Extended Research
After my initial visits to the Drawing Room in Unit 1, I felt the extended research was an exciting chance to partake in informative research and began thinking about all the different ways I might go about it. Some of the many directions I travelled on my research journey included: researching rubbings at the British museum; I thought about archeology collections and archives that housed rubbings; I thought about how my original degree in classics might be helpful in approaching material collections such as ancient mosaics or other historically important sites; I considered historic sites and features such as the steps of the Bodleian library at oxford university; I attempted to research about the possibility of accessing abandoned buildings and even looked into haunted spaces in London that might have some significance. All these ideas are exciting and perhaps are worth further consideration.
Allegra Pesenti Interview
My first breakthrough with an external partner was to contact Allegra Pesenti, who agreed to a written interview. I managed to get her email after contacting the Hammer Museum, where she used to work. Pesenti was the curator of the exhibition and subsequent publication “Apparitions: Frottages and Rubbings from 1860 to Now, Feb 7–May 31, 2015”. This text was important for my research, and I had many questions since reading it. The interview went as follows:
Tom Harper:
In a time when touch is so transgressive, how relevant is bringing back a sense of touch and connection in the world through art?
Allegra Pesenti:
I think a sense of touch and connection are forever vital to art, and of course it is all the more relevant at the heels of the pandemic in which we have been physically distanced from both human and material ‘closeness’.
Tom Harper:
I’m interested in how you came to select the artists that you did and the works that you showed. Perhaps you could talk a little bit more about what drew you to these artists and works?
Allegra Pesenti:
Artists immersed in the practice of rubbing and related work appeared in my path as soon as I started thinking about the subject both historically and in the present. A revelatory moment was Jennifer Bornstein’s exhibition at Gavin Brown’s in New York city, in which she rubbed the entire surface of the floors of the gallery and placed the sheets of paper on the walls, creating a monumental reversal of space and sense of disorientation. I was also struck by how the marks of the floors emphasized the site’s age and history, as if she were retrieving its ghosts from its inner linings. Bornstein’s rubbing practice evolved from abstraction to figuration and remained a main point of inspiration throughout my research on the subject.
Tom Harper:
You write about traces in the exhibition and how recording objects, surfaces or places can reveal and assume a new presence as rubbings. I am very interested in rubbing to reveal void spaces such as cracks, scores or the tiniest marks of wear and tear. Perhaps you could tell me more about frottage’s power to transcend its subject matter and create new meanings?
Allegra Pesenti:
There is an element of wonder and unexpectedness in rubbings which is what made the practice so appealing to Surrealist artists. Max Ernst found his deepest fantasies in the grains of the wood of his floorboards. A comb easily morphed into an animal’s body. I think that ability to ’transfigure’ objects and to see beyond their common forms and uses is at the core of this form of artistic expression.
Tom Harper:
Is there any way that you think rubbing and frottage has changed and developed as a contemporary art practice since the exhibition?
Allegra Pesenti:
Artists continue to experiment with rubbing and frottage and the practice continues to stretch into new territories - whether sensory, physical, or performative. The Jazz musician and composer Jason Moran traces the taps of his keyboard onto paper and creates some of the most poignant and deeply moving ‘recordings’ of his sounds and improvisations.
Tom Harper:
And what is it about rubbing that draws artists time and time again to use this most basic and ancient of drawing methods; What is it about this process that keeps it relevant in contemporary art and in particular drawing?
Allegra Pesenti:
Perhaps the very fact that it is so basic and accessible, yet also deeply layered and complex in its possibilities.
Tom Harper: Since Apparitions, frottage and rubbings are being used as the mainstay of artists like Ingrid Calame and strongly featuring in the work of high-profile artists such as Kiki Smith and Catherine Anyango Grünewald. Have any artists stood out for you since the exhibition that you think are important and that you would have included in the exhibition if it had been put on today?
Allegra Pesenti:
As I mention above, Jason Moran for sure. I love the work of Kiki Smith and would certainly include her if I were to do a take two of this exhibition. There are so many artists I would have loved to include but couldn’t for reasons of space and accessibility…so I’ll save that list for the next iteration!
