Les Rencontres de la Photographie has taken place in Arles every summer since 1970. Hosting more than forty exhibitions at various heritage sites throughout the city, the festival has been a major influence in circulating the best of world photography. Featuring the work of new and established visual artists, the festival has been a springboard for many photographic and contemporary creative talents.

Being and Becoming is an exhibition exploring the transformative forces that shape our lives. Combining the visible with the invisible, asking how connections develop, revealing the magic and absurdity of everyday life. Freelens Young Professionals and photographers from the Hamburg Portfolio Review take a look at the rituals, contradictions and hidden forces that shape human existence.

The exhibition explores a cross section of society from marginalised identities to the challenges of old traditions and the reinvention of the everyday. Capturing the complex dynamics of isolation and community, revealing particular aspects of our globalised world and addressing political and social challenges of our time. Each photograph creates a narrative that resonates subtly, emerges clearly or powerfully demands attention, encouraging a dialogue about the complexity of human life.

Freelens is Germany’s professional association for genuine photography and visual art. They stand for independent journalism, fair fees and the protection of creative work. Using the power of their collective membership to defend press freedom, promote media literacy and advocate for an open society.  

Being and Becoming will be on display from July 7^th to October 5^th at the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation.

Oschatz Visuelle Medien are a full service print studio for sophisticated graphic productions. Using their expertise gained over more than 100 years since the family business was established as a photo studio and film development laboratory, Oschatz Visuelle Medien have printed the images for Freelens in Arles. They selected Innova Art papers due to the extensive range of surfaces available. “The choice available from Innova means that we can offer our clients the opportunity to perfectly match their print media to their creative vision,” says CEO Daniel Oschatz. “The quality is fantastic and we know that we can also work with the finished prints to mount and frame them, enhancing an exhibitions overall creative story.”

Les Rencontres d’Arles 2025 is open July 7^th to October 5^th. Learn more and plan your visit online: www.rencontres-arles.com.

Taking place annually in the stunning surroundings of a medieval Tuscan town, Cortona On The Move adopts a different theme for each edition. The theme for 2024 is Body of Evidence, a string which ties together all aspects of humanity. Exhibits take viewers through life, death and the experiences in between.

In total there are twenty two exhibitions to explore, placed in and around the centre of Cortona.

Stories on display invite exploration of the relationship between parents and children. Highlight events in American history. Raise questions around the behaviour of humanity. Increase understanding of subcultures. And provide the opportunity to face the ultimate final act: death.

Throughout their time at the opening of Cortona On The Move 2024, the Innova Art team were present at Spazio OFF, alongside other partners for Cortona On the Move 2024.

“For our fine art photo lab, printing on Innova papers is always an amazing experience since they combine amazing quality, variety and reliability. The latter aspect is pivotal when it comes to printing the hundreds of images that, in the end, will be the soul of a big festival such as Cortona On The Move. The festival curators and the photographers were amazed by the results this year. This is one of the reasons we strongly suggest Innova papers in our lab every day” – Center Chrome Fine Art Print

Many photographers visiting Spazio OFF at Cortona On The Move 2024 were encountering Innova Art papers for the first time. Taking the opportunity to talk to the team, they were able to experience the wide variety of surfaces produced by Innova. They could also learn about how different finishing options, provided by print partner Center Chrome, can influence how viewers engage with artwork.

“Paper brings images to life and it is fantastic to work with an organisation like Cortona On The Move who really understand this.” Says Kirsty-Anne Ward, Marketing and Design Manager at Innova Art, “The team at Center Chrome know how to work with printed media and seeing what they create with the variety of Innova papers selected by Cortona On The Move is fantastic. Coupled with the excellent finishing options created by Center Chrome, presentation of the finished prints is second to none.”

Cortona On the Move 2024 is open until November 3rd, tickets can be purchased online.

