On Screen: TPB’s New Offshoot

On Screen is a gallery focused by-product of The Print Bar. Through a series of up and coming exhibitions hosted in various locations around Brisbane, On Screen shines the spotlight on local printmakers and creates a new gallery platform for print mediums. We spoke to Isabel Hood, creator of On Screen and The Print Bar’s very own designer, about the new project.

Firstly, what is your background?

I graduated from The Queensland College of Art (QCA) in 2014 with a Bachelor of Design majoring in visual communication design. Since then I have worked in various design studios, co-run an artist run initiative (ARI) called In Residence and started my Masters of Interactive Media Art also at QCA. I also manage my time to work on freelance projects and in-house designing for The Print Bar.

Tell me about the new project On Screen?

On Screen is an upcoming exhibition series that focuses on local artists who use print-making as a key medium in their practice. The exhibitions will be held at various locations around Brisbane, with further viewing held at galleries and pop ups after the event.

So, Is On Screen a new imprint for The Print Bar or is it a whole new thing?

I feel it is a gallery focused by-product of the business. We share the same ethos and interests in local artists but On Screen has the opportunity to focus more on curating and exhibiting work. It was important for me to distinguish the two as separate things through the business model and visual identity, but there is definitely a similar idea that runs through the two. By distinguishing On Screen as it’s own endeavour, I feel it has more room to grow. But…I also wanted to use it as a platform for sharing The Print Bar’s interest in local print culture.

What do you wish to achieve from On Screen?

For me to say build a community of print makers in Brisbane may seem a little naive, because there are already print based communities in Brisbane that exist. We do want to further the appreciation and connection with this medium while also contributing to the increasing focus on Brisbane’s creative scene. We also wanted to evolve The Print Bar’s resume to include more than its customer based, garment printing model.

What do you think of the current Brisbane art scene?

Being involved in an ARI opened my eyes to how many either recently graduated or even established artists and curators are so passionate about creating their own or being a part of ARI exhibitions and spaces; sometimes as a response to a lack of support from established institutions or just as an outlet to experiment with ideas outside a gallery context. There’s incredible work being produced (not just with ARIs) and what seems like several events every week, so the passions is there and Brisbane as a whole is constantly evolving. I’m really excited to see how it shifts in the coming years.

Are there any artists in particular who have had a drastic impact on your own work? 

Because I am approaching this from a design and curation background I’m inspired more by seeing creatives establish their own events, galleries and becoming more DIY. Like an ARI, On Screen has been modelled off an idea of necessity. There are plenty of local, talented print-makers, yet not a lot of spaces or support to exhibit their work. On Screen is facilitating these exhibitions and finding different spaces to exhibit in order to share our passion for print-making and highlight the talents of local makers.

On Screen itself has also taken some inspiration from McNally Jackson, which is a bookstore in New York that also has its own exhibition imprint called The Picture Room. I respect how they are leveraging off each other yet they could still exist on their own. It’s a great way for McNally Jackson to establish and diversify its passion for literature, magazines and art through the two projects.

How did you formulate the style guide for On Screen? 

I used Print Bar’s typeface and the main colour scheme, with added shade variations. I obviously didn’t want to separate it from The Print Bar identity too much. It was really interesting trying to come up with another style guide from the essentials of another brand. I wanted to make sure the branding was also very clean and simple so it didn’t detract from the artists’ works. Assets were also created to represent On Screen as a logo and placeholder graphic to accompany generic information. The assets are of various stylised and outlined sheets of paper, alluding to the elements of print-making.

What kind of work are you looking to exhibit? 

On Screen is excited to showcase anyone who is using print in an interesting way. We have already started compiling lists of artists who use mediums such as rizograph, screen, woodblock and lithograph printing; approaching their working from a political standpoint or a purely aesthetic focus.

So, when and where is the first On Screen exhibition?

The first exhibition, Growing Features, will be on the 30th of March at Ben’s Burgers in West End. Keep an eye on the Print Bar’s and On Screen’s Facebook for more details.

https://www.facebook.com/onscreentpb/