Merry Christmas - Thank You Mercedes-Benz!

    

   

So here it is..... my commission for Mercedes-Benz, literally just finished and launched yesterday afternoon on MB! Magazine. It was a great project, where I worked with the amazing Lucid-Ly and MB crew on a bespoke project around the new A-Class AMG Sport based here in London. We travelled around to five different locations, all of which are inspirational for me and worked with a photographer to produce new material that I could re-use for collages. A very different take from my normal source material as I art directed the photographer to produce certain imagery I wanted to use!

A great project, resulting in a exciting and fun shoot last week, check out the article here: 

http://www5.mercedes-benz.com/en/zeitgeist/london-from-a-different-angle-melinda-gibson-a-class/

http://mb.mercedes-benz.com/en/article/4371/London+From+a+Different+Angle

After all this excitement, its time for a rest, so I bid you farewell and to have a very happy, joyful and Merry Christmas and look forward to new and exciting times in 2013...... and there is already something wonderful planned, where I am off to Beijing!!!!

Photo-eye Best Books of 2012

I have great pleasure announcing that my first book, "The Photograph as Contemporary Art" has been selected by Tom Claxton and Erik Kessels in Photo-eye's Best Books of 2012!

Tom Claxton writes, "Gibson's debut title intricately culls the pages of curator Charlotte Cotton's (2004) seminal book of the same name. The resulting re-appropriated photo-collages challenge our understanding of the original work and their canonization in photo history- a wonderfully smart, thoughtful and beautifully constructed object."

And Erik Kessels, "Every single one of these books were put together by hand and took about 3 hours to be finished. The photographic collage work of Gibson is very well expressed in this book full of stickers."

See more of the Best Books of 2012 here; http://www.photoeye.com/magazine_admin/index.cfm/bestbooks.2012

It Fashion Feature

While of this Farfetch promotion has been going on, I forgot to mention that I found a great article about my handmade books in this beautiful online magazine from Barcelona! Available in both Spanish and English the site is great and well worth a visit.

The feature talks through my handmade books and here is a little taster, 

"Around a year ago, photographer Joan Fontcuberta wrote at Babelia, El País’ literary supplement: “We’re witnessing a photobook boom. […] And all this takes place while bad omens predict both the end of printed paper and the death of photography.”

Firecracker’s October’s featured photographer, former assistant to Martin Parr or Wolfgang Tilmans and FOAM Magazine photography prize winner Melinda Gibson, seems to be determined to fight both of them: during the last Unseen fair, a brand new event for professionals and photography lovers which takes place in Amsterdam, created live a photobook –yes, a photography book, and yes, on printed paper– with the images of her project “The Photograph as Contemporary Art”.

Melinda Gibson seems to be determined to fight the end of printed paper and the death of photography."

Read more here: http://itfashion.com/en/culture/frames-en/melinda-gibson-y-sus-fotolibros-diy/

Planet Notion Feature

To follow on with the promotion surrounding Farfetch's commissions, while we were filming I got interviewed by Planet Notion Magazine. It was a great, little informal interview about my collaboration with Farfetch, talking more depth about the visuals behind the design and my thoughts surrounding Christmas as a whole, with reference to my medium Photography.

Here's a little exert from the lovely article, "Here at Notion, we got to visit the studio of Melinda Gibson. Having studied photography at London College of Communication, Melinda focuses on the way we see and look at things- namely within photography. Always working by hand, Melinda cuts out vital sections of photographs to see how this impacts our understanding of the image. 

PN: So what’s this piece about for you?                                                        MG: It’s about Christmas, but not in an obvious shiny and glittery way.

PN: Can you take us through it?                                                                      MG: Sure. I got all the images from old vintage magazines, and this first image, (middle top) is an image that I burnt with a candle, and behind it is from a selection of Christmas children’s toys, and then part of those images have been removed and replaced with a red backing- because it is Christmas after all.

The second image (left B&W) is from a Christmas festivity, in a pub setting with a couple having a drink. I removed their faces and replaced the mans face space with Christmas themed text, and the woman’s with an ink drawing which I traced from a 1950’s magazine of a traditional Christmas plant, which is also used in the man’s jackets.

The third image is of a boy, where I removed the face and hands and replaced them with wintery themed trees…"

See more here: http://www.planetnotion.com/2012/11/28/unwrap-christmas-with-farfetch-com/

Christmas Wrapping Paper Launched Today on Farfetch.com

So today is a very exciting day as my Christmas Wrapping Paper project for Farfetch.com goes live on their site! The paper I created forms the sidebars of the website with an exclusive feature on the project we worked on over the past few months. There is a great little film about my process and me making the work!

The feature includes personal pictures of my family at Christmas inter-mixed with pieces from current and older bodies of work. With texts stating, "Fashions favourite collages..." and "Melinda's work has graced the likes of AnOther Magazine, Harpers Bazaar, Maire Claire, Nowness and FOAM..." the feature is fantastic and being in the mix with other incredible artists like Meadham Kirchhoff, Margot Bowman and Gary Card this is just a wonderful festive project!

See more here: http://www.farfetch.com/ 

Wallpaper* iPad App

On Saturday 24th November saw my new book The Photograph as Contemporary Art featured as a Case Study on the Wallpaper* App. Using photomontage XIV as the main image, the featured stated, 

"The Photograph as Contemporary Art' by Melinda Gibson, has been a project in the making for nearly 2 years. Working with Dutch design studio Kummer & Herrman, she took the iconic book of the same name by Charlotte Cotton as her raw material, to construct around 30 unique photo-montages, which have sparked photographic debate....."

Download the free wallpaper app to read and see more here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/wallpaper*-case-studies/id408888024?mt=8

To order you copy of the book email studio.melindajgibson@gmail.com

Filming Debut

So today saw my filming debut, with a bright and early start to make use of the sunny morning! The filming was part of additional press and publicity around a commission I completed for a Christmas Campaign for an iterative Fashion company.

We had a great little team, an amazing film crew that were super quick and really produced some incredible imagery, I just can't wait to see the final edited film, I think it's going to be very beautiful and tactile that really explains visually how I work and my rather labour intensive process. 

While this was going on in the studio today, I was also interviewed by both my client but also got interviewed by a lovely lady from a very interesting Online Magazine about the commission, which will run later this month, very exciting times indeed.

I will keep you posted with all news relating to this commission as it gets released very soon indeed.

MC Motors, Wrapping Paper, Daido, Photoshoots

Wow, what a week! It started off last Friday and its been all go since then. Firstly a little dinner trip to MC Motors in Dalston to have an extraordinary dinner hosted by Jose Cuervo Traditional Tequila with the Art of Dining. It was an amazing venue that was beautifully designed by one of the team from AOD and we eat great food and drank rather too much beer and Tequila! 

Then onto a weekend packed of commission making and a surprise invitation to the Tate on Sunday to see Daido Moriyama make his new book live in the East Room, with wonderful views over the Thames. What an event it was, he had live silk screen printers making 2 versions of the cover, a wall covered head to toe in images that you yourself could order into sequence for your very own book! And a fare few people putting the books together in 30 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the book making and taking a break from that of my own to witness and be part of another fabulous idea by the great Daido Moriyama. The book is truly wonderful and it was an honor to be there, seeing it be made.

Then onto a Photo-shoot for an editorial piece about my new book in Material Girl coming out soon for the Fall issue. Great shoot with a lovely photographer called Marie Zucker taking my portrait. What a week and the next are coming thick and fast and with much of the same.

More commission news coming soon...

Feature on Firecracker

As we come into October, Firecracker feature my new book for this month, here is a little except from the feature.

"The appropriation of iconic photographs by Cindy Sherman, Corinne Day and Juergen Teller feature in a new conceptual photography book by British artist Melinda Gibson. The project, originally inspired by the book by the same name from international curator Charlotte Cotton, Gibson has trasformed her collages in a unique book collaboration with Dutch design duo Kummer & Herrman. 

