OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Screenprinting

To screenprint the zine, each side was digitally printed and then exposed onto individual screens. Side one was printed in black ink, in the style of a traditionally printed newspaper. Side two was printed in red ink, in part to emulate the CMYK colour separations that newspapers print in, and in part to further the contrast between the two side, with the red story leading a softer narrative and the black side leading a more formal narrative. The zine was printed on thin newsprint paper, again to reflect a traditional newspaper in both stock and double-sided print, but also to create a translucency so that both narratives are visible when the page is folded down.

Side 1

Side 2

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Self Publish Be Happy

A talk by Bruno Ceschel, founder of Self Publish Be Happy, an organisation that collects, studies and celebrates self-published photobooks through an ongoing programme of workshops, live events and on/offline projects. SPBH has organised events at a number of institutions around the world, including Tate Modern, The Photographer’s Gallery and C/O Berlin. Since its conception is 2010, the London-based collection gathered together more than 2,000 publications. SPBH is the physical manifestation of a worldwide online community formed of a new and ever-evolving generation of young artists, who experiment, stretch and play with the medium of photography.

During the talk, Ceschel showed a large number of the publications SPBH had collected over the past few years, each by independent authors, from all over the world. He talked of the importance of self-publishing from many perspectives; how self-publishing is an art form that can be perfected but can also be abused, with either one creating new and innovative outcomes. People publish to push their own limitations as artists and designers, and with this, the limitations of what a physical publication can be are also tested. Publications today might not be made from paper at all, but from wood, or rubber, or metal, or any other material that could be used as a vehicle for expressing information. 

He also stressed the importance of self-publication in the context of social climates; people self-publish to express ideas and opinions, and at certain times in history, self-publication becomes the only way to correctly preserve the politics and the backlashes, the emotions and the expressions. 

Ceschel also seemed to be a big believer in the power of the internet in creating and sharing works and ideas. SPBH, despite centring itself around physical print, embraces the digital age, working with technology instead of against it. Although acknowledging the effect that the internet has had on printed media, SPBH utilises it's online connections to work with and gather work from people all around the world, curating a global collection of publications and continuing to share them with new people. And looking forward to the future of publications Ceschel seemed confident that physical publications would never cease to exist, and never cease to be important, simply because people love to publish.

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Final Content and Layout

Each narrative was then arranged so that when printed, the sheet would form individual pages of text. Selected parts of the text was separated by dividing lines, in the style of those that separate the personal ads in newspapers, and certain parts were repeated, depending on the emphasis of the words within the narrative. Each narrative was given a title, taken from headlining captions of different printed ads.

Side 1 - What Happened To Our Town Centres?

Side 2 - Hot Butterflies

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Experimentation With Collage and Text

To create the content for the zines I gathered together a collection of material from newspapers and magazines, including text and images. I initially used these to create a series of rough collages, with the intention of emulating a set of out-of-context personal ads.

After creating these, and presenting them in a peer critique, it was discussed that the focus should centre more around the text rather than the images. Although the images did play a part in the communication of the personal ad when they were printed, newspapers are primarily text based, and some felt that the inclusion of the images distracted from the message of the text.

From this I continued using text from personal ads, but instead focused on creating some sort of narrative to bring forward the idea of communicating a personal story. Initially I created two different narratives, with the intention that only one would be printed, but I felt that the contrast between them would work nicely when printed. From this I decided to make the zine double sided, so that each story would be communicated differently to different audiences depending on which way the sheet was folded.

 

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Zine Production

Production and Distribution
The physical format of the zine was another important consideration. Looking forward to the distribution of the publication, I ultimately wanted to sell copies through a range of independent artists bookshops as a way of gaining recognition as a creative, and to complete the self-publication process. However, as the research in conjunction with my essay indicated, accessing content online is also a very important aspect of distribution for artists and businesses today, as it brings in global consumers and provides a cheaper alternative for the majority of their audience.