This Is The End | Curated by Paolo Woods and Irene Opezzo | Cortona On The Move 2024

They Don’t Look Like Me | Niccolo Rastrelli | Cortona On The Move 2024

American Mirror | Philip Montgomery | Cortona On The Move 2024

A visit to Arles in the summer is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of photography. The overall theme for Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024 is beneath the surface. Walking through each exhibition, viewers are able to see through others eyes and see perspectives on everything from subcultures to personal stories.

Sophie Calle | Neither Give Nor Throw Away | Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024

Reflection 11-03-11 | Japanese Photographers Facing the Cataclysm | Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024

All in The Name of The Name | The Sensitive Surfaces of Graffiti | Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024

L’Enagement is the the contribution to this larger story from the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation. Curated by Florent Basiletti, this exhibition explores the theme of commitment. Each display encourages visitors to explore and evolve their own definition of commitment.

From the opening of the doors, you are asked to explore the work of Camille Lepage, a photojournalist so committed to highlighting the lives of others, she was killed whilst photographing in the Central African Republic. Continuing through the space you can explore the meaning of home, the motivation for migration, the power of protest and so much more. L’Engagement is an exhibition that unites voices from around the world in pursuit of a unified understanding.

Guido Gazzilli | Home is Home (All Alone) | Manueal Rivera-Ortiz Foundation | Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024

Innova Art at Les Rencontres d’Arles

Innova Art were invited to attend Les Rencontres d’Arles after contributing to the displays for Camille Lepage and Guido Gazzilli at the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation. “In our quest to illuminate overlooked subjects and document untold stories, the partnership between the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography and Innova Art is a strong statement of our mutual dedication: preserving narratives that shape our world, one click and one print at a time.” Says Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, President and Founder.

Innova Art and The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation both share a desire to provide photographers with a platform to tell their story. Something recognised by Justine Ayzac, Exhibition Coordinator at MRO, “The Foundation is delighted with its partnership with Innova Art, because of the quality of their expertise, the attention and advice given to our projects and the shared values that unite our two organisations.” It is these complementary partnerships which continue to inform the evolution of Innova Art media: creating a wide range of surfaces which ensure photographers do not have to compromise their creative vision when printing their work.

Marketing and Design Manager for Innova Art, Kirsty-Anne Ward was present in Arles. “Being able to see what people achieve with our media is great,” she says. “Seeing an exhibition realised is fantastic, especially one as moving as L’Engagement. The decisions that have been made by the curatorial team really enhance how people experience the stories behind the images. Something that we hope our papers have helped to enhance in some small way.”

Les Rencontres d’Arles exhibitions run until 29th September 2024. You can visit The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation Monday to Sunday 11am-6pm.

“We are so excited to be collaborating with Cortona On The Move for the second year,” says Nevelle Bower, CEO of Innova Art. “As a manufacturer we don’t want people to have to compromise their creative vision when choosing their printing surface, this is why we make so many papers. Cortona On The Move is an organisation that understands this ethos, they tell stories that need to be told and we are happy to provide the papers to print them on.”

Cortona On The Move is an annual festival which takes place in the historic town of Cortona in the Tuscany region of Italy. Each year, the festival takes over buildings within the town, showcasing photographers from all over the world. Each exhibit is united by a common theme, the theme for Cortona On The Move 2024 is Body of Evidence.

Taking inspiration from the earliest days of photography, when the body was fast established as one of the focal subjects, right up to the present day. Body of Evidence explores the vulnerability and the power inherent in every body. Linked to identity, gender, politics, medicine and technology; the human body has become something that is viewed as both individual sanctuary and collective commodity.

Cortona On The Move 2024 offers visitors a chance to explore the body, and themselves, through a series of exhibitions showcasing life, death and everything in-between.

Many exhibits at Cortona On The Move 2024 have been printed onto Innova Art papers, courtesy of technical print partner Center Chrome. Each surface on show has been carefully matched to the work on show. Complimenting the specific style of each individual photographer and working in harmony with the curation of the entire exhibition.

