Reimagining the Artist-led Bookshop

 

NewBridge Books and Good Press came together within the Ways of Learning exhibition at BALTIC 39 to "reimagine what the future of the artist-led bookshop might be in an age of forever changing reading habits, and unrelenting digital presence.

 

Both independent stores have faced their fair share of challenges over the years. Unlike big chains, NewBridge and Good Press have strived to curate and support unique collections, exposing audiences to a greater variety of titles and self published work." 

NewBridge Books offers a selection of diverse, original and hard-to-find national and international contemporary art publications, fostering critically-engaged creativity in the region by providing both a resource and outlet for artists, writers, critics and researchers. The shop and social space is unique to the North East of England providing a platform for independent publishers and artists who self-publish. NewBridge Books stocks a variety of artists’ books, zines, writing and magazines as well as hosting a programme of regular events and exhibitions related to print culture.

Good Press is a volunteer-run-informal-organisation dedicated to the promotion and distribution of independently published printed matter with a focus on visual arts and writing; occasionally music and artist objects. All of the publications you find in-store and online are either self published or produced by an independent small press, gallery, group or organisation. We always have, and continue to operate an open submission policy. We will only refuse a submission if its content is offensive or harmful to others, or if the publication could otherwise be purchased at a larger scale retailer.

It was fascinating to hear about the origins of both organisations, and the ways that both have developed organically as well as in response to external forces (mostly the need to relocate due to rental agreements ceasing). The imposed change of location has made each organisation think carefully about the role of the bookshop and the aspects that are central to its existence. 

As Rebecca Huggan (Director of The NewBridge Project) reflected on the history of NewBridge Books, I was introduced to some projects that happened before I was in Newcastle, and this has given me ideas for things that could happen there in the future. 

There are currently many NewBridge members that write, use print, make sound, perform and produce publishable material. I am excited about the opportunity to transform NewBridge Books into a space that these activities can take place and the outcomes disseminated to an audience.

Portion Control for sale in NewBridge Books at BALTIC 39

I am pleased to be selling my latest publication, Portion Control, at NewBridge Books, located on the ground floor of BALTIC 39.

Get your copy now for only £5

Delighted to see my publication in NewBridge Books' new location at BALTIC 39

On my recent visit to the MFA exhibition at Northumbria University degree show, I was delighted to see my publication in NewBridge Books' new location at BALTIC 39

Pre-order your limited edition NewBridge Project Community tea towel

The NewBridge Project community tea towels are now being printed and should be with us in about 2 weeks. They will be sold at NewBridge Bookshop at a very reasonable price of £5 each. A limited edition of 100 tea towels will be printed. We expect them to disappear quickly so we are taking orders now. 

If you would like to see a hard copy proof of the tea towel, there are A3 print outs on the tea trolley at NewBridge Books. Please note that the tea towels will be larger that A3.

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If you would like to preorder one or more tea towels, please visit our facebook page and send us a message detailing
1. your name
2. your email address
3. how many tea towels you would like

Alternatively you can pop into the bookshop at NewBridge and ask a member of staff to add you onto the tea towel pre order list.

Once the tea towels have arrived we will then send you an email with collection details. We can post them to you, but will there will be an added postage fee.

Hot Toddy from the Tea Trolley tonight at NewBridge - 6-9pm

Escape from the cold and enter the warmth of NewBridge with a Hot Toddy from our tea trolley and a preview of the Moving on up, Moving on out exhibition.

You will also be able to see a mock up version of the NewBridge community tea towel featuring over 45 drawings of, and by, the NewBridge community, and we'll be taking pre-orders so you can be sure not to miss out on purchasing one of these limited edition artworks. They are currently at the printers, but should be here in about 2 weeks! At a price of £5 per tea towel, you can't go wrong!

It's looking like we will be based in the NewBridge Bookshop so be sure to pop in. Looking forward to seeing you in a few hours. The bookshop will have a studio plan that is part monument, part model and part mind map, designed by studio member David Lisser, which will begin evolving on the launch night, with people and studio members contributing to the structure and web of networks and friendships.