In order to accommodate this I looked at how I might digitalise the zine after printing. One solution could be to digitalise the entire publication, which would then be accessible online. Another solution was to allow a consumer to buy the zine digitally so that they themselves might print out the pages and create the book. To do this, the zine could either be sold as a collection of pages to be printed out individually, or sold as one larger sheet to be folded down. When discussing these ideas in a critique it became obvious that creating one larger sheet was the easiest way for a person to print and bind their own version of the publication without the need for specialist equipment. It would allow them to also become a producer of the book, as well as a consumer, tying in with the traditionally DIY aspect of zine making.

Ideas for the format of the zine

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Zine Printing

Printing
To print the zine there are two options: digital printing or traditional printing (including but not limited to screenprinting, monoprinting, letterpress). Digital printing is historic to the zine-making tradition, as originally zines were made quickly and simply on a xerox machine. It is also the most common method of zine production today due to the wide accessibility and low cost of the using the equipment.

However, as this work will also focus on printed material as a luxury item I will use a traditional print method to produce my work. Screenprinting is the most viable option, as it allows for a relatively fast reproduction of the content, suitable for a small run of publications, but also provides an elitist edge as the zines will be individually hand-printed. It is also reminiscent of newspaper production (printing four different plates in CMYK), and also plays into the tradition of the cost and effort of production outweighing the physical value of the end product.

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Zine Content

From this research, and personal experience of being a creative who specialises in publication production and design, it is obvious that the importance of self publication is growing within young artistic communities. Within this body of work I want to explore this process of producing a printed publication with the intent to share the work through commercial outlets. To do this I will create, design and produce a small run of zines, focusing on the printing techniques, the physical production, and the distribution upon completion


Looking at the content for the zine I wanted to take a step back from the production of printed materials and instead focus on what is lost when a traditionally printed item becomes digitalised. This is becoming a common occurrence in the newspaper industry as papers either produce some or all of their content for computers and phones. Many physical quirks are lost during this process, for example the misalignment of printing plates as photographs are reproduced, or the coloured registration marks at the edge of each page, and the examination of these tactile imperfections could be used as the basis for the zine's content.

There is also a connection that is lost between producer and consumer when printed material is digitalised - when you buy and use a printed item there is a palpable process involved in its creation that is not simply present on a digital screen. As an extension of this there is also an element of communication that is lost in the form of printed personal ads. Communication is obviously still possible digitally, but is done instead through social media sites, where questions and answers happen instantaneously. This unique form of communication through printed media could also be a focus for the zine's content, in reference to the way we communicate in a digital world and the encroaching redundancy of the printed word.

Initial sketches for registration based content

Planning for communication based content

During a critique with peers it was discussed that although looking at registration marks might make for a more visually pleasing zine, however the concept of communication through print was a more original idea and would connect with a wider audience, both younger and older, providing more of a reminiscence on the decline of traditionally printed media.

OUGD401 - Studio Brief 02 - Zine Culture

I began by looking into the history of the zine and the culture that surrounds this particular form of publication production:

A zine (an abbreviation of fanzine or magazine) is most commonly a small circulation, self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images usually reproduced via photocopier. A popular definition includes that circulation must be one thousand or fewer, although in practice the majority are produced in editions of fewer than one hundred, and profit is not the primary intent of publication. They are informed by a DIY ethos and are written in a variety of formats, from desktop published text to comics to handwritten text.

Print remains the most popular zine format, although there is no one format for zines. There are not set materials and aesthetics to adhere to when creating a zine publication - the entire ethos of zine making is freedom and self-expression without the need for corporate printing and consumerist marketing. Topics covered are broad, including fanfiction, politics, poetry, art and design, ephemera, personal journals, social theory, riot grrrl and intersectional feminism, and sometimes content far enough outside of the mainstream to be prohibited or excluded by the more traditional media. The time and materials necessary to create a zine are seldom matched by revenue from sale of zines. Small circulation zines are often not explicitly copyrighted and there is a strong belief among many zine creators that the material within should be freely distributed. In recent years, a number of small zine publications have risen to prominence or professional status and have found a wider distribution though bookstores or online sale.

