FoH Postcard.

Front of House, garden etc.
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nix
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FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Tue May 18, 2010 11:56 pm

Hello:

So, it has been a FoH project for a long time to make an eye catching postcard that can be sent out to the kind of places the Artists we are looking for hang out, and get more folk interested in putting their art in our space,

Kata has a design (she will post it here soon)

I feel this is something that we should get printed before the Meadows Fest, so lets consensus, baby.

Here is my first bash at the text... but as you are all aware I am no writer (and I'm a hippy) so.. edit, re-write and lets get it down.
Hello, you are who we are looking for! So, you have an original, considered developed idea for a mural, exhibition, installation for our space? Great!
We can offer you food, drink, full support and modest budget for materials.
What can you offer us? Proposals, including images, via email to foh@theforest.org.uk.
We Love art. We love you.

Forest is a volunteer run, self-funded, Arts & Events Charity at the heart o=f Edinburgh that has been doing cool shit for ten long years!

(please note: this is a call for work to be displayed in various parts of the Forest building, not the TotalKunst Gallery)

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ravanwin
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by ravanwin » Wed May 19, 2010 10:31 am

would be keen to go for the harder sell:


Are you who we are looking for?

You are if you have an original idea for a mural, exhibition, installation for our space?

We can offer you food, drink, full support and modest budget for materials.

What can you offer us? Proposals, including images, via email to foh@theforest.org.uk.

The Forest is not seeking the mediocre, self indulgent, or fluffy.

The Forest is not seeking work about peace, politics or the environment.

We are not seeking any work that makes reference to:

* yellow suns, blue skies or any trees / forests.
* flowers, swirls, Celtic roots, or happy bunnies.
* cafe culture or restaurants -- no coffee mugs, tea cups, wine glasses.
* words like: peace, love, harmony.

Forest is a volunteer run, self-funded, Arts & Events Charity.

swithun
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by swithun » Wed May 19, 2010 10:52 am

Do we really get a lot of proposals which are rejected on the grounds of being naff/twee/shite? Using half the text to say what we don't want seems a bit extreme. I know what you mean about no trees or works about the environment. But there is the odd bit of foliage in some of my photos.

If we make decisions on a case by case basis, it doesn't mean that all decisions are difficult.

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ravanwin
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by ravanwin » Wed May 19, 2010 11:28 am

it could be i just like being a dick but I'll give my opinion and let the rest decide:

I feel that good artists won't take us seriously unless we come out swinging.

I believe the negativity combats our fluffy wollen headed hippy image. I think good and serious artists might look at this call out and think -- "hey that is me / I hate the same things they do"

Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule. My friends definitely have some good images with tress in them etc. That includes swith.

Further, I think we all need to agree -- a bit -- on what kind of things we want on our walls.

I very much would like to move away from the "anyone can paint / we're all artists" shite. People who are excellent want to have their work seen amongst other excellent work.

Anyway, it is my (possibly wrong) theory that a stern and clear call out will get us better submissions and push away the time wasters. That said, we can always add a (these are guidelines, if you think you have a great Celtic tree mural to paint, let us know kind of line) or we can keep it open and lovey as nix suggests. There is a good argument for that too. I just want to see new good and exciting work on the walls. However we get it is good for me.

x
r

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Martin
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Martin » Wed May 19, 2010 12:32 pm

Ryan wrote:I very much would like to move away from the "anyone can paint / we're all artists" shite.
As someone who has repeatedly been on the end of this shite when trying to explain to people that I am not an artist, I welcome this.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by chombee » Wed May 19, 2010 12:55 pm

I very much would like to move away from the "anyone can paint / we're all artists" shite.
Yes! It is so patronising!
I've had it with you. If I had an image of a laser gun I would absolutely position it right here in my hand...
Ha! I have a real laser absolutely positioned in my hand!

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Sun May 23, 2010 11:27 am

chombee wrote:
I very much would like to move away from the "anyone can paint / we're all artists" shite.
Yes! It is so patronising!
yes that is patronising - I have never said that anyone can paint.
But I do believe that keeping an open mind and looking at each proposal on its merits is the way forward.

Lets write some cool text, do a cool postcard, web campaign and get some proposals coming in.

please.thanks!

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Stephen » Sun May 23, 2010 12:26 pm

Why dont we go to the degree show and see what we like then approach people based on their work, maybe that then becomes wore like a commissioned piece and the might expect to be paid, Im glad alex is going to do some work on the way down to the bassement, maybe mikey would be up for doing something when he gets back as well. If we want good art from a flyer then the flyer has to be good art, surely.
less info more art, somthing that just simply says words to the effect of do a mural at the forest, for more info paint@theforest, done in an arty stylish way, maybe a few designs, some painting some collage etc, maybe we could even take photos of small sections of the walls as they are which people may recognise with basic bold text like
YOUR ART ON A WALL then the backside saying The forest has space for you to art, for more info.
maybe that's a shit idea who knows

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chris
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by chris » Sun May 23, 2010 6:27 pm

i like the approach pepole at art show idea.
Maybe it could work? But it will be a kaleidoscopic blend of mysterious shadows and rainbow hued-dreams seen through compassionate tears.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by cornelia » Mon May 24, 2010 9:14 am

really like the art degree sow idea too, and as stephen says, it might be easier to approach the people whos art we like instead of just waiting for the proposals to come to us if we want our walls nice before the fringe and the 10th anniversary,
I'll ask Kata today to put up the postcard design on the bb today
tack och hej leverpastej

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dan
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by dan » Mon May 24, 2010 10:13 am

i think we should stay more open though too, ok not everyone is a brilliant mural artist, but we sholdn't limit it just to degree show art schoolists. What about people who exhibit in Total Kunst? Could be good to let all of them know the possibilities too, right?

D x
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when I get my chance I'm going to punch him in the nose, in the nose, in the nose

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Mon May 24, 2010 4:35 pm

dan wrote:What about people who exhibit in Total Kunst? Could be good to let all of them know the possibilities too, right?
As far as I was aware, TK have always told artists that they should contact foh@theforest or speak to Nix/Kata/Cornelia if they want to do art in Forest, outwith the galery.

Hay, VAWG... are yous still doing this?

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Kata » Mon May 24, 2010 6:31 pm

Im posting the first draft for the front of the postcard. I still need to work on it because of the edges of the pictures, and they are a bit distorted, Im still getting used to using gimp. What do you think of it? Im aware that it might be too busy, but I quite like the pictures that are showing or demonstarting the things that could be done at the forest, and since the back is going to be black and white, I think that is better to have images in the front, unless we have good quality black and white images. I'll try and take some pictures in black and white tomorrow, and see how it turns out. But I still need to make a simple and good design, which I would need some help with. Who would be up for helping with the back?

I think that the degree show is a good idea, especially because we could actually talk with the people whose work is exhibited there. We should also finish making and printing the postcard for the degree show, and then we can bring it their, and give it to people directly.

I also agree that getting a bit more involved with the gallery, just going to the meeting could help with the Foh, because the people that dont suit the gallery projects that much, could work with the Foh. A good example for that is the Traffic light man installation, which was originally a proposal for the gallery.plus people might be interested in exhibiting their work in the café or the building. I agree with that too that we should stay open for other people as well, not just people from art schools.

"Do we really get a lot of proposals which are rejected on the grounds of being naff/twee/shite? Using half the text to say what we don't want seems a bit extreme. I know what you mean about no trees or works about the environment. But there is the odd bit of foliage in some of my photos." hmmm eventough I like the part of the text of Ryan about happy bunnies, celtic roots, peace, love and harmony, itmight be too harsh , but I dont actually know. I agree that the text should be catchy, but we should really overemphasise what we dont want. But we dont really get proposals with happy bunnies though :)
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Kata » Mon May 24, 2010 8:07 pm

another version:
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swithun
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by swithun » Mon May 24, 2010 9:54 pm

