Engraving Curator's Log

The curator is seldom seen but sees to it that the living prints' records are correct and rules followed.

9710100912

What he handed me to do was not about engraving! I am a curator of engraving, not photography. I would have protested, but the photos were--I admit--pretty interesting. Also, he doesn't seem to remember, but this is the anniversary of my first log entry where his work is concerned.

Then he said, "Throw those away. They'll just get me in trouble. You wouldn't want to be an accomplice to a copyright infringement lawsuit, would you?" and he laughed. They were photographs of video art, I learned later on, but they were not by him.

Then he gave me his to paste in their place. "Those are vintage cover sheets," he said, "use them up," and he laughed again and went away. It seemed a shame to throw away the photos and keep the wrappers. Some artist, somewhere, probably wonders what ever happened to their photos. Probably cost a lot.

9704211128

As we went into the exercise room I knew immediately it was Spanish. The music was conjunto, the TVs were running English subtitles and, of course, when I jacked my headphones in to the stairmaster console, Spanish lessons!

9611071310

I came in and he was standing there, a waste-basket on the counter, sorting through papers. He seemed agitated, so I didn't say anything. He was flipping though a thick stack of what looked like invoices and receipts. Then he said, "Ha! I found it," and he seemed pleased. I ventured, "What is it?"

"The receipt from the Seattle Art Museum for a print they bought six years ago. It was the only way I could tell Lois the impression number for the book she's writing. I threw all this stuff out two weeks ago but I hadn't emptied the garbage."

I asked him if his curator's records didn't show it, and he just grinned a little sheepishly. "I curated myself until you came along, sweetie." I didn't like being called that, but I don't think he was being condescending toward me. I think he was just pleased to be able to give Lois what she needed for her book.

9610310945

Something came up in a hurry and he asked me to put the third trial proof on line. I reminded him the slides I made didn't include that one any more because the publisher took it to send to Lois.

"Use the video camera," he said. I told him I could go to the cyber tavern, The Virtual Commons, and use their scanner. He reminded me the print was too big for the scanner's flatbed and it wasn't worth the trouble to restore it in halves. "Just use the video camera," he said. I think he didn't want a hi-res image on the web, anyway.

I wonder what the big hurry was about. He hung around and made notes while I did it, and a drawing of the way I laid out the camera, power sources, monitors and stuff. I wonder if he has a show coming up. The image came out about the way I expected it to--kinda fuzzy and you can't see any details. When I showed him he said, "That'll do."

In Association with Amazon.com Bill's print, "Canceled Artist's Last Loveletter," P. 155

Left: The curator's sketchy image of the third trial proof of "Canceled Artist's Last Love Letter" was made with a video camera. Contemporary Printmaking in the Northwest by Lois Allan

9610181408

At last he said I could start curating the new trial proofs--the "Canceled Artist's Last Love Letter." Was I in for it! He'd stuck an envelope in the first one. What's going on here? He just said he's tell me what I needed to know. He was busy writing something he said an author had asked him for. He's going to be in a book.

9610160948

He was bent over the work table tearing a print. I recognized it as one of the "Jagged Doors" series--the lithograph he'd done with another printer named Dwight, I think. I saw a piece with his signature and "AP" indicated. This was an artist's proof. He looked up and grinned.

I said, "Are you destroying your artist's proofs?" He responded, "I could never destroy them. I plan to recycle them," and he laughed. "Do you think you could find me a big garbage bag--?" Then he changed his mind, "No, I've got a better idea--let's plan to make a cloth bag, then we can recycle the bag, too!" and he went on tearing the print in narrow strips. "Let's keep our eyes open for an understanding paper-maker," he said, to himself, I think, not me. Do I know any paper makers? I've got to think.

9610150854

He offered me a cup of coffee. I said yes. He seemed to be in a hospitable mood and just listened while I talked and he made the coffee. I was excited about my day, about my whole week at school. I told him what Pat had said, that sometimes a student could find a mentor--not just a teacher, but someone they could talk to all during their school years. Sometimes they'd even become friends, and even be invited to dinner. He was quiet. Later he showed me how he wanted his paper to be torn on the edges. "It's kinda fakey," he said. But we'd do it that way, anyhow, he said.

9610100845

He hadn't done much when I came in to log his prints. I noticed he had left his burin on the counter. The water pan and stone were still wet, so he must have stepped out just before I came in. I couldn't resist but to check the burin; there was even a magnifier right by the burin. I was impressed! The burin, a Ramelson B, showed the neat spiral almost dead-center on its face. He'd been using the King Stone. The two faces of the long sides were polished, too, which means he wipes the burr off, too. Maybe this artist knows more about engraving than people might think.

	Artist's Diary	The artist provides the vision and imagery of the living print, laboring after the compelling image.
	Printer's Notes	The printer performs many tasks to keep prints alive, crafting and designing solutions to problems the artist, curator and publisher propose.
	Publisher's Journal	The publisher produces the bases for living prints by supporting all the players and keeping communications clear and on course.
	Professor's Papers	The professor explains the living print, the history of printmaking, and keeps the academic community informed.