Veronica Nicolardi, Director of Cortona On The Move comments “Cortona On The Move has partnered with Innova Art for the second consecutive year to leverage their expertise in high-quality print papers, ensuring the festival’s exhibitions maintain exceptional visual and archival standards. This collaboration enhances the overall artistic presentation, aligning with the festival’s commitment to showcasing outstanding contemporary photography.”

Cortona On The Move runs from July 11th – November 3rd 2024. Members of the Innova Art team will be in attendance for the opening of the festival. Find the Innova team in Spazio OFF near Piazza Signorelli, July 11th-14th. Contact us if you would like to make an appointment to meet with the team.

The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation is dedicated to supporting documentary projects; photographers and artists who use their skills to challenge humanity to develop a new vision of the world. Each exhibition that they curate aims to capture global issues, encourage viewers to question what they see and give voice to the voiceless.

Les Rencontres d’Arles has taken place every summer since 1970. The festival traditionally takes place throughout the whole city, featuring more than forty exhibitions. It is a major influence in showcasing the best of global photography and acts as a springboard for emerging creative talent.

Innova Art is delighted to be supporting the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation with their latest exhibition display. The Innova range of media provided the exhibition curators with a wide range of media options. Enabling them to match the atmosphere of the wider exhibition design and complement the creative vision of the photographer.

“We couldn’t be happier to be supporting this exhibition in Arles,” says Mike Ramos-Gonzalez, owner of Innova Art. “As a company, we are always looking to do things differently to the traditional norms. Teaming up with an organisation like the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation, that actively encourages people to view life from a different perspective, is the perfect partnership for us.”

L’Engagement runs from July 1st until September 29th, 2024 at the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation in Arles, France. Members of the Innova Art team will be in Arles July 1st – 4th, please contact us if you would like to meet us there.

In March this year eInnovation News had a conversation with artist John Dyer. At the time John was just about to embark on his most ambitious project to date: Last Chance To Paint. Since then John has lead two expeditions to explore the impact of climate change on the people, plants and animals of the rainforest in the Amazon and Borneo.

Last Chance To Paint is inspired by a previous project called Spirit of the Rainforest. Here John painted with Amazon Indian Nixiwaka Yawanawa. As a fitting start to the latest project, chapter one of Last Chance To Paint is titled Spirit of the Rainforest 2. In this chapter John and the team visited Nixiwaka in the Amazon rainforest. Spending time with the Yawanawa tribe in the Acre region and learning how they live in harmony with the rainforest around them.

In chapter two, Last Chance To Paint: Person of the Forest, John and the team trekked into the rainforest once again. This time in Borneo, spending time with the Penan tribe and then travelling south to the Orangutan Foundation. Here the team explored how palm oil plantations are impacting on the environment. The time with the Penan tribe highlighted just how quickly a culture can be changed by environmental influence, with some of the youngest tribe members never having experienced the true hunter-gatherer existence of their elders. At the Orangutan Foundation, the team were up close and personal with climate change when forest fires used to clear areas of rainforest for farming caused them to leave the location early.

With more trips planned for the future, we caught up with John to hear how the project is progressing.

eInnovation News In Conversation With: John Dyer

What was it like when you arrived in the Amazon, were you excited that Last Chance To Paint was officially live or were you daunted by what you set out to accomplish?

Arriving in the Amazon was a very special moment for me. The last time I was in the Amazon rainforest was in 1989, much of the forest I explored then has now been felled for beef farming. So I do feel a real sense of urgency to not only experience places but to tell their story and connect others. It was a daunting prospect venturing that deep into the rainforest to live with the Yawanawá tribe. Doing this for the Last Chance To Paint project really inspired me and energised me as it provided a unique way for children to connect personally to the issues the rainforest and its people face.

I wish to accomplish a great deal and my sights are set very high so it can be daunting. Particularly when you are far from home and engaged with the expedition, knowing that if even one child or one school listens and follows, we have achieved something unique and special. Painting large canvases in the rainforest and dealing with the hierarchy of the tribe was daunting, but adrenaline and enthusiasm always gets me through. I have no predefined goals for each painting is they simply reflect the day and experience I have.