The front picture looks good.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Kata » Mon May 24, 2010 10:46 pm

Which one? :)

"but we should really overemphasise what we dont want. But we dont really get proposals with happy bunnies though " this one was a shouldnt instead of should

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by swithun » Tue May 25, 2010 11:10 am

poster FOH2.png.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Stephen » Tue May 25, 2010 6:18 pm

So does any one have any good quality pictures of the forest that they would be willing to let people design with, I like the image in foh2 as it is of the walls but maybe not immediately apparent and not a general view of the cafe. This was just a quick idea of something that may work, i don't think the original image, although great, is of good enough quality, by that i mean it's resolution not it's composition. I also agree with dan that we should look further than just degree students, it would be great to have more art installation happenings again and might be a good place to start looking and asking if people were interested. if any one has any photos they could spare please send them as png's to kata FOH@theforest.org.uk i believe.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by stephengoodall » Wed May 26, 2010 12:15 pm

nix wrote:
dan wrote:What about people who exhibit in Total Kunst? Could be good to let all of them know the possibilities too, right?
As far as I was aware, TK have always told artists that they should contact foh@theforest or speak to Nix/Kata/Cornelia if they want to do art in Forest, outwith the galery.

Hay, VAWG... are yous still doing this?
We are always on the look out for stuff that would be great as a mural/ exhibition within the cafe.

trafficlightheaddude was arranged this way

I agree with simplicity approach as per stephen's comments and also bulk leaflet fdrop at degree shows- leave a flyer on folks comments books- e.g. we really like your work- would you like to..etc.
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Mon May 31, 2010 8:46 pm

OK.

what is the text then?

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by mirja » Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:53 am

Ok, my twopence here even if too late for the meadows festival.
We all agree that we do not want bunnies trees etc, so its really good to remind ourselves of this! To put this in a call though will not work to attract serious artists/work tho, it will just make it sound that we will be a bitch to work with, and all we get is crap proposals. (Not true, right?) We need to make it sound like the kind of place that it’s worth your effort to show your work in. What’s really exciting and cutting edge about our space? When I hear volunteer, i think green scouts, when I hear charity I think of some religious organisation or charity shop… Good things in themselves, but I think it just describes some particular mechanisms that we operate by (albeit for good reason) , and do not really communicate all that we OFFER.
I think what we are dealing here with is a radically independent, DIY open source cultural and social centre, artist resource space, gig venue, … really a kind of radical, but laid back urban organism/experiment rather than a ‘charity organisation’. You expect to have this kind of space in NYC, Berlin, and you, surprisingly, happen to have one in Edinburgh. We take it for granted and do not really put this out very well…
But this is the kind of space that its really worthwhile to show your work in, because the whole premise, the concept of the forest is really challenging, and in a way, to challenge as well, just by being there. Totally radical, fiercely independent, urban, open and inclusive, active(ist), experimental, even futurist – is about doing tomorrows image/music/word already today, just by doing it, instead of fretting about it… So I think if we put this foot forward of our lovely space, ( if we have this foot), we might get some fresh visual responses. Are we also afraid to mention the word ‘overhaul’…? Can we suggest that we are now looking to visually ‘overhaul’ for example the stairwell space… and see what kind of responses we might get?

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Shannon
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Shannon » Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:09 am

Yes... Nice post Mirja. Agree and agree.

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dan
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by dan » Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:59 pm

i also agree with what you said Mirja.
Our big brother's got no heart,
when I get my chance I'm going to punch him in the nose, in the nose, in the nose

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Stephen » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:12 pm

yep, word up mirja.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by scoutwinter » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:40 pm

yeah Mirja!
also, i like both of those designs for different reasons. some of the small pics were a little hard to see though.

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chris
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by chris » Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:04 am

TOTALLY AGREE WITH MIRJA.
Maybe it could work? But it will be a kaleidoscopic blend of mysterious shadows and rainbow hued-dreams seen through compassionate tears.

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:48 pm

I agree also..

but..

