digital surface

Within the field of digital print, the surface is often the last issue to be considered in contrast to traditional print technology where the surface is negotiated throughout production. This projects aims to question this position and to assess, if, a personalised surface can be negotiated. The surface will be considered in the context of ‘printed’ outputs and the expanded role of the screen/monitor as the site for the artwork itself.

The project, which will start in May 2007 and run for two years, is led by Professor Paul Coldwell and Dr Barbara Rauch and is contribution to the research project FADE (Fine Art Digital Environment: Surface-Layering-Memory). FADE is one of the projects within ICFAR (International Centre for Fine Art Research www.icfar.co.uk) University of the Arts London.

The project will create a forum for the interrogation of the issue of surface within fine art digital printmaking, bringing together agencies from art & design education, studio practice, museums, print publishing and industry. Through this sharing of knowledge, we hope to expand understanding of the position of digital print within contemporary fine art practice and whether this constitutes a continuing tradition or a fracture.

A selection of artists representing very different approaches, both practical and philosophical, will be invited to provide a range of case studies, which test the research question in the studio environment. The surface will also be considered at the point where digital data is first acquired. Through the experimental use of both flat bed and 3D scanners, ways will be experimented with to bring surface information into the artwork. The project will benefit from a dialogue with research and expertise in the field of 3D scanning and haptics at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London.

The concept of layering is fundamental to the research question. While layering in traditional practice is directly connected to the construction of a surface that holds physical layers of ink, within digital print, layering is a virtual conceit and while most graphic software packages (such as Illustrator, Photoshop) are predicated on this notion, the final print presents a uniform even surface.

Digital technology allows for a history to be recorded of the stage-by-stage changes in the development of an image. The project will exploit this aspect to provide rare evidence of the creative decision making process. While there have been opportunities within traditional print practice to view selected stages and the gradual refinement of a print, digital software offers an unobtrusive continuous record of decisions and changes. This can provide insights not only to the artist’s creative practice, but also to the way artists interact with technology.

The project will be conducted within the research group FADE (Fine Art Digital Environment: Surface Layering Memory) a collaboration between Camberwell and Chelsea Colleges of Art, University of the Arts London. FADE, (previously known as The Integration of Computers within Fine Art Practice) has been a key player in the debate on the role of the digital within fine art practice. Exhibitions have included Computers & Printmaking, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Digital Responses, a year of installations at the V&A, and have been important in bringing these issues to a wider audience. FADE has sought to place studio practice at the centre of its research and has consequently disseminated knowledge through both accepted research channels (conferences, papers, journals), as well through the artist’s professional activity, (solo and group exhibitions) and the location of artworks as expressions of research within leading national and international public collections. In keeping with this approach, the research will be disseminated through symposia, college research forums, exhibitions, research papers, and through a final conference.

The AHRC funds postgraduate training and research in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. The quality and range of research supported not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. For further information on the AHRC, please see www.ahrc.ac.uk.

Supported by AHRC.