“Arriving in the Amazon was a very special moment for me”

Part of the appeal of the project is that schools who have signed up can travel ‘live’ with you via video and social media. Did you have to plan ahead for what to do if technology let you down or were you able to stay live for the duration of each chapter?

The ‘live’ element of Last Chance to Paint is the magic ingredient and one we hope will develop further in forthcoming chapters. I did have to plan ahead and we took two separate satellite systems with us in case one wouldn’t connect.

It was a struggle to get connectivity for our video satellite in the Amazon as there are only 4 satellites around the world that connect to it. The angle we had to point at kept clipping the rainforest canopy making for a weak signal. After a few days of very slowly uploading videos and the connection failing repeatedly we had burned £600 of airtime for only three 5 minute compressed video clips.

After this we had to resort to our second system that connects via a constellation of satellites but doesn’t allow for more than text based communication. I had all of this planned though and, with a few carefully edited emails with compressed images in, we could squeeze out an email to the Last Chance to Paint web site. The web site would recognise the email then format and publish it as a blog! That way we could receive messages from children and still answer them.

With a much bigger budget we could do more but the connectivity wasn’t the only issue. Power proved to be a bigger hurdle that we had anticipated due to us being in the rainforest for much of the day. Our solar panels didn’t have much time in the full sun to charge our kit. We had to be very disciplined with what equipment was used, some equipment was sacrificed to keep other bits of kit powered up.

iPad and Acrylic Paintings created for Last Chance To Paint: Person of the Forest

For each chapter so far you have created multiple paintings on an iPad as well as in traditional acrylic medium. Were there any specific challenges to your creative process in these remote locations?

There are always challenges when working in the field. These are multiplied when in very remote tropical areas, such as the Amazon and Borneo rainforests.

“I  had to respect their wishes, culture and the spiritual subjects we were painting together”

My acrylic paints behave really well in the field, but the high humidity levels meant they didn’t dry very fast. I had to work wet on wet and even the following day the canvases were still wet and vulnerable. The subjects are not subjects I am very familiar with so when painting in the rainforest my eyes, brain and hand are working at an accelerated rate to try to work out and decode what I am seeing, searching to find the essence of my subject.

With the Yawanawá tribe I also had to respect their wishes, culture and the spiritual subjects we were painting together. It’s a bit like walking a tightrope and only on one occasion in the Amazon did I virtually fall off as I misinterpreted what I was painting which created a tension between myself and the tribe. This was quickly remedied the following day, but it was a reminder that Last Chance To Paint is a complex, unique and precious project that can only exist with the cooperation of very proud and remote peoples.

Using an iPad mini with Apple pencil and Procreate in the rainforests of the Amazon and Borneo was a whole new experience for me. A digital paint box and pad of paper all in one. It worked very well and allowed me to create new ‘paintings’ in the dark as it is pitch black by 6pm each day. Keeping the device charged was the biggest issue as there was only so much power to share between satellites links, cameras, iPhones, iPad, mics and more. I enjoyed using the iPad and the Procreate app so much that I took it to Borneo and it really came into its own there. It allowed me to draw, explore and get to grips with how to capture orangutans with a quick fluidity that would be hard achieve on canvas. In Borneo I was on the move all the time, in boats, walking, in caves, climbing canopy towers, meeting the Penan tribe etc. so it was great to use it a drawing book and also to pull up photos on so I could paint back at base camp.

Whilst spending time with the Yawanawá tribe in the Amazon, you ran a workshop with the children of the village. You also ran workshops with children in Borneo and, since returning, you have spent time running workshops with children from the UK. Were there any significant contrasts to working with children in each location? Do you think that where a child grows up makes a difference to their awareness of climate change?

Absolutely yes, there were real differences. The Yawanawá children in the Amazon already had a shared spiritual visual language that became very apparent when they started to paint. They worked very symbolically using key visual elements to describe their life and their connection to their rainforest. They all painted butterflies in the Yawanawá spiritual form rather than the actual form. The same was true of the boa constrictor snake. In fact all of the children included key spiritual images in their paintings just as Nixiwaka Yawanawá, the Amazon Indian artist I was painting alongside, does in his art. It was very interesting and all of the visual imagery they use is deeply connected to the forest and their Ayahuasca ceremonies.

The Penan tribe’s children in Borneo used to be nomadic and lived in very isolated small family groups in the rainforest. They do not use any form of plant based ‘medicines’ in ceremonies. They have been forcibly settled now into villages and converted to Christianity by missionaries. It was really clear to me that even though they painted their village and the rainforest and had a proud and strong connection to it, they didn’t have the strong visual link to it that the Yawanawá children do. Virtually all of the Penan children did feature rainforest trees in their paintings so the connection is still there.

“In the UK we have no predefined visual language so it became more technique led”

Back in the UK working with children from the UK at the Eden Project was different again. None of them had any connection to the plants or any real understanding of the relationship between plants, people, and animals, they all focused on the animals, which is really wonderful but very interesting too. In the UK we have no predefined visual language so it became more technique led. Once the children overcame their hesitancy to ‘risk’ making a painting or drawing, it worked really well with entire families joining in and spending hours working on Last Chance To Paint art together.

The Yawanawá children are the most aware of climate change issues as they live in the most unspoilt of the three areas. It’s interesting that the more urban the children are the less aware and connected they are to climate change and nature, I think this needs to change.

Smoke Covering the Sun at the Orangutan Foundation, Borneo and Orangutans at the centre

Inadvertently as part of this project, you have not only been raising awareness of climate change but have also experienced it first-hand. How did it feel when you had to leave Borneo early due to the forest fires in the area? 

I never intended to put myself or the Last Chance to Paint team on the front line of climate change. But I guess the clue is in the name of the project, the subjects I am exploring are quite literally potentially a last chance to paint subject. I have to admit I found it hard to keep up my optimism as I experienced the devastation in Borneo. Clumps of burning rainforest fell out of the sky for the entire time we were with the orangutans. Once the air became so thick with smoke that we couldn’t easily see the sun, it was time to go.

Burning trees release huge amounts of toxins and heavy metals into the air so it is a very toxic place to be. The Last Chance To Paint team could leave but the orangutans couldn’t. I could wear a mask but the orangutans couldn’t. The Orangutan Foundation do their best and all of the orphaned orangutans are put on high doses of vitamins to help with the toxic air. When you know that in the last 20 years we have deforested 80% of the rainforest these ‘people of the forest’ live in, it is shocking.

If we keep buying products with palm oil in, it escalates the palm oil price and in the next dry season even more forest will burn. There are only about 5 years left at this rate and orangutans face imminent extinction. However this is exactly why Last Chance To Paint exists. To encourage young people to engage positively and gently with these difficult subjects, then hopefully they will tread as gently as they can as they grow.

“A team certainly adds up to more than the people in it”

Last Chance To Paint is all about educating future generations but we imagine that it has been a fantastic learning experience for you and the team as well. Is there anything that you or the team have learnt about yourselves, the environment or your creative processes that you would like to share with us?

The Last Chance To Paint team worked really well together and having the knowledge and mentoring of Robin Hanbury-Tenison, the 20th century greatest explorer, made a big difference to the first two chapters. There are always times when tiredness, illness, physical discomfort, lack of food, insects etc. can get the team or a member of the team down. What we learnt was to listen to each other and to not push things too hard. That was very apparent in the Yawanawá tribe as we couldn’t simply set off and paint until all the permissions from the tribal leaders had been gained. A team certainly adds up to more than the people in it and having art, music and exploration working together was a brilliant combination.

It was very interesting to see all of the problems we have: pollution, fossil fuel use, plastics, theft, money issues, health etc. appear even in remote tribal groups. There is a lot of commonality between us all. We really aren’t that different from each other.

I was a little sad to see how much the Penan have lost from being forcibly settled, but on the flip side the children now have huge possibilities for their future lives. Religion has been a corrosive force to both tribes but again they have adopted it and now run Christianity alongside their own traditions. At the end of the day we can’t wish for tribal people to be in ‘human zoos’ kept in a way that doesn’t allow for change but we really should never force them to change or to leave their land. Their future should only be in their hands but often it isn’t.

The Last Chance To Paint team, John Dyer at work and a workshop with children from the Penan tribe in Borneo

What are the next steps for the project; are any chapters confirmed for 2020?

The next chapter will be ‘Precious Africa’ where the team will be embedded with the Born Free Foundation in Kenya which will be amazing! There is no date set yet as we are still researching it. Hopefully in the new year we will have more information on that. So many of the iconic African species face extinction now and tribal people have really struggled to so there is a lot to explore and raise awareness about.

Do you ever see Last Chance To Paint coming to an end or are you concerned that there will always be a need for projects which raise awareness of environmental issues?

I see Last Chance To Paint as an ongoing project as long as we can find supportive sponsors to help us. There are so many subjects to explore and so little time left to do it. The race is on and creativity in schools is also really suffering so the project aims to address that too.

Join The Conversation on Climate Change: Subscribe To Last Chance To Paint

If you would like to enrol your school on the Last Chance To Paint adventure, sign up to receive updates at www.LastChanceToPaint.com. Get involved today by downloading the free teaching resources for Chapter One: Spirit of the Rainforest 2 and Chapter Two: Person of the Forest, available from the dedicated chapter pages. You can also follow Last Chance To Paint on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

eInnovation News: What inspired the Last Chance to Paint project?
John Dyer: In 2015 I worked on a ground breaking painting project with Amazon Indian Nixiwaka Yawanawá ’Spirit of the Rainforest’ and this type of cultural and global exploration through painting is something that I believe has huge potential. Whilst putting together my new book ‘Painting the Colours of the World’ with the author Kate Dinn and Alan Titchmarsh, who wrote the foreword, it became obvious that the last chapter had to be forward looking – new projects and that it should build on my global painting experiences and ’Spirit of the Rainforest’

I always have so many projects in my mind, so once I started to consider these it seemed logical to bracket them into one large project with a series of ‘chapters’. I was inspired many years ago by the work of Douglas Adams (1952 – 2001) who wrote The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas also travelled with WWF zoologist Mark Carwardine and wrote a book ‘Last Chance to See’. I approached Mark, who agreed that ‘Last Chance to Paint’ was a great idea for the last chapter of my new book and the project has grown from that point.

My work is studied at schools across the UK and beyond and ‘Last Chance to Paint’ will provide a vehicle to really engage children in endangered environments and art at the same time. There are so many places and subjects we could focus on for this and it’s very exciting.

Spirit of the Rainforest and Painting the Colours of the World inspired John Dyer to start the Last Chance to Paint project.

Have you always had an interest in the conservation of global cultures, environments and species?
I have always been very connected to the environment and in 1989, as a student, Thames TV awarded me a travelling art bursary to travel to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. I went as a photographer taking fine art images of the remaining natural beauty but returned as a painter. I have painted ever since. During the planning of that first expedition to the Amazon I met Robin Hanbury-Tenison the then president of the Royal Geographical Society in London. Robin made me a Fellow of the RGS and also introduced me to his charity Survival International who campaign for the rights of tribal people. It was at that point that my interest in global culture was ignited.

In 2001 I was appointed as the artist in residence for the Eden Project and that fuelled my desire to travel, learn, teach, record in paint and to celebrate the world. I have now worked as the artist in residence for government organisations in Costa Rica, the Philippines and Peru and even get to be the artist in residence for the wine company Banrock Station in Australia painting their wetland conservation work.

How do you meet the schools that are involved in the project, do you approach them or do they approach you?
We will be emailing many schools across the country to ask for their support and to invite them to ’travel’ with me. We are also hoping that many schools will visit the Last Chance to Paint project website and naturally pledge their support and will start to engage with the project. The Eden Project and Survival International will also be reaching out once the first projects are ready to go live to engage schools, families and supporters.

The Last Chance to Paint website includes an online gallery of the work that young people have created as part of the project. Do you have any plans to show these collections in print or as originals as part of an offline exhibition?
For the ’Spirit of the Rainforest’ project that I ran in 2015/16 with the Eden Project and Survival International we selected the best 300 pieces of art from the children out of the 1048 that we received and printed them out to be exhibited in the rainforest biome of the Eden Project. The resulting exhibition looked amazing. The art, based on the rainforest and tribal culture, intertwined amongst the rainforest plants was really special. We are very much hoping to repeat this type of exhibition once the projects are underway.

Exhibition at the Eden Project for Spirit of the Rainforest

John Dyer has completed many artists residencies throughout his career

Alongside Last Chance to Paint, you are and have been an artist in residence for a wide range of organisations and events. Which one of these projects stands out most in your memory?
That is a tricky one to answer as I have done so many. Spending a week with Kim Wilde in her garden and home was fabulous and Alan Titchmarsh is now a great friend after I painted the BBC Gardeners’ World garden for a week. Australia was extraordinary, the Philippines was crazy and painting in Peru, especially at lake Titicaca for the United Nations year of the potato was incredible – to witness the biodiversity and culture of this part of the world was breathtaking. I think a real highlight was closer to home when I was appointed as the artist in residence for the official ‘Darwin 200’ celebrations and I was sent to the zoo. Working in the animal enclosures and being allowed to take my daughter with me was extraordinary. Rather than peering in over a fence at the animals we were able to sit and paint amongst them, having lemurs feeding from my hand, sitting on my lap, putting their fingers in my paints and making hand prints in the paintings was beautiful. It really makes a bond when you spend time in a situation like this and create something based on your experience.

Have you got any advice for other artists seeking an artist in residence position?
Yes – don’t wait to be asked and don’t wait to apply for a residency. Invent your own – own the idea and then find the partner to work with, otherwise you might never be an artist in residence. If you can see an opportunity where art can communicate, inspire and add to a subject, make the approach. My residencies have been a mix of people asking me and others I have created by talking to organisations.

If Last Chance to Paint could change just one thing about the world, what would it be?
To build love between people and the natural world.

How can people get involved with Last Chance to Paint?
They should visit www.lastchancetopaint.com and watch our main video, read the ideas and then sign up their email on the site so that we can keep them posted as the project develops, attracts funding and then goes live. The first chapter is planned for June 2019. Hopefully they will also consider telling their schools about the project as the more schools that pledge their support and interest the better… We can achieve more with more support.

As with most printed objects, the format you choose for your portfolio will dictate how easy it is to update. You could choose a professionally bound book which is only updated when you absolutely have to. Or you may go down the route of a loose leaf portfolio: no binding and complete flexibility on when to update. Or maybe something completely outside the box: a bespoke style representing you as an individual.

There are many articles to refer to that cover the types of work to include in your portfolio. The specifics vary by sector of the creative industries but they all follow the same trend: the work should be your best, it should show the skills you want to do most often and you should be able to talk about each project that is featured. In this article we will focus on the practicalities of printed presentation.

So, you have your projects picked, your synopsis written and you know that this is it. Your portfolio. The best of the best of everything you have ever done, but how to show it to other people?

Outsourcing Your Printed Portfolio Book

Shelf-life is the key point when thinking about using a professionally printed and bound book for your portfolio. You don’t want to labour over your book and lovingly create each and every page, only to realise that the project you just finished should actually be the centrepiece when the finished portfolio book lands on your doorstep.

The balance of cost and quantity also becomes a factor when someone else produces your portfolio. There are now many options for creating cost effective, professional quality, short run books using a digital press such as the HP Indigo but there is still a balance to be struck when considering quantity and cost per book.