Gibson's new book features the rearrangement of images from familiar photographs to create multilayered compositions. Each series of collages and accompanying texts have been printed as stickers, which Gibson then fixes into a unique book by hand. Every editions takes the artist up to three hours to complete, and is numbered with the exact time and date of completion. Amsterdam’s much-anticipated Unseen Photo Fair recently played host to a live performance based launch of the book which involved Gibson showcasing this labour of love by constructing one live." 

 See here: http://www.fire-cracker.org/#/feature/4569354214

Order the books now from studio.melindajgibson@gmail.com

Back to share the stories

So I am back after quite a long time away and what an amazing set of events unraveled themselves along the way. Firstly, Unseen in Amsterdam and what a truly great new photo fair that certainly did have that festival flair! The space was an old gas works, which meant that all the galleries were given a slice of the circle. The opening was a great night, with all the Dutch locals out in style including Viktor & Rolf. The fair seemed to be a great success and I highly recommend attending next year.

Now, my first Book Launch in Tegenbochvanvreden Gallerie was a real success, many people turned up to see 1 book being made in front of their eyes and with a lovely introduction to the work by one of the directors, we all sipped sparkling wine and had a great night!

Then onto the following day where I spoke at Unseen Speakers Corner, part of the new Foam Talent Launch, (although I was a winner in 2010) with Marcel Feil. It was a very interesting talk, talking amongst the new winners about their work and what Photography meant to all of us.

Then onto a Master's Dinner were we enjoyed a fantastic meal, plenty of wine and much talk about Photography then onwards to the party, which was very funny and very enjoyable, a great 5 days, then en route to France!

http://www.tegenboschvanvreden.com/exhibitions/current/

http://unseenamsterdam.com/

Performative Book Launch - Thursday 20th at 20:00 at tegenboschvanreden gallerie in Amsterdam

So it has finally arrived! My very first publication is complete, so to celebrate, you are all welcome to the performative book launch on Thursday 20th at 20:00 at tegenboschevanreden gallerie in Amsterdam, a short bike ride from all the major venues of UNSEEN Photo Fair.

The launch will showcase the new publication, alongside this I will be making one book live in the gallery, hand placing all 66 stickers, placing the dust-jackets on and finalising a Special Edition Boxed book.

For sales enquiries please contact studio.melindajgibson@gmail.com

NOWNESS

Melinda Gibson: Unseen

Cut-Out Collages Using Wolfgang Tillmans and  Nan                                                             Goldin Debut at Amsterdam’s New Photo Fair

Dismembered photographs by luminaries such as Cindy Sherman, Corinne Day and Juergen Teller feature in rising photo-artist Melinda Gibson’s new series of visual remixes. Sourcing her material from curator Charlotte Cotton’s book The Photograph as Contemporary Art, Gibson cut up and rearranged images from some of photography's greatest figures into multilayered compositions to explore the circulation and canonization of iconic images. “When working with such profound imagery, cutting into them isn’t any easy task,” admits Gibson, who has been commissioned by Yohji Yamamoto to create a series remixing its entire archive for the 40th anniversary of Y's. “But what you gain is a greater understanding of how these images were composed and why they have become so prominent.” In collaboration with design studio Kummer & Herrman, Gibson has turned the project into a conceptual book project. Uniquely, the series of collages and their accompanying text have been printed as stickers, which Gibson then fixes into the book by hand. Each of the editions takes the artist around three hours to complete, and is numbered with the exact time and date of completion. The first edition of Amsterdam’s much-anticipated Unseen Photo Fair will play host to a performance-led launch of the new book with Gibson laying bare the painstaking process by constructing one live.

Tags:

 

Photography , 

Art , 

Books , 

Yohji Yamamoto , 

Cindy Sherman , 

Amsterdam , 

Nan Goldin , 

Juergen Teller , 

Corinne Day , 

Melinda Gibson , 

Unseen Photo Fair , 

Charlotte Cotton , 

Wolfgang Tillsmans , 

The Photograph as Contemporary Art , 

Kummer & Herrman , 

Y's

Amazing article on NOWNESS.com about my new book "The Photograph as Contemporary Art". Book Launch information to follow later today.

