READ EDITION 1: A Fundraising Print Portfolio for the ECI Press

The Charles H. Scott Gallery and Emily Carr Institute Press are pleased to announce "READ Edition 1", a fundraising print portfolio published by the Emily Carr Institute Press [ECI Press]. The portfolio features works by Fiona Banner, Dan Graham, Brian Jungen, Myfanwy MacLeod, Jonathan Monk, Shannon Oksanen, Peter Piller, Frances Stark, Michael Stevenson, and Ron Terada. The Portfolio curators, Christoph Keller and Kathy Slade, invited ten international artists to respond to the theme of reading. Artists were encouraged to interpret the theme as concretely or abstractly as they wished. The result is an eclectic mixture of work as the artists responded in a variety of ways.

In "The Works" Fiona Banner compiled a set list for a firework display that is based on an actual pyrotechnic display she designed and produced for an earlier work of the same name. Fiona Banner is an artist from the UK. In 2002 she was short-listed for the Turner Prize. Dan Graham provided an architectural drawing and textual notes for "Double Exposure" a triangular pavilion installed at the Serralves Foundation in Porto, Portugal. Dan Graham is a New York based artist who has been producing groundbreaking work in photography, video, and architectural installations since the 1960s.

Brian Jungen’s "Untitled" revisits an earlier work in which he drew a post with two signs pointing in opposite directions. One sign said “First Nations” and the other, “Second Nature.” In the new drawing we are presented with a similar situation but now the signs on the post are blank providing the viewer / reader the opportunity to fill the signs in. Brian Jungen is a Vancouver-based artist with a growing international reputation. In 2005 he had a solo exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

With her characteristic sardonic wit, Myfanwy Macleod’s "Understanding is Love" represents a page from a 1940s textbook, A Primer of Sculpture. MacLeod’s title is taken from the book’s chapter title and the text we are presented with discusses the need for sculpture in the home. Vancouver’s Myfanwy MacLeod has exhibited internationally and recently had a solo exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery.

For "The Sun Never Really Sets", Jonathan Monk takes a page from a Sotheby’s catalogue that is offering Edward Ruscha’s print, Greenblatts #14, for sale. Monk presents an image of a print for sale as an actual print for sale. While subtly referring to an artists’ book project Monk produced with Christoph Keller in 2002 titled "None of the Buildings on Sunset Strip", Monk displays again his on-going interest in the work of Ruscha. Jonathan Monk is a British artist currently based in Berlin. Monk has exhibitited internationally and his work is in many prominent collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In "Dominique Sanda, Une Femme Douce", Shannon Oksanen draws a portrait / production still of the French model and actress in her biggest role as the suicidal heroine in Robert Bresson’s "Une Femme Douce". Shannon Oksanen is a Vancouver artist who has a growing international reputation. She currently has a solo exhibition at Tracey Lawrence Gallery.

Peter Piller’s "Ortsbesichtigung" (or Site Inspections) is an image from a newspaper work showing groups of people examining future construction sites. It is part of "The Peter Piller Archive", an archive that contains over eighty individual categories of groups of images such as "Touching Cars,” "Looking into Holes,” or "Pointing at Vandalism.” Peter Piller is a German artist who shows internationally. In 2006 he won the Baloise Art Prize for best Statement at Art Basel.

In "The members of our class…" Frances Stark presents a diagrammed sentence. This work deals with understanding the mechanics of sense making / grammar and also puts forward the idea of parsing the activity of looking at contemporary art. Frances Stark is an artist based in Los Angeles. She currently has a major solo exhibition at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.

Michael Stevenson’s "Making for Timor" refers to Ian Fairweather, a sixty-year-old Scottish artist who crossed the Timor Sea on a small homemade raft in 1952. His knowledge of navigation was rudimentary – gathered in a public library – and his only instrument a 1930’s compass. Michael Stevenson is an artist from New Zealand who is currently based in Berlin. He recently represented New Zealand in the Venice Biennale.

Ron Terada’s "Territory" depicts an image of his signboard work that was installed on the grounds of the Presentation House Gallery in North Vancouver as his contribution to the exhibition Territory. Terada’s sign simply stated the title of the exhibit, but some cheeky passerby altered and "improved" the work. Terada managed to get a photo before PHG restored the work. Ron Terada is a graduate of ECI. He has exhibited internationally and recently received the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award.

"READ Edition 1" has been published in an edition of 15 and is priced at CDN $5,000 for copies 6 through 10; and $7,000 for copies numbered 11 through 15. Prices do not include shipping, any applicable taxes, and are subject to change without notice. All proceeds from the sale of READ Edition 1 will go directly into the development, production, and distribution of new books by the Press. For more information contact Kathy Slade at kslade@eciad.ca or by telephone at 604.844.3809

ABOUT THE ECI PRESS

The Emily Carr Institute Press was started in 2006 by artist, and ECI Dean, David MacWilliam and artist Kathy Slade. The mandate of the Press is to present the work of emerging Vancouver based artists alongside international artists by publishing artists’ books, monographs, collected writings and music projects. The Press’ first offering was a series of artist books titled "Vancouver Special". This series includes Rodney Graham’s "This is the Only Living I’ve Got (Don’t Take It Away From Me): The Rodney Graham Songbook", Sydney Hermant’s "Aunt Maud’s Scrap Book", Tim Lee & Mark Soo’s "Modern Optical Experiments in Typography: Univers Ultra Light Oblique (1968)", and Brady Cranfield’s "The Music Appreciation Society Presents: Vancouver British Columbia Canada".

"The Vancouver Special Series" was co-edited by Christoph Keller and Slade, who decided to also collaborate on a print edition. Christoph Keller is a publisher, editor, and curator. Keller founded Revolver Press in 1999 and was the Director until 2005. Recently he established Christoph Keller Editions, a series of artists projects he edits for JRP/Ringier Kunstverlag, Zürich. Kathy Slade is an artist, editor, and curator. She started READ Books at the Charles H. Scott Gallery in 1999 and is the founding editor of the ECI Press.