Moving on Up, Moving on Out at NewBridge - Friday 3rd February, 6-9pm

Moving on Up, Moving on Out Launch Event
Friday 3 February, 6-9pm

Join us to celebrate the launch of Moving on Up, Moving on Out, the last ever exhibition launch in the NewBridge Project Space and Bookshop.

The exhibition will be changed and re-curated by artist members throughout the evening, with performances from studio members, including a poetry reading by Greyscale.

We will be serving hot toddies from our tea trolley on the opening night.

The bookshop will have a studio plan that is part monument, part model and part mind map, designed by studio member David Lisser, which will begin evolving on the launch night, with people and studio members contributing to the structure and web of networks and friendships.

http://thenewbridgeproject.com/events/moving-on-up-launch-event/

My contribution to No Niceties exhibition - collages

The 'No Niceties' exhibition featured works by a diverse group of artists, some based in Newcastle and the others from all over the country. They were united by the premise of the exhibition, namely to make a work in response to my recent publication, 'A lot can happen in fifteen minutes'. Some artists responded specifically to one of the texts within the publication, whereas other artists responded to the general themes of the publication.

I wanted to create a work that acted as a summary of the publication, and so I selected a key sentence or phrase from each text. I chose to use letters cut out from magazines to form the words, and then applied them directly to the walls in the gallery.



I scattered the texts around the gallery at varying heights and sometimes specifically positioned a sentence in relation to one of the other works.

My contribution to No Niceties exhibition - spoken word performance

In addition to all the responses from other artists to my publication, 'A lot can happen in 15 minutes', I used the 'No Niceties' exhibition as an opportunity to test out a couple of ideas relating to the text.

Given the success of the spoken word performances at the publication launch, I decided to create another to perform at 'No Niceties'.



My performance was scheduled after Stella's performance, so while everyone was focusing on Stella, my group of performers got into position, spreading out around the perimeter of the room, each facing the wall.

Once Stella's performance had finished, my performers gradually began whispering the phrase 'The ticking clock', a line from one of the texts within 'A lot can happen in fifteen minutes'. After a few minutes an assortment of other single sentences or phrases such as 'Desperately searching', 'You knew what to expect', and 'No explanation', were gradually introduced by all but one of the performers. This single performer repeated 'The ticking clock' throughout the performance, but the other performers varied the lines they were speaking.



As the performers changed the way in which they delivered their lines, increasing in volume and altering their tone, they also slowly moved backwards away from the wall and towards the centre of the room. They ended in a circle, each facing toward the audience with their back to the other performers.

As they neared the end of the performance, they became more softly spoken and returned to delivering the single line, 'The ticking clock'. At the point when there was some regularity and the performers were in tune with each other, I called out "No Niceties," marking the end of the performance.

My thanks go to the wonderful individuals who kindly agreed to perform this work with me.

No Niceties contributing artist - Kathryn Brame

"Absence, loss, time and memory are all key concerns that influence my practice and after reading Helen’s text ‘A lot can happen in fifteen minutes’, it became clear to me there were similarities between our work. I felt that while the texts described a collection of awkward moments, they also portrayed a real sense of loneliness and isolation and of an individual having to deal with each of these scenarios alone. Sections of text such as: “You opened your eyes. Desperately searching for him. He was not there” and “She avoids you. As much as you avoid her” all spoke to me as moments of struggle and frustration with human connection."

"My work has often involved a single figure placed within a void, removing any clear sense of time or context. The space surrounding the subject and in which the work is shown is integral, serving perhaps as a form of protection, a means of heightening the subject’s importance or space for the viewer to add their own narrative. I submitted two pieces of work in response to Helen’s text – the first was a painting of a small figure looking out of the picture plane into the room, possibly searching for something or someone. I thought this work echoed the sense of loneliness I felt emanating from the texts."

"I also showed a very small text piece called ‘Everything will be alright’. This was a line taken directly from the text ‘You stand at the platform’ but was also a line used by Helen in her MFA Degree show sound piece ‘Everything will be alright’. I felt this line summed up the general feeling of all of the texts - that although these awkward and difficult moments have happened, there is still a sense of hope that everything will be alright."

www.kathrynbrame.com

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No Niceties contributing artist - Sofija Sutton

Brooklyn-based artist Sofija Sutton contributed Sweet, Hold the Bitter to the No Niceties exhibition.