HCP Exhibition Opens Tonight

Tonight is the opening of my new exhibition "In Appropriation"at the HCP, (Houston Centre of Photography) in Texas. Alas, I can not attend as I am stuck to my book, sticking away, but if you are around please head over tonight as the curator will be present and from what I hear across the water, the show looks incredible, installation shots to follow.

In the meantime, I will update you on all things book related, as I confirm the last details of the book launch which will be in Amsterdam first then onto London. Keep looking for updates as I post more about the performative launch taking place over Unseen Photo Fair.

13,200 stickers, 200 books Arrived!

Oh my god they have arrived!!!!! I can't really say more other than I better get sticking. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and had such patience with this project, now it's my time and patience thats needed..... Let's get sticking!

In Appropriation

New Show opens next Friday 7th September in Houston, Texas at the HCP. Curated by Aaron Schuman, who also has written the foreword to my book has a curated this exhibition which includes just 5 photographers; Broomberg & Chanarin, Seba Kurtis, Esther Teichmann and Michael Wolf.

In Appropriation’ presents a selection of contemporary photographers who directly instigate strikingly new photographic work through the appropriation of pre-existing imagery – whether it be found, historical, canonical, personal, archival or otherwise. 

‘Appropriation’ has been an important conceptual strategy within the visual arts for nearly a century.  But in the case of the artists presented here, this act is not purely a matter of taking an image from one context – be it history, advertising, or the vernacular – and placing it within another: that of the gallery, the museum, ‘fine art’.  Instead, these photographers are carefully examining, incorporating, and then transforming – or riffing off of –such pictures in an effective, engaging, and incredibly original manner.  

Within the digital age, photography’s past and present (and in a sense, its future) have collapsed and merged, and at the same time have been revealed to be seemingly infinite and ever-growing.  This exhibition represents a new generation of practitioners who are harnessing the power of this collective mass of imagery, and are using it to instigate and inspire brave new forms of critical inquiry, creative experimentation, political engagement and personal expression.

Read more here: http://hcponline.org/gallery.asp?pageid=12&galid=1597

On The Printing Press

So, its all go! Last Wednesday I flew to Amsterdam to head over to my printers Robstolk in central Amsterdam. I was collected by Jacqueline at the airport and we arrived in the early morning to a wealth of printing activity. The black and white plates for the interior book sheets had already been on and all the material was waiting my approval on palettes. 

After the final approval of the text pieces, the full colour plates where put onto the printing press and sticker production started! It was an incredible day, working with the printers to colour balance all the pieces and see the printing press in action - what an amazing machine. 

The images above are just a little insight into what the printing press looked like and the stunning objects that were positioned around the studio, that I just had to record. I have made a small film about the entire process, which I will upload as soon as it has been finalised.

Until then, the books arrive in 2 days time with 13,200 stickers to stick into each! I will update you as soon as they have arrived.

The Tanks & Hirst

So in between all meetings in Amsterdam with my book designers, proofing and signing off everything book related, I managed to get to the Tate Modern to take a look at the new exhibition spaces, "The Tanks" and of course the Damien Hirst exhibition. Well what can I say, if you haven't been to the Tate recently it is an absolute must. The new space is incredible, it was very reminiscent to the Palais du Tokyo in Paris, with the raw, untreated concrete walls and bold architectural shapes creating new and interesting little spaces within spaces in the galleries. I was completely excited by this new area and with many films playing, the light was beautiful.

