my illustrations were selected for The 9th Slovene Biennial of Illustrations, organised by Cankarjev dom in collaboration with The Illustration Section of The Slovene Artists Association. The Biennial is shown at Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana from 17 Nov 2010 to 10 Feb 2011.
Book Covers for Beletrina in Design Week
For a blog post Cover star in Design Week click here.
Book Covers for Beletrina: Exhibition
A selection of photos showing a display of book covers and illustrations by Andreja Brulc created since 2007 for Beletrina, a major literary imprint of the Slovene publisher Beletrina Academic Press.
The book covers in the exhibition show a strong interest in typography and in combining illustration with photography, typography, traditional techniques such as hand-printing, stitching and patchwork, embroidery, knitting and crocheting, and industrial materials such as sandpaper and scrim tape.
The exhibition was accompanied by a literary event and a children’s creative workshop.
For more photos of the show click Flickr.
The project was sponsored by the government of the Republic of Slovenia.
Book Covers for Beletrina: Private View and Literary Event
A literary event took place at the Dreamspace Gallery in London on 4 October 2010 in conjunction with the exhibition opening of book covers and illustrations by Andreja Brulc. The covers were created since 2007 for Beletrina, a major literary imprint of the Slovene publisher Beletrina Academic Press.
Readings were held by a writer and film director Goran Vojnović, the author of the region’s bestselling novel in 2009, entitled Čefurji Raus! (trans. Southern Scum Go Home), and an essayist and poet Aleš Šteger, the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and scholarships, whose work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. 
The project, sponsored by the government of the Republic of Slovenia, presented the publisher’s prolific literary activities for the first time in London through the display of selected book covers showing the unique relationship with their principal designer and illustrator.
For reportage of the exhibition by Matjaž Ambrožič for the RTV Slovenia’s programme on culture, Studio City (Knigga), broadcast on 11 Oct 2010, click here (starts 39:07).
For more photos click Flicker.
Press Release: Exhibition: Book Covers for Beletrina
Press Release: Book Covers for Beletrina
Dreamspace Gallery, 1–3 Dufferin Street, London, EC1Y 8NA
Exhibition: 3–9 October 2010, 9am–5.30pm
Literary Event: 4 October 2010, 6–8.30 pm (readings start at 6.30pm)
Children’s Workshop: 3 October 2010, 11am–1pm
Summary
An exhibition of book covers and illustrations by Andreja Brulc, a London-based Slovene graphic designer and illustrator, created since 2007 for Beletrina, a major literary imprint of the Slovene publisher Beletrina Academic Press. The exhibition will be accompanied by a literary event and a children’s creative workshop.
The project, sponsored by the government of the Republic of Slovenia, will present the publisher’s prolific literary activities for the first time in London through the display of selected book covers showing the unique relationship with their principle designer and illustrator. The event will also bring to a London audience three Slovene literary figures (including the best selling Slovene author of the last decade Goran Vojnović).
Exhibition
The book covers in the exhibition show a strong interest in typography and in combining illustration with photography, typography, traditional techniques such as hand-printing, stitching and patchwork, embroidery, knitting and crocheting, and industrial materials such as sandpaper and scrim tape.
Literary event
Readings will be held by poetess Miljana Cunta, shortlisted for the Veronika Prize for the best poetry collection of 2010; writer and film director Goran Vojnović, author of the region’s bestselling novel in 2009, entitled Southern Scum Go Home; and essayist and poet Aleš Šteger, recipient of numerous prestigious awards and scholarships, whose work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. The readings will be held in Slovene and English, and printed extracts will be available in English.
Children’s workshop
Children (3–14yrs old) will be invited to create their own illustrations based on a story which will be assembled into a picture book and included into the exhibition.
Notes for editors
Beletrina Academic Press
Beletrina is one of the most highly esteemed literary imprints in Slovenia. Beletrina Academic Press has gained its reputation primarily by introducing prominent works of contemporary national and world literature to Slovene readers. The publisher’s goal is to set standards for a new publishing philosophy which, in addition to focusing on noncommercial titles and giving priority to inventiveness, freshness and directness, respects authors and invests considerable effort in the promotion of their work.
Beletrina‘s list of contemporary Slovene authors is essential, focused as it is on highly regarded writers who not only attract substantial attention today but promise to flourish for decades to come. Although the imprint emphasises younger prose writers and poets, many older and established authors have contributed to its richness and diversity.
Andreja Brulc
Andreja Brulc completed an MA in Art History at University College London, and worked in the Exhibitions Department at the Royal Academy of Arts for nearly ten years. After studying design, typography, illustration and printmaking at the London College of Communications, she won a public competition to become principal cover designer and illustrator for Beletrina. By end of her fourth year in this role she will have created more than 140 book covers, along with promotional material for books and literary festivals – and a series of murals in the publisher’s press room!
Her illustrations for Beletrina have been selected for prestigious national and international biennials of illustration. Her book covers were given an award of excellence at the 4th Biennial of Slovene Visual Communication (2009). She was nominated as an Honorary Member of the Slovene Design Society (2010) and has won the highest funding award given to an illustrator for 2010 by the Association of the Slovene Fine Artists’ Societies.
She has worked on many other projects, including the recent UNESCO-sponsored public art project, Baptism at the River Savica, which dressed the principal statue of Slovenia’s national poet, France Preseren, in a cloak covered in hand-made lettering from the poet’s longest work in verse. The national newspaper Dnevnik (22 May 2010) wrote that the poem was given “a form never seen before” and that “the project gave Ljubljana new artistic inspiration”.
Contact
Book covers and workshop:
andreja.brulc@gmail.com
www.andrejabrulc.com
Literary event:
renata.zamida@zalozba.org
www.zalozba.org
Dreamspace Gallery:
hilaryw@adrem.uk.com
www.adrem.uk.com/dreamspace
Images are available.
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