Fail to Succeed,The Rebel(s)Graphic Collection
Our interest in ephemeral printed material was heightened when we worked with the NIVAL Collection in Dublin (1) exploring and responding to the wealth of printed posters, flyers exhibition invites and other materials in their collection to develop the touring exhibition Unfolding the Archive.(2)
Our latest artists book/project is based on the 1961 film ‘The Rebel’, starring Tony Hancock and uses absurdist humour to investigate questions of critical importance to contemporary art. For the launch at the Small Publishers Fair in 2017, we created a poster to distribute and give away for promotional purposes. This poster was the first in a series which we have made for every subsequent event in 2018. The posters explore the same themes as the book; ideas about rebellion and authenticity and are designed to be awkward objects which disrupt accepted notions of value.
They have within them a number of contradictions; they are hand printed lithographs – but they are on cheap lining paper, they are hand drawn, but are put together with photoshop, they are genuine artworks – yet we often distribute them for free. Curiously, these ephemeral objects have become the most sort after and successful part of the wider The Rebel(s) project.
Lithographs historically were used for posters and revolutionised the distribution of information in Paris in 19th Century, but have since become an exclusive fine art medium. We have chosen to use this archaic medium to make what could be deluxe objects to either give away for free, or sell at a very low price.
Our set of nine Lithographs collectively entitled ‘Fail to Succeed, The Rebel(s) Graphic collection’, explore the implications of these contradictions in greater depth. The collection will be launched at The Sheffield Artists Book Fair, 5th October 2019.
Glenn Holman and Andy Parsons 2019
(1) https://www.floatingworldbooks.com/about/ (2) In 2015 Floating World presented ‘Unfolding The Archive’, large scale exhibitions at the NCAD Gallery in Dublin and the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio in Bannbridge Co. Down. The exhibition was curated by Donna Romano, Librarian at NCAD and Dr. Riann Coulter, Curator of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio. A further iteration of the project was presented at Bank Street Arts in Sheffield in 2016.
Floating World’s presentation of Fail to Succeed,The Rebel(s) Graphic Collection, at the Sheffield Artists Book Fair has been kindly supported by:
