Verbosity is the new brevity. Google felt like a miracle. We could type just a word or two (“blog“) and it would magically guess what we wanted and take us there. This shortcut spread from Google to the search built into online shopping as well. How convenient. A few words and done. AI isn’t like […]

One of the most propulsive forces in our social and economic lives is the rate at which emerging technology transforms every sphere of human labor. Despite the political leverage obtained by fearmongering about immigrants and foreigners, it’s the robots who are actually taking our jobs. It is happening, as former SEIU president Andy Stern warns in his book […]

Hello, I’m Corinne Mangan and I live and work in the beautiful Surrey Hills where I find most of my inspiration; I’m currently an Artist in Residence at Ochre Print Studio in Guildford. Describe your printmaking process. I have spent the previous year or so working mostly in either etching or botanical monoprint though since my residency I’m experimenting with all manner of print forms to push myself into new areas and through that decide where I’m happiest. The subject matter so far remains the same, finding a way to represent the natural world on my doorstep and how it makes me feel. How and where did you learn to print? My degree was actually in History of Modern Art & Design rather than in practical art making but I have always been creative and been pulled towards printmaking in recent years to express this. I’ve done courses at Handprinted, at Ochre Print Studio and at East London Printmakers and also regularly attend an etching club with the printmaker Mai Osawa. All of these have been instrumental in teaching me and giving me the confidence to experiment on my own. Why printmaking? Multiples! I love the fact that you can create an image and then create it again and again; then play with it and change an element here and there, to build on that first image, to improve it, to change a colour or add a texture, to problem solve. I like to think about an end result and what printmaking technique might get me there, making many mistakes along the way but learning in the process. Where do you work? I’m lucky enough to be able to work both at home and in a busy vibrant print studio around other printmakers. Until recently at home I have been working between the kitchen table and an adjoining study; it wasn’t ideal but just recently our younger son has moved out and I’ve been able to move into his old room at the top of the house, it has views out to Box Hill and across to Ranmore and I just know that it will be both a calm and productive place to be. As part of my residency I am also really lucky to be able to work at Ochre Print Studio which has amazing facilities across all the print disciplines, and I am finding the advice and encouragement from the Keyholders who print there indispensable. Describe a typical day in your studio. Every day starts with a walk with our labrador Clover, I find this time invaluable as it’s the environment that is my constant inspiration. I take a lot of photo’s when I am out and look at shapes and textures. I often use this time to consider a piece I am working on or plan future work. If I’m at my home studio I’ll then continue with a drawing or working on a plate; if I’m at Ochre Print Studio it’s a drive to Guildford before I start work which could be in the main studio on the presses or in the etching room. How long have you been printmaking? I dabbled in printmaking for joy of it for many years before really catching the bug and realising this was what I wanted to be doing seriously. For the last three years or so it’s been my main focus, building on skills and learning new ones. What inspires you? Mostly trees! Be it individual ones with interesting shapes and textures or great forests of them, old and gnarly or young and graceful. I’m always happy around trees. I feel so lucky to live in the Surrey Hills, I’m constantly inspired and calmed by it’s beauty, regardless of the season. I’m also inspired by the work created by other artists and printmakers and like many others have postcards from exhibitions dotted around my workspaces. What is your favourite printmaking product? I use Hawthorn Stay Open inks a lot, they work beautifully for both intaglio and relief but I’d have to say my favourite printmaking product is my press itself, she’s a Gunning Etching Press called Spinderella and I adore her. I'm also a big fan of Zest It, it smells great and is a perfect companion for good old vegetable oil at the end of a session when you are tired but still need to clean up. What have you made that you are most proud of? I think my aluminium etching ‘Twisted, Holmbury’ which I made last year, it’s probably not my best piece but it is the one that gave me confidence to enter into a number Open Calls and exhibitions. I’m not a formally trained printmaker and I often struggle with self confidence especially when I see amazing work in galleries and on social media but I look at ‘Twisted’ and think, yes, I did that and people have it hanging on their walls so perhaps I am OK at this lark. Where can we see your work? Where do you sell? Instagram is a good place to see what I’m up to, whether it’s a work in progress or experiments I’m doing during my residency. I’ve been selling my work recently through That Lovely Shop in my home town of Dorking, perfectly named it really is a lovely shop stuffed to the brim with gorgeous things and now my etchings too. Ochre Print Studio also has it’s Summer Exhibition soon, to be held at The Loft, a recently opened gallery space at Watts Gallery, in Compton, where you can see my work alongside other fabulous printmakers. What will we be seeing from you next? Definitely more etchings of trees, that’s for certain but I’m also keen to work further on some of the techniques that I’ve seen during my residency - being a technician on the courses there makes me want to try them all myself, find a way to marry them with my own practice even if it is out of my comfort zone. I’d like to do more work on kitchen litho/foil lithography too, I like the potential it has to show the drawn or painted marks in my work. Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives? Have faith in yourself and keep practicing; be kind to yourself and don’t worry too much when something doesn’t work, pick yourself up and try again. Remember that social media mostly shows the successes and not the prints that end up in the bin. And if you love print, just keep learning and printing and see where it takes you. To see more of Corinne, follow her on Instagram

The outcome of our work can be easy or difficult to predict. It’s not hard to determine if a bridge is going to fall down or if code is going to compile. The scientific method and statistics do a great job of helping us foresee some dynamic events. On the other hand, it’s almost impossible […]