“Into the Fold” was a two-day Artists’ Book and Zine Fair held at the Winchester School of Art earlier this March. The fair featured numerous artist book and zine makers across the country, including local artists, WSA students, and alums.
Artist books and zines are self-published, artist-driven works that use the book format as an art medium. Artist books are unique and refined art objects; zines are a rough yet immediate form of accessible communication. Examples of artist books and zines varied in the different artists’ works on showcase, while their primary function as creative tools to control the narrative and emphasise the reading experience remained.
The artists offered an interactive experience through conversations, complimentary art pieces, and pieces on display for sale; the energetic, sensory experience blended the exhibition with the social atmosphere. The range of artists allowed for the exploration of diverse artistic voices, brought together by their use of artist books and zines as artistic media.
Going through the stalls, I spoke with the artists and learned about their artistic journeys and what brought them to the fair. One of the artists I spoke to was Elizabeth Saunders, a Winchester School of Art alumnus in Textile Art and Textile Design, who continues to develop and experiment with her textiles. She returned to the university fair to share her experience as a mature student who pursued a degree that she could use in the future, which she has. She is now the chairman of several textile groups and exhibits her artwork widely. When I asked her how it felt to return to the Winchester School of Art, she said it was not the first time she had returned to exhibit her artwork. She also doted on how valuable she found her degree to be, undeterred by being a mature student. Saunders’ artwork was truly impressive and a pleasure to browse. I bought myself a bookmark that she designed—a scenic view of silhouettes at sunset at the beach.I attended the fair as a student participant of the collaborative project Meandering Stories, a collaboration between BA Fine Art and BA English students to present the finished “meandering books”.
I contacted Rebecca Smith, Principal Teaching Fellow in English and Creative Writing, and asked her a few questions to expand on the project itself.
The collaborative project began with images that the Fine Art students created that reflected their personal meandering journey. These images prompted the Creative Writing students to write a piece of flash fiction, which Rebecca Smith had reviewed and returned to the art students. The Fine Art students responded visually, designing a collective screen-printed spread. Smith clarifies the meandering book as an artist’s book made from one sheet of paper—it is cleverly cut and folded so that it can be read and viewed in varied ways.While reflecting on the process, she praised the students’ ability to work under really tight deadlines and was impressed by both the number of students who took part and the quality of the work produced. Some of the students who wrote their flash fiction pieces chose to present their stories aloud. Transforming a private experience into a shared and interactive experience with the audience allows us to bridge the gap and build a connection between the reader and the writer.
Smith noted that it was an exciting opportunity for both sets of students to respond to each other’s work and to see their work in print—now in the permanent collection of Artists’ Books at WSA Library and available to students. This was one of many collaborations, while she deemed it “the biggest one so far,” she notes that there are definite future collaborations expected!I thoroughly enjoyed this art fair, and am eager to attend any upcoming exhibitions held by the University. I recommend it to any students or Southampton-based individuals who want to experience future fairs and exhibitions and learn more about art and artists in their local community.
Who was involved in the fair and the Meandering Stories project (names that Rebecca Smith suggests to include in the article):
Second Year English students on the module Brief Encounters: Writing Short Stories (Students who read at the event: Iasonas Irakleous, Scarlett Hall, Ash Holland, Grace Forsyth, and Hugo Lord)
First Year Fine Art Students from WSA
Julia Vogl, Fine Art Lecturer
Toby Litt, Head of Creative Writing in the English Department.
Andrew Reaney, Specialist Technician Printmaking
Rebecca Smith, Principal Teaching Fellow in English and Creative Writing