Raquel Serrano Interview
Raquel Serrano is a fine art doctorate student at the university of seville. She was awarded a fellowship in print at Camberwell College of Art in the spring term of 2022. She uses rubbings and frottage and plans to continue to do so as part of her research. I asked her if she was willing to do a short, informal interview and she most gratifyingly agreed.
Here is what transpired:
Tom Harper:
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What is it about frottage that excites you and how did you come to see this as an important part of your practice?
Raquel Serrano:
I became interested in frottage from my PhD supervisor María del Mar Bernal who wrote a great article on the subject. (https://tecnicasdegrabado.es/2020/el-frottage-todo-esta-en-el-roce). I am interested in experimentation with the printed image and how printing can turn into drawing. The images produced by say rubbings replaces the reality of what was there. I want to question what the reality of an image is. I like how rubbings can look like quite abstract images but are in fact highly representational. So, the image is the surface, but the surface is moved from its original place. I’m playing with our concept of an image and the concept of perception.
Tom Harper:
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What new materials are you using to make your rubbings and why?
Raquel Serrano:
I have been working with canvas recently and I have found it can be very pragmatic in a lot of situations, especially when you are outside and rubbing on the ground. Before I was working with large sheets of paper, using a sponge and graphite powder to apply the rubbing. I have found that, unlike paper, fabrics like canvas are both more durable, and much more pragmatic when you are outside. They will not ruin if they get wet and they can even be machine washed if you apply fixating beforehand. They do not weigh much so they can easily be transported, and it allows you to work in large formats since it is difficult to find paper rolls of that magnitude. I also found that you can add eyelets and can easily be stretched out in a space like a painting. This makes them very pragmatic for very large rubbings in a way that paper just doesn’t easily allow for, especially when thinking about hanging them in a space. They also have a more haptic element to them; in that they can become quite sculptural. You can fold, crumple and manipulate them in many ways.
Raquel, Serrano, Transfer the surface, Frottage graphite on canvas, 100 x 375 cm 2022
Tom Harper:
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What artists have you researched and what is it about their work that you find fascinating?
Raquel Serrano:
I am interested in the works of Juan Carlos Bracho who has rubbed the walls of a gallery space with graphite. By drawing directly onto the walls in this way, he creates beautiful ephemeral drawings, that get erased from the space after the exhibition ends. I am interested in the imprintment of the land itself and have appreciation for the work of Andrea Gregson, who takes large scale rubbings of rock formations. All these artists reflect on the space itself, moving the surfaces, manipulating them, folding them and turning the images of reality into three-dimensional elements, which invite the viewer to inhabit the image
This interview was great for considering my methods and new choices of materials and the artists who use them. I experimented with using canvas for rubbings as I may wish to use it in the future if I go outside or for works that need to be hardier and need to be on the floor or manipulated in some way. (see process and critical reflection).
Taking rubbings at the Type Archive
After doing some research to see where I might find some historic printing machinery to further my research, I came across The Type Archive, which housed an assemblage of historic printing presses. I spoke with the curator, Sallie Morris, and to my delight I was given not only a tour of the archive but also allowed to take some rubbings of the machinery.
The archive has some truly amazing artifacts from the past and it was fascinating to delve deeper into the history of print. I settled on the Wharfdale-style machine called the “Defiance”, which was made in Yorkshire by inventor David Payne back in the 1860’s. This machine revolutionised the printing trade and it was an incredible honour and with great excitement that I undertook the task of producing a print of the press that had created perhaps millions of prints itself. The extra weight of historical importance of the machine was something I had never been able to engage with before with a space or object and it really added to the interest and significance of the work for me.
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Rubbing the Wharfdale not only helped me further develop my visual language but also formed a greater emotional connection with these archaic, increasingly rare artifacts. This feeling was only enhanced by the knowledge that the archive was losing its funding and would no longer be open to visitors. The very machine I was rubbing would soon be stored away somewhere indefinitely, behind closed doors. I came closer to understanding why these machines have emotional significance and importance. The arts and culture are under increasing threat and these prints could perhaps be a way of showing what we are losing as a society.
The experience of this enigmatic space and its relics, dripping with the history and the importance of Britain’s cultural and technological heritage makes me keen for further opportunities. There are other institutions that I could attempt to contact based on connections I have made with the curator there. I feel trying to approach collections, archives and institutions of this sort could be an important part of my practice in the future.