Then it was off to see the Retrospective of Damien Hirst. I have always liked the work of Hirst, but found myself less interested, excited in the last few years, until now. The show was very strong and really altered, (in some ways brought me back to my early thoughts) on his practice. It was great to see the 80's early sculptures, bold coloured boxes and spot paintings, then onto the cow's head and flies installation piece, which was fascinatingly interesting, literally watching a passage of time where life and death coexist with of one another so overtly. My favourite room however, was the Butterfly room, where you walk into a humidified room, filled with Butterfly lava and stunning live, flying butterflies than land on the canvases against the walls and onto the audience if you stand there long enough - I was there with a beautiful petrol blue butterfly on my arm - amazing experience. Such a special idea, but what an effect it has on you as you watch life and death and the beauty both produce. The show finishes in early September so if you haven't been yet it is worth a trip.

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tanks-tate-modern/eventseries/tanks-art-action

One Of The Most Exciting And Insane Books

So the last meeting happened and wow what a concluding meeting it was. One of my designers said "It's one of the most exciting and insane books I've ever worked on." So with that in mind I can now say that the entire book is going to be made from Stickers! 

With 33 images each one with their textual counterparts, that's 66 stickers to place into one book, so its going to take sometime. Every one is going to be handmade and above is a sneaky peak of the final layouts and design, including the Special Edition packaging, although this will be a little different, so those of you that have pre ordered this will have a lovely surprise when you get it!

Next stage is the printing, so I will be heading off to Robstolk in Amsterdam city centre in the next few weeks to see the printing press in action, I am very excited about this and will be working on a making off video too of the entire production.

Until then.....

Wynton Marsalis' Swing Symphony

So as my book is well on the way, I decided to take a well earned break and head to the Barbican for the fourth time this year to see the LSO play. But this time a little something different - Wynton Marsalis' Swing Symphony! All I can say is what an extraordinary, beautiful, inspiring thing to see!

It was like sitting and listening to the best Jazz that you have ever heard, mixed together with the complexity of the Orchestral sounds and visionary experience. The atmosphere was great, people dancing in their seats and a real sense of excitement and anticipation on every string strung and every trumpet blown. Wynton, a true genius was incredible and at times it felt as if we were all in an old New Orleans bar, sipping Bourbon.

What a pleasure, and it has given me some new ideas too. Something to top the Olympics - easy!

See more from Wynton Marsalis here: http://wyntonmarsalis.org/

Book Production Starts!

So it starts! The design has been confirmed and now onto production. My book is now underway and all files are being treated, prepared for the printers. The textual pieces are proving more complex than anticipated, but producing a book of this kind, the production side was always going to be complicated.

Foreword and concluding texts have been written and by two people, who can only be described as perfectly matched to this project and I am honored to have them onboard. A little sneaky peak of the texts follows.

"Having liberated these photographs from the conceptual and commercial confines of ‘Contemporary Art’ – the context within which they were admittedly born, flourished, and in many cases, for which they were precisely intended – and by melding, merging, and re-engaging with them in her own unique way, Gibson allows them to cross a particularly poignant threshold, into a more unmitigated and arguably more suitable realm: that of Photography itself."

"I think Melinda’s collages work brilliantly, much better than anything I could write, at showing how art photography as a subject is full of contradictions and visual pleasures."

It’s very exciting and within the next 2.5 months, they will be ready to be sold!

More updates on the production as and when it happens.

Commission News

So, I realised once again that I have not posted for a while and wanted to ensure you that I am now back! Arles was a good little trip away, a great exhibition by Sophie Calle was my highlight, but I will post some images of her show later.

Firstly, as I am in the middle of this, my very exciting and quite unbelievable commission for one of my most and my sisters, as well as my dear friend Trushar's favourite fashion designers, I had to share a little of the process! I can't show you the actual pieces yet, but its only a few weeks to wait until I can share all the news! All I can say is it an absolute pleasure working on this and with so much amazing material sourced from the team in Paris, the new collages are looking great.

More news to share soon, I promise!

ACP 30th June 2012

So the tour is at it's final stop, the Australian Centre For Photography in Sydney. The work has toured around Australia, from Perth, to Brisbane to the ACP. It has been great to be involved and get the work seen in new places. The ACP show opens on 30th June and runs until the 19th August, alas I will not be attending the opening, but will be on my way to the South of France for a well earned break and a few glasses of Chablis I am sure! I will post installation shots as and when I get them.

