Exhibitions and events
Printed in Norfolk : Coracle Publications 1989 - 2012
2012 - 14th October 12
Exhibition
From March to November 2012 an exhibition of work by leading artists' book publisher Coracle made during the period 1989 to 2012 will tour four UK venues. Printed in Norfolk will showcase artists' books, poetry, critical documents, ephemera, catalogues and anthologies.
Artist, poet and curator Simon Cutts founded, and works under the name of Coracle. A key player in UK arts since the mid 1970s, Cutts and long-term co-director Erica Van Horn have recently been based in Ireland, working internationally on Coracle exhibitions, publications and other collaborations.
Printed in Norfolk brings together works produced by Coracle during a twenty year collaboration with trade printer Crome and Akers in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Exhibition tour organiser Helen Mitchell said;
"This exhibition is the first chance for many years to see a significant body of Coracle's work in the UK mainland. It's both a major retrospective and a chance to explore Coracle's highly productive collaboration with Crome and Akers.
The printer's bread and butter work was posters for cattle auctions, raffle tickets and stationery. Working with Coracle they made artists' books that are in collections and archives around the world."
The exhibition catalogue will be published by RGAP (Research Group for Artists Publications) and will chart the influential role Simon Cutts has played in UK and international arts since the 1960s as well as Coracle's suite of Norfolk publications.
Coracle was founded in 1975 by Simon Cutts, artist, poet, printer, publisher, bookseller and curator, working from bases in London, Norfolk, Italy, Liverpool and Ireland. For over twenty years Cutts has been joined by New England book artist and writer, Erica Van Horn as co-director of Coracle. Cutts and Van Horn make books and exhibitions as individuals, together and in collaboration and have worked with many leading artists, poets, galleries and institutions. Catalogue
Printed in Norfolk is supported by a catalogue designed by Colin Sackett and published by RGAP. It features poems and a new essay by Simon Cutts ‘The Norfolk Years' alongside a specially commissioned essay by writer and poet John Bevis ‘A star-gazey pie'. The latter is the first comprehensive survey of Simon Cutts and Coracle from 1960s Nottingham (Tarasque Press and the Trent Bookshop), via London (Coracle Press and Gallery, Victoria Miro Gallery, workfortheeyetodo), Florence in Italy, Liverpool, Norfolk and Ireland.
The Norfolk Connection
Between 1989 and 2011 Coracle made books with Crome and Akers printers in Kings Lynn and book binder Stuart Settle in Fakenham. The idea for the exhibition Printed in Norfolk arose when Crome and Akers closed its doors and sold its presses to India. The exhibition celebrates the remarkable body of work produced during the Coracle/Crome and Akers collaboration. Stuart Settle still makes books with Coracle.
"Coracle is a one-word poem, the title of which is a reading in and of the places it moves through."
Andrew Wilson, Curator, Modern and Contemporary British Art, Tate Britain