She states, "My current art practice explores the use of flash fiction and folklore in video, painting, collage, and multidiscipline installations. I use narratives and visuals to tell layered metaphors for daily, intimate life. The most common themes I address are belonging and mental health. I particularly enjoy using anamorphism with invertebrate references in magical realism to juxtapose the absurd with the mundane.

Each project’s message dictates the materials of my work. Some meanings require text, while others may be communicated with paint alone. Some works benefit from collaboration and some works require learning new technologies. Allowing the meaning of the work to direct the form it takes allows me to be open to new experiences while maintaining the importance of the story’s message."



Sutton shares some of her initial thoughts that led to the end result:

how i wanted one story to go
- how I want the word playful to be associated in my head. not playful but investigative and introspective and innately human. yes.

(I related too closely)
how it went.

I just wanted one sweet hold the bitter end so I could think you have some sweet hold the bitter moments. but thats not really how feelings are felt in hindsight.

in fifteen minutes my tea can go cold.

-flying pill bug baby, roll and pop!
- you settle into your train seat.
- your friends talk a lot about babies and weddings
- you live a different life than them

ticking clock with an empty desk and chair. plain.
toxic colors, acidic or washed out, jarring. initial impression of joy masking the anxiety and compulsion.



For more information about Sofija's practice, please visit

She has also just launched her new illustration website showcasing watercolor and collage illustrations. Check it out!

http://www.fiasutton.com/

No Niceties contributing artist - Ute Kirkwood

Sweet Chin Music 

The outside world has disappeared, a vague memory.

The world has turned into a microcosmos, a bubble in which only the two exist.

Minutes,  hours, days even months they melt. It is all measured now by the grant scheme of things – a life time?

Fingers are rolling the tiniest amount of skin, nails digging in, rolling again looking for a better position, shifting around endlessly.

Breath in, one, two, three. Breath out, one, two, three, four, five.

For more information about Ute's work, please visit
www.utekirkwood.com

No Niceties Contributing Artist - Sarah Grundy

Sarah Grundy is an artist who works regularly with music, text and live performance. Sarah's response to the publication for the exhibition was a song.



Having read the whole publication, "it was the order of texts that I mainly used because it felt to me as if the titles gave a summary of the general feeling of the publication and the words seemed like a starting point for a song, a framework to build on and make it my own. I then started writing the music and thought of a few ideas, but I ended up choosing the music that seemed most different to what I would normally be inclined to make because it put me outside of my comfort zone, which felt in line with the text itself. The atmosphere and feeling of the text therefore was the part that stood out to me, but also the braveness and generosity of the writing. It feels personal whilst bridging the gap with the audience and offers the readers an almost scary moment of honesty and insight. I wanted to try and also offer a similar experience and share something with the people who were at the exhibition."

No Niceties Contributing Artists - Jez Riley French & Pheobe Riley Law

'not much is a lot that can happen in fifteen minutes. its a question of scale & position'

the sound of 15 spaces that fit inside 7.1 x 4.8m

its possible to hear inaction, we don’t listen (really)

in each minute so much is happening     breaking narrative

a story often says ‘here, this happened’
a story doesn’t often say ‘all this happened’

its a matter of scale and position

'not much is a lot that can happen in fifteen minutes. its a question of scale & position'

Jez riley French (b. 1965)

working primarily with sound, photography and video, Jrf is particularly associated with developing extended field recording and listening techniques as a key element of sound art and performance, alongside photographic scores and work involving various other media. His work has been exhibited and performed widely in various countries inc. at Tate Modern & Tate Britain here in the UK.

Pheobe riley Law (b. 1997)

my work explores play, digital folklore, psychogeography, the curated space (physical, audible and psychological) and aspects of nurtured personality - I currently explore with photography, text, video and performance 

No Niceties - Contributing Artist - Susie Davies

"When I first saw Helen’s publication in the Newbridge Bookshop I was really drawn to it, for its beautiful pages of unique background illustration and diagrams. Then, when I learnt of Helen’s call for artists to respond to the book I was even more intrigued. Reading the poems left me thinking about the beauty of the mundane, something I have always tried to point to in my own work.