White Chapel Gallery
I have been interested in what it is about the studio and creative spaces that fascinate me and why they are worth commemorating through my interventions. I wished to contextualise my understanding of the wider debate surrounding the studio in contemporary art practice and so after doing some research I went to Whitechapel Gallery to gain further insight. I was most fortunate that it was having an exhibition that touched on this issue. The exhibition itself, A century of the artist’s studio 1920-2020 was very illuminating, concerning itself with the notion of the studio space, both as a public space to showcase the artists identity or as a private space to "take refuge, reflect, experiment and even cannibalise the studio itself." (see contexts to read more about how this important exhibition helped my practice).
TOM HARPER
WILSON'S ROAD SUMMER EXHIBITION
After I became acquainted with the Wilson’s Road building, I came up with a plan to present my work in the space for the exhibition. My original exhibition proposal was a rough indication of my intentions. I wanted to show the deconstructed printing press, the ‘crack’ rubbing and the cast of the print room worktop surface on the floor. This vision was then narrowed down during the exhibition meeting. Afterwards, I continued to play around with some notional presentation ideas.
Exhibition Proposition
Wilson's Road Summer Exhibition Proposal
Although uncertain which of the works would eventually be decided for the space, I felt the larger press might be the best fit for the large wall space I was provided. Its scale would produce an immersive experience which would draw the audience into the haptic experience of the print room which I was trying to share. The idea of installation art was informing my thinking about presenting my work. I was reading ‘understanding Installation Art, from Duchamp to Holzer’ by Mark Rosenthal. In it he describes the different kind of installation art and how they can each have different effects on the space and the way the viewer sees the artwork (Rosenthal, 2003,. p.28). I hoped the work, at such a scale would have something of the ”enchantment effect” that the author mentions, allowing the audience to get a better understanding and emotional response from the work (Rosenthal, 2003,. p.33).
I was excited by the process of experimentation involved in presenting the work. I went onto explore my relationship with the audience and the artworks, playing with the scale, spacing and positioning to maximise their effect. It felt like an important part of the making of the work itself and I was anxious to get started to see the work in all its potential.
References
Mark Lawrence Rosenthal (2003). Understanding Installation Art. Prestel Pub.
The naming of artwork has continued to be somewhat problematic for me. I have made a conscious decision to try and go with names that would not influence how the work would be perceived. I have favoured names that are short, sometimes punchy, but usually inform the context of the work in a simple way, without getting too flowery or fanciful with the language. Thus, I chose to call the artworks as a series ‘The Print Room’ and designated the rest of the work simply ‘Intaglio printing press’, ‘Crack’, and ‘Print Room Worktop’. I was really hoping that the works would just speak for themselves.
THE EXHIBITION INSTALLATION
Wilson's Road Postgraduate Fine Art Show 2022; Exhibition setup
I approached the exhibition with a plan of organising and putting up my rubbings, as I was aware of the importance of this in ensuring the installation went smoothly. Paper can be difficult at the best of times, and, at this very light weight and large size, I was taking no chances. I set up tables to work on, metre long glassine coverings were put on the ground, disposable gloves were utilised for handling the work, draftsman tape was procured for provisional presentational ideas as well as a light touch and diligent attentive care.
Back in June, I had flirted with the idea of hanging my work from up high, something that was encouraged by Mujeeb when I first encountered the space. In the end I felt that presenting such fragile and quite difficult paper works such as these was beyond my abilities and the time it would have taken to justify such ambitions. I therefore stuck with presenting my works on the wall in a similar manner to the way I presented my works for documentation earlier. I was torn between two installation methods for the show. The first was to use silver clips to hang the rubbings on the wall, like I had used for the pop-up show curated by Liv Preston. I felt the silver colour of the clips worked well with the graphite shine of the rubbings. Additionally, there was somehow a greater perception of the paper, its fragility, the way it hung downward, delicately floating imperceptibly.
