About this project
In October 2010 I was invited to Paris for an artist residency at l'entreprise culturelle. Out of that residency came DAMP PATCHES - which is a new collection of work I developed into an artist book that mixes my collage work with photography and drawing. The title of the book comes from the loose translation of a deodorant ad from the French fashion magazine Votre Beaute (1973): Prisonnière des taches d'humidité sous les bras. - A prisoner of damp patches.
I like working with collage because I enjoy using original source materials such as found photographs, fashion magazine ads, and bits and pieces that I find on the street or in the trash, and the hands-on experience of working with paper, glue, scissors and thread. It feels increasingly relevant to use a hands-on approach as many other parts of my life are being swallowed by the digital world.
I use collage as my primary medium because I feel it is the best way for me to combine images and explore various concepts that interest me the most, such as; the complex dynamics of intimate relationships, female empowerment, and the anonymity of urban life. I am dedicated to my original source materials which tend to restrict the final size of my work, but in that way they become more precious and intimate for the viewer, DAMP PATCHES has challenged my continuing understanding of what collage can become.
The idea of creating a book surrounding the project came together when I was speaking to my colleague and friend, Eduardo Serafim about DAMP PATCHES. Eduardo co-founded AML-Press in February 2011, and suggested that AML print the book with their newly acquired Risograph printer; a machine part Xerox copier, part offset press which has the quality of a silkscreen.
The Risograph machine was not initially intended for artist books or printed projects but rather for high volume commercial use. I loved the idea of using the Riso because the quality and texture of the images produced by the machine highly compliment the source material I use in my work which typically comes from the 1960's - 1980's.
The final book will marry the low-tech feel of the collage work with the high tech printing method of the Riso. As a result the collages and photographs will be the same size and the same texture as the original works. I am really enthusiastic about this part of the project because it helps me push my practice further by exploring my interest in all 3 mediums and takes them to a new level.
The funding I'm requesting would support the production of the book by supplementing the printing costs, paper, assembly, and shipping/distribution of the finished book.
The book would be:
- 36 pages
- Book size (closed) 8.5" x 11.5"
- Printed on the Risograph
- Staple binding
- Edition of 300
I hope you are interested in sharing in my enthusiasm. Thank you for your time, attention and support.
My best,
April Gertler
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Kopenhagenerstrasse 4
10437 Berlin, Germany
a@aprilgertler.com
FAQ
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on April 24, 2011.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Your name will appear in the credits of the book and on my website, you will receive a thank you email and a personal invitation to the book launch at AML-Press in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Your name will appear in the credits of the book and on my website, you will receive a thank you card in the mail, a personal invitation to the book launch at AML-Press in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany and you will get a proof print from one of the images from the book.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
Your name will appear in the credits of the book and on my website, you will receive a thank you card in the mail, a personal invitation to the book launch at AML-Press in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany, you will get a proof print of one of the images from the book and you will get a signed copy of the book.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Your name will appear in the credits of the book and on my website, you will receive a thank you card in the mail, a personal invitation to the book launch at AML-Press in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany, you will get a proof print of one of the images from the book, you will get a signed copy of the book and also a limited edition archival print (7.5" x 9.5") of one of the images from the book.
Pledge $750 or more Pledge $750 or more
Your name will appear in the credits of the book and on my website, you will receive a thank you card in the mail, a personal invitation to the book launch at AML-Press in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany, you will get a proof print of one of the images from the book, you will get a signed copy of the book and also a limited edition archival print of the image Holding on, (7.5" x 9.5") of one of the images from the book. You will also get an original collage work (7.5" x 9.5") made especially for you!
Project By
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April Gertler has been working with photography, collage and drawing since she first moved next door to the Laney College Flea Market in Oakland, CA in 1994. She went to art school, after getting a BA in Social Science Theory from UC Berkeley (1991), and got her BFA in Photography (1997) at the California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA. She got her MFA in Photography (2002) at Bard College, New York.
Since 2005, April has been working and living in Berlin. She has most recently exhibited her work at Basement Project Space, Cork, Ireland; Autocenter, Berlin, Germany; AtelierFrankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany; and Pool Gallery, Berlin, Germany. Her work has been published in Capricious, Camera Austria, and ROJO Magazine. April's work will be published in the new online magazine 22, in April 2011.
In addition to working as a visual artist, in 2009 she founded PICTURE BERLIN, a hybrid residency / art academy encouraging an active discourse in contemporary photography located in Berlin.