Zines among these include The Archives, Bust, Birkensnake, and The Miscreant.

The Archives - Claudio Pogo

Birkensnake

Bust

The Miscreant

Over the years, many of the more popular zines have expanded into bigger, glossy magazine type publications, not out of the want and need for money, but as an attempt to bring minority groups and sidelined conversations into the mainstream. Unfortunately, this change from a photocopied zine into a more consumable magazine brings the printed publication back into the realms of luxury, increasing the price of both production and consumption. However, like many mainstream newspapers and magazine, these larger publications have also diversified into digital and online content also, allowing them to reach a far wider audience while still putting out a larger volume and range of content.

The most notable example of this diversification is Dazed. The formerly know Dazed and Confused zine started out as as a black and white poster zine, but quickly grew into a full colour magazine publication. They are now better known for their website Dazed Digital, a digital strand of the publication delivering style news and social issues, that amasses an audience of millions every single day

Dazed Magazine A/W '15 

Another example is Bust magazine, who also started as a simple photocopied zine with a small audience. The now international publication and accompanying website deals with women's rights, sexuality, and health.

Despite the plethora of professional and corporate publications available, smaller, self-published zines can still break down the barriers of traditional media content, allowing any and all topics of conversation to be discussed without the fear of censorship. They provide a new, cheap and easily accessible platform and are hugely important platform for minority and social groups that do not fit the societal norms to voice opinions, share ideas, and communicate across a huge variety of topics.

OUGD401 - Study Task 08 - Practical Exploration

From the research done in conjunction with my essay, it was possibly to drawn a number of conclusion as to the role of print media in the digital age - each depending on the context in which the printed media is produced and used. In summation there are two overarching conclusions that i will focus my practical work on:

Print as a luxury
In terms of traditional communications media (newspapers, magazines, etc.), print can be viewed as a luxury item. Newspapers take a large amount of money and resources to print and distribute, but ultimately have a declining readership in favour of the digitalised versions. However this does not necessarily mean the end of the printed format, because printed newspapers especially carry heritage, tradition and social values. In terms of artistic print media, printed products can also be viewed as a luxury item as they too take money and resources to produce.

Print as a tool for self-publication
Through the evolution of technology, printing through either digital or traditional means has become a vital tool that allows creatives and non-creatives to self-publish and distribute their works. Self publishing and zine culture has expanded greatly with technological advancements, and with it has allowed the line between producer and consumer to become gradually blurred.


In light of these two conclusions I will look into zine culture and the phenomenon of self-publishing. I will also examine it's importance to creatives today, in terms of both producing and distributing, and look at how I might use physically printed publications as a basis for this body of work.

OUGD401 - Study Task 06 - Establishing The Requirements Of The Practical Investigation

Practice-based research is a form of research methodology that uses “practice”, alongside other forms, as a means of discovering or generating knowledge. While the emphasis is still very much on establishing a critical understanding of the issue, practice-based research acknowledges the role of making and visual communication in establishing this understanding.

To create a physical body of work to accompany my essay I will pose the question 'How Can Traditional and Digital Print Coexist'

I will consider each of these points in relation to my chosen research question:

Techniques

Digital production vs physical production

Digital print vs physical print

A combinations of the two > using one to create the other

Content

A focus on Postfordism and the nature of Postfordist art > the decrease in the value of physical production, an increase of immaterial labour

Communication / Message

Production and consumption of all medias has changed, but do producers need to change how they produce in order to keep up with demand?
Traditional and digital print methods do compete but they can coexist

Research / Analysis

Printing methods - how traditional influences digital and vise versa 

How the concept of immaterial labour is effecting (young) creatives today

Testing

Examine the extent to which the work answers the original question posed, looking at the reactions from creatives, non-creatives, peers, tutors, and the public is applicable