Space Base, the Ooo-ey Piff and Printmaking

I've recently retired from being a monitor at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and have now become a serious business studio intern! The internship requires more time and commitment but already I've learnt so much since starting a couple of weeks ago. Phil Sanders is the director and master printer of the studio and is basically mentoring and apprenticing us interns by feeding us with his vast experience and knowledge about all aspects of the artistic process and the professional printmaking world. We learn about the art market, the collaborative relationship between printer and artist, the development of craftsmanship, and everything involved with archiving, installing and packing works on paper.

Both Phil and the studio manager Justin have also been teaching me lots of new American slang and exposing me to the finer elements of American culture. On my first day I learnt about 'space base', a blunt rolled with crack and angeldust - to which I replied, "Wow." I also learnt the phrase: "Toe up from the flo up make me wanna throw up!" But my new favourite American term is "the Ooo-ey Piff!!", which describes some serious business, stanky, purple weed!

Being an intern involves a lot of falling about laughing. Alex is my co-intern. If she works without music or coffee she gets super grumpy. We always try and gaffle someone's speakers so we can dance around to Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson while we're working. Her family is from the South so she's teaching me how to imitate a Southern accent and I'm teaching her how to imitate Australians. She puts me in stitches. Her impersonation of me is awful.

Professionally, we've also been learning how to prepare chine colle monotypes for Chakaia Booker, an amazing artist currently working at Blackburn who is known for her incredible sculptures made from car tyres. And we've also worked closely with Pete Williams from Print Market Project in Cardiff, Wales, who was developing a series of photolithographic prints during his Blackburn residency.

See www.chakaiabooker.com

Anyway, "printmaking meets urbandictionary.com" - that's exactly how I would describe interning at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop! I highly recommend it!

RBPMW
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts
323 W39th St, Level 2,
New York, NY
www.efanyc.org/printmaking