Artist Residency Opportunity
Since 2009, when we opened the studio, we have had international exchanges with two different studios. The first couple of years with Graphic Studio Dublin and since 2014 we run an exchange programme with Grafikwerkstatt Dresden.
As an artist, skilled in letterpress and/or intaglio printmaking (dry methods) it is also possible to apply for a working period in GG/WW-studio. We don't provide any technical support - only a reasonable introduction in the studio - so you have to be able to work independently with the equipment we have. We have a Krause press and Vastervikspress for intaglio. We have a KORREX press and Stanhope press for letterpress. We also have simple book binding fascilities. Since we work a lot with the book format, there are both artists, poets and graphic designers coming to work. Read more about our equipment below!
Regularly we also arrange artists talks. Normally with guest artists who has stayed for a longer period, we finnish their stay with a presentation of their work, open for the public. As a tradition since we started we also arrange a lecture or a seminar first weekend of October on different subjects relating to artists books and/or printmaking.
The studio is registered as a non profit organisation, and we have over 90 supportive members and guest artists from different parts of Sweden, from China, UK, Ireland, Germany, Norway - many of them coming back on a regular basis. Membership for a year, to support the studio, is 10 euro. And as a guest artist you pay 30 euro a week for basic materials in the studio. Next to the studio space in the old warehouse, we also have a guest apartment for rent.
Background
We have since about 20 years collaborated with Galleri Astley, situated in the small village Uttersberg in the middle of Sweden (www.galleriastley.com). The gallery is housed in the old train station since 40 years and they are also running a print gallery, a museum and café in the same area. The old wood warehouse we turned into a print studio almost ten years ago, is also owned by the gallery, but thanks to their generousity we don't pay any rent for it. When the project was initiated the building had no electricity, no water or proper insulation - it has been an exciting adventure to realize the whole idea.
No money, big plans and many friends
When we started renovating the warehouse and set up this new print studio in 2009, we got great support from the gallery, old friends, other artists and people in the village. The first step was to arrange a fundraising exhibition for the workshop and we got a huge response from over 80 artists. That exhibition and many other events gave us money to start with. Very important is that so many people in the village, around Galleri Astley and us, voluntary helped us a lot with building, transport, ideas, practical things. County Council of Västmanland supported us with ear marked money for redeveloping old buildings. We worked days and nights during 4 months and could open a good print studio in October 10, 2009. After that we have developed it further gradually, to get the well equiopped studio we have today.
Our income is zero except if we sell some of the donated works or arrange new fundraising events. All works we do is voluntary, unpaid. Normally we have no money to support visiting artists with materials, travels and things like that. But we keep the rent and all costs as low as possible, to make it possible to use the studio without a big budget.
To work in GG workshop
Artists in this exchange programme must be able to work independently in the workshop and they must have a professional skill in the techniques they want to work with. During the period we can only offer a limited time for technical support, but of course we will introduce the artist in the studio.
If there is interest Lina are happy to show you how to work with led- and wood types and how to use the letterpress. Lars gives support and assists with everything that has to do with drypoint and printing.
Workshop equipment
Some of the equipment we brought from studios we have been working in earlier, in Stockholm and on Gotland, but thanks to good contacts we also got some donations and some equipment on a permanent loan from other studios in Sweden.
Lina works with “Artists Books“ and has built up an excellent workshop with a big and rich selection of wood- and led types. There is two letterpresses, one Stanhope press, built before 1850, bed size 50 x 63 cm and one KORREX press (width 50 cm). There is an electric ink rolling system but you print by turning a handle. Size 50 x 70 cm. There are also two smaller proofing presses for led types (or woodcut).
We have a good selection of led type, and wood type as well. The most complete fonts are Trajanus (from 6 - 72 p, italic as well), Times, Garamond, Futura, Folio and Helvetica, but also not so common fonts as Cochin, Koch antika, Zarte Bernhard, Arabella, Souverän etc......
We have three etching presses, two very solid and excellent: a swedish Västerviktspress, printing bed size 50 x 100 cm, and a big german Krause, printing bed size 90 x 145 cm. We have also a Swedish etching press, size 70 x 130 cm, a so called Domeij Press. On this you can easily lift the roller and print woodcut, linoleum, big collograph etc.
There is a ventilation box with adjustable fan, but normally we do not work with acid. We use the ventilation box for all cleaning with white spirit and other solvents.
Materials
In the workshop you can find paper as Somerset, Fabriano and Hanemühle, copperplates and plastic for drypoint, linoplates and MDF-board. We have also stuff for collographs and carborundum. There is black ink as stiff black from Graphical Chemicals and black from Charbonell. A selection of drypoints, scrapers, burnisher, rockers, roulettes and knifes for linocut is for loan.
Artists can bring their own ink or order that in Sweden from www.ibwahlstrom.se If you need some special papers you can order that from the same shop in Stockholm. You can also find a good selection of ink, papers, tools at www.konstnarernas.se - also in Stockholm – but first of all - tell us what you need and we can help you.
Guest apartment
There is a guest room in the same building, entrance through the workshop. One room, kitchen and shower – compact living. The room is about 10 square meters and 3,50 meters up to the ceiling. Tere is one bed 120x200 cm and an extra transportable bed 75x200 cm. Sheets, blankets and towels available. There is a working table, chairs, drawers for prints and papers 65x95 cm and plenty of wall space.
There is also a book shelf with books in English.
The kitchen (about 7 square meters) has two hotplates, fridge, zink, microwave, plates and other kitchen equipments for 4 persons. Next to it there is a toilet with shower. Kitchen and toilet can also always be used by visitors and other artists working in the studio.
In Linas and Lars’ house 2 min walk from the workshop you are welcome to use the washing machine, whenever you need to.
Privacy in Guest Apartment and Workshop
During the summer there are a lot of visitors to Galleri Astley. Many of them are interested of prints and GG´s workshop and maybe wants to pop in to have a look in the studio. If you sometimes need to work alone you can just lock the workshop door. Sometimes we arrange print demonstrations for visiting groups. You will be notified as far in advance as possible.
The small village Uttersberg
As we told you earlier, Uttersberg is a small remote village at the border of the big forest. About 50 persons are living here permanently (more during the summer). Skinnskatteberg 10 km north of here is the closest “bigger” village with 2 small supermarkets, pharmacy, off licence, library, nurse, doctor, protestant church and maybe a bar. There are 8 daily return buses to that village and 5-10 min walk from Uttersberg to the bus stop and visiting artists are always welcome to hitchhike with us or the Nyhlén family.
Galleri Astley Café is always open 11a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.
If you want to go to Stockholm there are good connections with train and bus 6-8 times a day, 2 hours and 20 minutes journey. You can for example take a morning bus and train, arrive Stockholm at 08.00 and go back with evening train at 20.00. To drive Uttersberg-Stockholm takes about 2 hours.
How to get to Uttersberg
Closest airports are Arlanda ARN (north of Stockholm), Västerås VST (west of Stockholm) and Skavsta NYO (south of Stockholm).
There are good public transports from all airports.
Contact information
GG - Grafikverkstan Godsmagasinet
Uttersberg, 739 92 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
Lina Nordenström,
Lars Nyberg,
www.grafikverkstan.se