To see more, look here: http://tmp.acp.org.au/future/index.php#hijacked_3   

Time Flies By

So, I realised that I haven't been posting for a while, apologies for that! But time does really fly when you are having fun it would seem - nearly a month in fact! Well much has been going on personally as well as work wise hence my lack of posts. 

Firstly I must congratulate my sister and her husband who are now newly weds as of Sunday 3rd June! It was a truly magical day and we all had an amazing time, so thank you very much - very proud of both you, Nick (Brother-in-law) welcome to the family. As you can imagine, the wedding kept me busy!

After all that excitement, over the Jubilee Weekend, I came back to work at my old university, teaching and lecturing for a day at London College of Communication. It was great to be back to talk to the students and see their degree show, with many experimental ideas and much collage - very nice to see indeed!

Now onto other very exciting news, I have been commissioned to produce some new work for what can only be described as one of the most innovative, experimental Fashion Designers and I am so excited, words can't really explain. Unfortunately until next month I must keep it all under wraps but as soon as I can share I will! I will keep you posted with ideas and thoughts about this when I can.

Until then, try not to get saddened by the grey, rainy London weather and I will post soon.

Visual Library - Photomonth Krakow

"We have created a visual library because we like reading books. It is they that for us are a continual source of all ideas and an inspiration for new projects. We love the adventure that goes with communing with a book, the pleasure that comes from discovering the latest titles. We are drawn in by the book’s physicality, graphic layout, scent and the sound of leafing through pages. 

Books have accompanied us relentlessly throughout the work on the concept of the exhibition. Photography in Everyday Life is the title of a handbook written by Mikołaj Iliński and Jan Raczyński unearthed at a stall by Krakow’s Market Hall. Charlotte Cotton, the founder of the project, suggested persuading artists and publishers we know to help to create the library. We asked them to send us a book chosen by them with a dedication on the first page. We wish you happy reading."

So Charlotte got in contact and off I sent my chosen book to Poland last week.... no surprises really what I choose! Here is a small exert of what my dedication was;

"From canonisation, digestion, mass consumption to participation every layer has been examined and no book could do this better. Read it, hold it, feel it, make of it what you will, but keep the journey going." Melinda Gibson 10/05/12

It's the 10th Jubilee Edition of Photomonth Krakow and they really have got some amazing things going on so if you can get over please go and see what they are doing, it really is a very exciting Photography Festival. Unfortunately I can't attend this year but know it will be a great success, thank you Charlotte!

See here: http://www.photomonth.com/index.php/en/page/331/visual-library.html   

New Elements - Nearly Finalised

So my meeting with my book designers, Kummer & Herrman went very well and we really managed to get so many elements finalised and now have a production schedule in place, meaning my forthcoming publication "The Photograph as Contemporary Art" is going to be launched in the next 4 months!

The production run will be small and everyone will now be handmade by me personally (with a little help.) Each page is going to be precisely and patiently stuck down, with 33 images and 33 textual pieces this is going to be quite a production line to set up, I am sure I will have to rally up the troops, to get them all lined up straight and in time for the launch later in the year!

The Special Edition element is looking fantastic, with only 33 made, each one will be signed, dated and put together in a particular way (it's still a secret so will let you all know very, very soon) and boxed up.

I am very excited indeed and will be sure to show you the process as and when it is happening. Until then, here are some visuals of what we are planning so far.

Foam, Film and Food

It's been a long time since I last had some time to blog and there are many exciting things going on! Firstly, a little trip off to Amsterdam to have some meetings,  off to Utrecht to see my book designers and finalise the details of my forthcoming publication, which is slowly coming together but it very well worth the wait! Then Foam Photography Museum and onto the new Film centre across from Amsterdam city to have a lovely lunch with Hans, Adrian, David and Jaap - thank you all very much for a lovely trip.