Bookness: An experimental journey into the potential of the book format

Journey through twelve online live sessions with your tutor, enjoying making and demonstrations, guidance on technique and also theory contextualising each months subject matter.

This course will allow you to explore, experiment and play with form and materials. You will be led though a schedule that realises your own ideas and current works into book form and have a very personal outcome from the material offered.

There will be lots of opportunity to ask questions and interrogate the projects, making progress at your own pace. The tutor will have monthly contact in the form of a live session with the group.

You will be set an assignment to explore during the rest of the month and be encouraged to use the teaching platform to post questions, discussion points and photos of your work - this will be a private space for the group to work together and the tutor will respond, allowing your work to be guided and receive critical feedback. 

Course Requirements

Access to join 'Zoom' to participate in the live sessions.

A few very basic materials.

Access to smart phone, tablet, computer or laptop to engage with the assignments and online content.

Don't worry! If you miss a month, it will be recorded and posted up to watch at your convenience. There will also be monthly handouts, resources and help to support your progress.

This course has been subsidised by Arts Council England to help us develop new ways of sharing and teaching printmaking online. 

Course Structure

Titles of each months session

1 - Experimental book structures 1. Experimental non adhesive binding structures.

2 - What is a book? A presentation that expands the idea of book through the lenses of bookness.

3 - Generating words from pictures. A workshop that explores the idea of storytelling using sequence.

4 - Generating structures from words. A workshop that looks at developing form as content.

5 - Experimental book-like  structures 2. A workshop that explores books but not as we know them.

6 - When is a piece of work finished? A workshop that explores the idea of when finished happens - through the creation of graphic communication.

 7 - Transforming sets of prints into books (stab binding/'photo-album'). Step by step demonstration of structures.

8 - Folding as a way of exploring time. A workshop that explores time within the book form.

9 - Exploring relationships to audiences. A workshop that explores our relationship to audiences - - through the use of graphic communication tools.

10 - Looking at layout. Developing a way controlling the viewing experience with graphic design.

11 - Performing the book. Looking at how to present books.

12 - Developing your practice. A workshop that explores ways of extending what we do - through the use of graphic communication tools.

About the Tutor

Les Bicknell has an extensive history of making that explores the concept of bookness. The hybrid nature of the book form has led to undertaking an extensive range of commissions and exhibitions. His practice includes large scale public art commissions and an extensive history of working within community engagement initiatives.

Teaching formally within Art Colleges informs practice and connects with ideas. Recently he has been working within Kings College London on an innovative synthetic anatomy module and at NanoDTC at the Maxwell Centre in Cambridge University connecting with scientist over very small but important things

The work has been exhibited widely, and is held in many National and international collections including The Rijksmuseum, The V&A Museum, M.O.M.A. New York, Yale Centre for British Art, The Tate Gallery.

Blog - lesbicknell.blogspot.co.uk

Insta - les1bicknell

Twitter - @BicknellLes

Website – lesbicknell.wixsite.com/work

Leicester Print Workshop 

Leicester Print Workshop is the regional development centre for printmaking. Established by artists in 1986, we are a registered charity, supported by Arts Council England. Our RIBA award-winning building is situated in Leicester City Centre's Cultural Quarter and is home to a large, well equipped open access Printmaking Studio.

We have over 30 years’ experience of teaching people printmaking. Our programme offers the largest number and broadest range of printmaking courses in the region, with courses suitable for beginners as well as experienced printmakers, delivered by practicing artists and nationally renowned tutors. Participants learn in small and friendly groups in our purpose-designed studio.