Built in 2001, the University of Otago Central Library still looks brand new and very dramatic from certain angles. It’s always filled with students. On the left are study spaces nicknamed “Celebrity Squares”.It’s been great to finally meet everyone I’ve been emailing and planning with for so long. Here Donald Kerr shows me an amazing book by Tara McLeod, a past Printer in Residence.Lynn Taylor, the artist who is creating the images for the project met me in the press room on the first day.Lynn brought a slew of ideas and tests for images of Mount Cook, Freda Du Faur and all kinds of other things that would add to the project.One issue we had right away was finding a paper that would work with the text, binding structure and printing methods we would both use. Originally I chose a light weight Zerkall—but that was when I had a totally different idea for the project involving one-sheet fold books. Over time the plan changed to an accordion book in a case. Lynn had in mind some etchings for the images. We needed a thicker paper now.Off we went, Lynn and I, to see Kaya at Southern Paper and check if he had something more suitable. I was happy to have a chance to see more of the amazing landscape around Dunedin.
We pulled into what I thought was a gas station, when I realized it was the paper store. What a cool space!Kaya helped us find the perfect paper—200 gsm Freelife Kendo. It’s not a paper I’m familiar with, but it’s similar to French’s Speckletone in the U.S.. It’s a cream color with flecks—nice for a story that takes place around 1910. The thickness was good for at least attaching Lynn’s etchings, if not for printing the etchings themselves.On the way back from picking out paper, Lynn took me by a few interesting spots like this bit of street art.And more sceneryWe stopped by the Hocken Library, which holds a huge collection of New Zealand artifacts, history and art. Here is a part of Violet Faigen’s piece, “Concertina”, hanging in the library.These are all altered, folded books.
2 thoughts on “Getting to Work”
Progress on FREDA is very exciting and interesting. Your residency is attracting lots of interest – constant visitors and already we want to find a way to have a return trip to NZ.
Progress on FREDA is very exciting and interesting. Your residency is attracting lots of interest – constant visitors and already we want to find a way to have a return trip to NZ.
So interesting to see everyone bundled up for the cold weather – it will be close to 100 degrees F. tomorrow in Hanover 🙂