The book, to me, is a celebration of everyday awkwardness. I was particularly charmed by ‘As planned’, the third text in the collection, in which two characters, who I interpret as parents, pay a visit to the narrator. The pair are so bent on not causing any trouble that they for example drink from their ‘flask of tea... It would save washing up.’ They ‘had bought their own packed lunch’ and refuse any other offer of food. This forced politeness paradoxically makes the meeting increasingly uncomfortable, which escalates up to a peak of unbearable awkwardness as the male character ‘uses the cling film from his sandwich to wrap around the core of his apple and chocolate bar wrapper, and put back in the bag’.



This is a notion which I find subtle and comical, yet makes so clear how the couple are desperate not to be of trouble or even to leave a trace of their presence, rather than just using the narrator’s own bin.



I tried to hint at this tension in my response to Helen’s publication by referencing the mundane, everyday surroundings of the poems such as the ‘potted plants’ in ‘You Knew What to Expect’. I however used sharp, angular shapes to reference the constant strain between characters. My materials played a role in my response- I used thin writing paper combined with perspex, which the viewer peers through, because as a reader I often felt like the spectator spying through a window on these relatable scenes."



Susie Davies has just started studying for a BA Hons in Fine Art at Newcastle University, having completed her foundation year at Camberwell School of Art.

Her previous work has been much inspired by the changing environment of south London - specifically the mysterious sense of history in certain buildings.



More recently she had begun to pay attention to the relationship between language and art, most lately in sculpture-based work.

Her parents both being writers, literature has always played a huge part of her life and in future work she hopes to develop this enriching, sometimes comical presence of words in her art.

No Niceties - Sean Burn - Contributing Artist

can pen

"Sean (Burn) here. Hi, I'm a writer / performer / self-taught artist with active involvement in disability arts. I'm also part of the mad studies north-east collective http://madstudiesne.weebly.com/ Much of my creative work 'reclaims the languages of lunacy' based on my own experience as psychiatric survivor. I write up gallery walls with charcoal, project visuals at night, blank out dictionaries, create poster-trails, stage interventions, distribute alt-banknotes via mail art & am published in zines, pamphlets and online. I even show work more conventionally. My solo exhibition still alone in her voices- inspired by my experiences of psychosis, launched at Broadacre house, Newcastle (thanks to the mental health collective), and now tours until 2020"

Reflecting on my journey and a time for niceties

I begun writing as part of my practice around January this year, and it was a completely new venture. It felt scary to put into words things that have been in my mind for a long time, and I was aprehensive about showing it to anyone. I felt vulnerable. Was it too personal? I did not want to be self-absorbed or self-indulgent. That is not me, and not what I want my work to be. 

When I plucked up courage to share my texts, I was genuinely startled by the impact it had. People responded from the heart. My text spoke to them and they opened up to me. New relationships were formed, and a different level of understanding reached. I was encouraged to produce more and push what I was doing.

Having worked independently on these personal yet universal texts, I thought long and hard about how they should exist for an audience. I wanted to involve a visual element, and produce something visually inviting, almost luring the viewer into a false sense of security. Once I had decided upon creating a publication, I approached the independent publishing house, UnstapledPress. I had been impressed by the work they had done as a relatively new venture, and was interested in their independent art practices. I proposed a new way of working for them, where we would work togther to produce a publication. The texts would remain largely unchanged, except for some slight editing, but we would work together to produce the visuals and form of the book. UnstapledPress were keen, and we began the long, complicated ambitious task of designing and printing a four colour risograph publication.

A couple of weeks ago we launched the publication at NewBridge Books. We worked together to produce a series of collages which were displayed in the bookshop and I performed a number of experimental readings. It was a huge success.

Out of curiosity, and as an attempt to discover more about how people related and reacted to the text, I decided to invite artists, musicians and others to respond creatively to the tests and diagrams in the publication. The results were exhibited last night at the closing event in the PH Space at NewBridge.

Once again I was overwhelmed by the responses. Artists were keen to be involved, and over the period of a couple of weeks I was sent a variety of artworks from a wide range of artists in the UK and abroad. Works included drawings, collages, sculptures, performances, sound and videos.