I also thought about magnets, as these would look more professional, less intrusive, less conspicuous and reduce the distance between the wall and the work. Kate suggested to me that magnets would be the best fit for the work and these were placed only where necessary to still give a sense of the paper’s materiality and delicacy. I felt the surface, distressed, hollowed out and carved into in many places had sculptural overtones that I wanted to emphasise. It was suggested to me by Sarah that I should use white enamel paint to make the magnets even less visible, however considering there were dozens of magnets in use, it was just too difficult to execute in the install time and is something to think about for Copeland/Dilston Road.
The next step was to play around with the presentation on the wall. I was already influenced by the documentation that I had recorded earlier that had had a big impact on the way I saw the work. I was thinking I might be able to fit both presses into the space and was keen to experiment. After a difficult period of trial and error, thinking about space, compactness and synergy between the different works, it seemed best to go with a more spacious approach that allowed the work to breathe.
Exhibition Images; Printing Press
Ink Casts
Originally, it seemed like a good idea to try and go with some of the ink casts on the ground. I had scavenged some wooden 2x4’s for the purpose and cut them to the right size in the wood workshop. I had hoped, this would provide a nice cast shadow to appreciate them within the context of the print room rubbings.
I was busy, right up to the last moment, making ink casts for the show, but because of difficulties in nailing down the technique and its naturally inconsistent nature, I didn’t get to a good size that I wanted. I felt it was better for the smaller casts to make use of the Victoria and Albert museums vitrines for presenting these. This felt apt considering the nature of the work is about recording and preserving the artifacts of the print room, and its making places.
Exhibition Images; Ink Casts
Crack
I was particularly pleased that, with Sarah’s help, I was able to find a space to put up my ‘crack’ rubbing that utilised wall space that was part of the grade listed building. The graphite rubbing was put up with the utmost care, with nothing but White Tak to respect the space. It was put on so evenly that no one could notice. It looked part of the wall as it was intended to.
Exhibition Images; Crack
One of the best parts of the installation process was learning from the technicians, teachers and the GSA’s. Their experience really helped me to broaden my horizons when it comes to setting up shows and providing innovative solutions to presentation problems. Kate and Mujeeb were constantly challenging me to find the best composition and layout for the works on the wall. Pete was inspiring in devising ways and means of safely getting these sensitive works on the wall in the best possible way. By using a drill and a piece of card, we were able to accurately measure placement of the magnets for the paper works, so that all the magnets were consistently in the same place.
Collaboration
Collaborating with my peers and Sarah before opening, helped me learn skills about exhibition presentation, which I found invaluable. We looked at how to present projectors and other electronics in the neatest possible way. We considered how to tidy up wiring and make spaces neat and professional. On top of this it was just really gratifying to assist the rest of MA Drawing and the other pathways with their own install.
Audience Responses
I had some interesting responses from the audience to my work and I feel it is important to see how the work is reading to people. One person asked about the name of the printing press rubbings, suggesting that although he understood it was about the print room and broadly speaking print room machinery it might have been clearer if I had mentioned that they were specifically presses and perhaps something about their deconstructed nature or touch. I will have to consider in future works how to better contextualise and clarify what the work is about, even within the rather limited framework of nomenclature. Another visitor, who was quite knowledgeable about art, really liked the crack rubbing and encouraged me to go larger with it and try and encompass the whole space to really draw in the viewer.
People broadly did as expect with the rubbings, attracted by the shine of the larger graphite works, they moved into the space to get a closer look. They tried to understand each part and what it all meant, and I hope, formulate each part as an extension of a larger whole. I got a lot of positive feedback, especially from people with a proclivity for printmaking concerning these works and the casts.
Exhibition Feedback: Group Critques
The critiques brought up some interesting questions for me to consider for the future direction of my work. It was suggested to me to think again about the way I display the ink casts and how I might be able to more effectively present them to my audience.
I was also encouraged to play around more with where I might present my future rubbings. Kate suggested to me they might go high up on the wall and that I should be more playful and adventurous in the utilisation of space. I was encouraged to consider relationships between the object and how its presented, for example to experiment with that relationship and the ‘thingness’ I was trying to show. Lastly, I was urged to look again at the relationship between the production of the work and the outcome, thinking about what is absent and present in the work. From this feedback I hope to improve my making process for Copeland. I intend to look more at presentation, as well think more deeply about how I make work.
© 2022 By Tom Harper