WHAT IS THE EXACT TEXT TO PUT ON THE POSTCARD?

its all concept, concept with us.. we need action!

someone write the text.

please.

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stephengoodall
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by stephengoodall » Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:04 pm

what about
Opportunity for artists

We would like to find exciting and talented creatives to exhibit their inspiring and engaging works on a semi permanent basis within The Forest, a vibrant and radically independent DIY open source cultural and social centre, artist resource space, gig venue and all round laid back urban organism/experiment. We would love to see your work and hear your ideas.
as a starting point
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Stephen » Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:30 pm

mirja wrote: radically independent, DIY open source cultural and social centre, artist resource space, gig venue,
urban organism/experiment the kind of space that its really worthwhile to show your work in, the forest is really challenging, and in a way, to challenge as well, just by being there. Totally radical, fiercely independent, urban, open and inclusive, active(ist), experimental, even futurist – is about doing tomorrows image/music/word already today, visually ‘overhaul’ for example the stairwell space… and see what kind of responses we might get?
The Forest. Tomorrows world today!
D.I.Y Cultural and social centre
Totally radical, fiercely independent, urban Organism.
Come and Visually Overhaul our
Stairwell, walls, ceilings, Toilettes, Doors, Minds
The Forest. Your World Today!
Transmuting people and space into ART since the year 2000

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Stephen » Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:47 pm

So maybe its a bit silly and there is not enough about the fact we are looking for artists, Something between what me and stepehen G pulled from the text by Mirija could be used.

I also think that by stressing talented and exciting creatives makes us come across as slightly desperate, I say slap em in the face and hope they slap you back. I don't think i'm making much sense right now.

Also would any of the people in visual arts be willing to help/guide/inspire Kata when it comes to talking to and dealing with the artists that will shortly be flocking to us. It might be good to see a more dynamic (sorry for using that word) interchange between FOH and Total KUNST. This might also help artists who want to go beyond the formula of paint/ pictures on a wall come up with some more interesting concepts.

It might also be good to have a small foh web presence so people could see what sort of projects people have done in the space in the past, some photos of old murals, the video tape instillation, the plant thing and the tables on poles etc. This would enable people to see what can be done in our space, how far we are willing to go etc. This also has the benefit of the flyer being simpler with an address of the page, Some text and a contact email.

what dya think

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Wed Jun 09, 2010 4:12 pm

Stephen wrote: It might also be good to have a small foh web presence
YES! YES!

this was a project for FoH for ages...

but now we have Noe, we can get this done soon soon.

PLEASE, PLEASE forward relevant pictures to foh @ theforest.

please.

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Shannon
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Shannon » Wed Jun 09, 2010 4:18 pm

I like Stevie's text. Maybe just needs a header/title thingymajig that makes it clear what we be looking for... Like the images/words in the ideas Kata posted ages ago.

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by ravanwin » Thu Jun 10, 2010 3:25 pm

Mirja -- great response. So much better than my negative bitchy one. Perfect.

Love stevie's blurb. Anything encompassing both Stevie / Mirja's thoughts is a goer.

Also - artists love spelling mistakes. Be sure to have loads of em.

love from paris,
r

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:12 pm

Hiya...

here is a temp. quick. flyer that Stephen, Cornelia, Lukas and me agreed on, just so that we would have something to hand out at degree shows, ect.

I still hope we can do a supercool postcard soon .

the originals are in "Your Art Here" folder on pink computer.

thanks.
Your-art-here.jpg
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by ravanwin » Sat Jun 12, 2010 12:47 pm

smiles from paris. x

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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by mirja » Sat Jun 12, 2010 1:56 pm

Hey..!! to my mind, thats def more inviting.... I really like that image, too.
mirja

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Shannon
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by Shannon » Sat Jun 12, 2010 1:58 pm

I think it's great. Nice one.

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nix
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Re: FoH Postcard.

Post by nix » Sun Jun 20, 2010 1:09 am

has anyone got the energy + skills to make this 'Print Ready' for the postcard?

please/thanks

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