How much does it cost to take part?
Each printmaker taking part in the exchange pays £10 to their print workshop – the print workshop pays the total entry fee to Hot Bed Press.
What’s in it for the workshop?
You get to show off the skills of your amazing members and build relationships with other workshops both based in the UK and internationally.
The workshop will receive two boxes of 20 prints (one twinned with another studio, so containing 10 prints from their own printmakers and 10 from the twinned workshop, and the other randomly selected) – if fewer than 10 printmakers have taken part, then that will be reflected in the number of prints in the workshop boxes, but the printmakers themselves will still receive 20 prints in their box.
The best workshop (as voted for by our team of hardy volunteers with impeccable taste) will receive a prize!
Are digital prints accepted?
We prefer hand-made prints as opposed to computer prints in many ways but digital media is acceptable. Some artists/printmakers work within digital media and produce work through computer aided design. We simply request that work is not a reproduction or a ’giclee print’ of an existing image. The work should be specifically produced for the 20:20 print exchange and should be strictly limited to an edition of 25 prints.
Is it paper size or print size?
The 20x20cm refers to the paper size. Prints can be ‘full bleed’ ie printed off the edge, or be within the paper with a border. They can even be printed on both sides of the paper.
Some artists have asked whether the image can be on different shapes, paper folded down to 20cm x 20cm, or whether it can be on fabric for example. All that we ask is that the edition should be able to fit within the specially designed box with 19 other prints, and papers usually range from 90gsm to 320gsm. Any print that either does not fit box dimensions or is too heavy/thick for the box may not be acceptable.
Are monoprints acceptable?
Monoprints or monotypes are accepted. It breaks the rules and guidelines of an edition in some respects, but rules are there for breaking! All we ask is that the edition is 25 monoprints of a similar nature/subject that can be viewed as the same image (or series). It should not be 25 random images or cut down prints. A monoprint is defined as a one-off version of a print method such as an etching or screenprint, while a monotype is a one-off painterly or drawn print.
Varied edition prints are acceptable (and are in many ways inevitable).
Prints can be mixed-media, for instance screenprinting over gum arabic print, etching with letterpress, or even hand-coloured mezzotint.
Can there be more than 25 in the edition?
The edition should be produced purely for the 20:20 and therefore we ask that the edition is limited to 25. Each artist will be asked to sign and number each print 1 to 25 out of 25.
However, you may wish to produce more, or by the very nature of the print need to set out to produce more to allow for misprints. You may have as many artist proofs as you wish, but please number the edition for 20:20 1 to 25 out of 25, no matter how many prints outside of that edition you produce.
You may also like the plate so much you want to produce more. In this case it is standard practice to change one or more elements of the plate or screen, or change the colours and title the edition in a different series eg landscape#2, or landscape in blue. A screen may be added to, or an etching further etched.
It is important for sorting and in the distribution of all the prints that the edition is numbered (and ordered) 1/25, 2/25, 3/25 etc all the way up to 25/25.
When will we receive the prints?
Once all prints have arrived from each workshop, we will start the huge job of sorting – a late delivery from any workshop will inevitably delay the whole process. Equally, our job is made easier if all prints are completely dry, organised from 1 to 25; are NOT (unless there is an exceptional reason for it) wrapped in tissue or glassine; and each print must have the artist’s name, print method, workshop and the year written neatly on the back in pencil.
We aim to get the prints sorted, randomly selected and into individual boxed sets in the two to three weeks following 1st November. They will then be couriered to each workshop for distribution to all those taking part.
Some workshops choose to show their prints and give out their portfolios on a special day, such as their annual open studios/Christmas open event.
This year Hot Bed Press launched their member’s 20:20 distribution alongside our Under the Bed Sale and the flickr site, with one image from every edition, will be ready soon.
Can individuals take part?
As far as we know, this exchange is unique in that it is only open to print workshops. If you are an individual printmaker then you would need to join a print workshop in order to take part. We ask that workshops sign people up in groups of ten, twenty, thirty etc as this simplifies the whole process logistically. If your workshop is small or you are are unable to muster ten participants, please get in contact as we have been able to accommodate workshops with only five participants in the past.
Are the prints for sale?
Some workshops have auctioned their portfolios and others have sold prints off individually. Here at Hot Bed Press we sell individual prints for £10.00 each. Other workshops have sold on e-bay, etsy and for charity events. All this helps raise the profile of and/or money for print workshops.
How do I get my workshop to take part?
Contact exhibitions@hotbedpress.org for further information.