I would be deceiving you if I said that the process was easy. But then again, the most fulfilling things in life are often the most challenging. With an hour till the opening I found myself at a local printers collecting one of the artists prints to be exhibited. But it all came together in the end and would not have happened without the incredible help from a dedicated group of artists. In the course of 4 hours we managed to install a group of artworks that had not been seen together until that day (I received about half of the works yesterday). 

I want to say a huge thank you to all the artists who contributed their work to the exhibition, the group of artists who dedicated yesterday afternoon to helping with the install of the exhibition, those who helped with the performances, the documenters, those who kindly lent me equipment in order to be able to show the works, Kuba and the team at NewBridge for their support, and UnstapledPress for all their collaborative work on the publication and launch. Without all of you this publication, launch exhibition and closing exhibition would not have happened.

Finally I want to thank the many people who attended the exhibitions and those who have purchased the publication. I hope that you enjoyed the events and that the publication is something you value. 

I will be sharing photographs from the exhibition on my blog shortly, and more information about each of the artists involved. 

The publication can be purchased in NewBridge Books and online 
http://www.unstapledpress.bigcartel.com/product/a-lot-can-happen-in-fifteen-minutes

Please do get in touch if you have any comments about the publication or want further information.

Thank you!

Oh how I love receiving parcels...especially when they contain art!

I've been genuinely moved by the number of wonderful artworks that I have received from artists all over the UK and abroad in response to my recent publication with UnstapledPress, A lot can happen in fifteen minutes.

I have invited artists, writers and musicians to submit creative responses to the text and diagrams in the publication. These artworks will be presented at a closing exhibition event at NewBridge Books / PH Space tonight, Friday 11th November, 6-8pm, with performances at 7pm.

I'm very curious as to what people will create, and am interested in finding out how people connect to the text. 

The list of contributors is impressive, and there is a real range of work that will be exhibited. Over the past couple of weeks I have been receiving parcels, dropbox links, files via WeTransfer, emails with descriptions of performances and messages from artists who will bring their work on Friday afternoon.

I sometimes find that people are reluctant to talk about the art at openings, but I want to create a situation whereby people are encouraged to discuss the works. One way in which I have tried to do this is to invite the contributors to the gallery on Friday afternoon to help co-curate the exhibition, and for us to have some discussion about how people arrived at the artwork that they made. I have an inclination that people will be more open to talk about the work if they have spent time with it, and developed an understanding of the work. It would seem reasonable to believe that, in order to make a meaningful artwork in response, the contributors have put considerable thought into how they are to respond to the publication. I hope that the act of curating the exhibition together, we discuss some of these thoughts and ideas.

No Niceties - Friday 11th November 2016, 6-8pm, PH Space, 2nd Floor, NewBridge Studios, Newcastle

No Niceties

A lot can happen in fifteen minutes Closing Event

Friday 11th November 2016, 6-8pm

Performances at 7pm

PH Space, 2nd Floor, NewBridge Studios and NewBridge Books

14 New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AW

Life moves faster than people. There are times when just being can leave a person completely bewildered.

Feelings of disorientation, isolation and social anxiety lie at the heart of ‘A lot can happen in fifteen minutes’.

A collaboration between artist Helen Shaddock and the independent publishing house UnstapledPress, the risograph publication features a selection of Shaddock’s humorous texts and sketches alongside playful and colourful patterns and diagrams. Shaddock’s wistfully penned vignettes invite meditation on relationships, personal history, habits and the awkward mundane. Everything has come feet over handlebars. You have lost your balance.

For this closing event, Helen Shaddock has invited artists, writers and musicians to submit creative responses to the text and diagrams in the publication. 

Contributors include: Gary Bolam, Kathryn Brame, Sean Burn, Susie Davies, Stella Dixon, Jez Riley French & Pheobe Law, Sarah Grundy, Ute Kirkwood, Edwin Li, Rosie O'Grady, Fang Qi, Sabina Sallis, Helen Shaddock, David Sherry, Cecilia Stenbon, Kate Stobbart, Sofija Sutton & Holly Wheeler

These artworks will be presented in the PH Space on Friday 11th November. Collaborative artwork and the publication will be in NewBridge Books.