Outsourcing is a great option because it removes all the stress of production. It gives you a wide range of choice for paper and binding types. Some print companies also offer templates for you to use for page layout. Or you can use your own creative skills to create a layout perfect for your brand. All you need to do is upload your files and wait for the delivery.

The downside of outsourcing is that it is not so flexible to change the contents of your portfolio. It can also become expensive if you just need one copy. This may be ok if that one copy will last for years, however, if you are regularly creating projects that are portfolio worthy you will need to update your printed portfolio regularly as well. This may make outsourcing prohibitively expensive.

Key questions before outsourcing the production of your printed portfolio book:

• How often do you finish portfolio worthy projects?
• How many copies of your portfolio do you really need?

Printing Your Own Portfolio

Portfolios printed by the creatives presenting them are fantastic as true representations of you and your work. You have complete flexibility over how many copies are produced and can work to a very specific budget. You can easily update the contents, as often as you need to. You have a wide range of paper types and finishing options.

If you are looking to create the traditional book option, there are cover options available which look professional but allow you to easily change the internal pages. You can also easily create a loose leaf portfolio yourself: all you need is a great looking box or folder to store the sheets for transportation and presentation. You can easily experiment to find the format which works best.

However, going down this route means you need to be very honest with yourself about the production skills that you have. Quality is key in any printed portfolio. This is your best work so it needs to be shown to the highest possible standard. If you don’t know how to get the best out of your equipment then you will not be able to produce a great portfolio. There is no point in producing beautiful prints to then lower their impact by not finishing them at an equally beautiful level.

Key questions before printing your own portfolio:

• How good are your printing and finishing skills?
• Are you willing to learn new skills to be able to produce your portfolio to the highest possible quality?

The Hybrid Method For Printing Portfolios

This can be a good option if you are strong in one area but need a bit of help in another. For example: you may struggle to get the best out of your printer (where do those black marks on the paper edges come from?) but you may be obsessive about all the finer details (measure ten times, cut once). Decide where your skills lie and outsource the areas you are weaker in.

Get a production group together: trade your skills to give everyone the best quality printed portfolio possible. If you are a whizz kid at trouble shooting printers but can’t fold a straight line to save your life then reach out to someone who can. Offer to print their portfolio for them if they will help to create the amazing pop up presentation piece you have designed and printed for your portfolio.

Look into what is available in your local area, is there a printer who specialises in short run prints? Perhaps they can print your portfolio for you and you could do all the finishing touches at home or in the studio.

Key questions before using the hybrid method:

• What are your weakest skill areas?
• Who can help?

The best thing about printed portfolios is that they can be almost anything. There is no limit imposed by screen resolution or server speed. Printed portfolios are tactile experience of your brand. The presentation choices you make should compliment the work you produce as a creative.

If you are known for an ultra modern style, carry this through to your choice of print media. An ultra modern logo design will look and feel different if printed on a heavily textured, natural white paper compared to a smooth, bright white paper. Follow it up with your presentation choice: stick with something clean and simple to present your work.

General thoughts on creating printed portfolios:

• Keep in mind that people will be handling your portfolio: don’t make it too big (and awkward to handle) or too small (so everyone needs a magnifying glass to see it) unless this is a very deliberate design decision. 
• There is a possibility that you might not be in the room when someone looks through your portfolio. Include a short description of each project for viewers to read – keep it brief, if they want more information, they will ask.
• Know what you want to say about each and every project, if you can’t talk in detail about each and every one, why are they in there?
• Quality is key: however you choose to present your printed portfolio it should be rendered in the highest quality. No ink marks on paper edges or weak bindings making pages come loose.

In partnership with Martin Vegas’s hugely ambitious enterprise, Atlas of Humanity, Innova Art will present two stunning exhibitions at Photokina 2018, Koelmesse, Cologne, Germany, 26-29 September 2018. 

Atlas of Humanity presents more than 100 images by 52 photographers from around the world, both professional and amateur, that span the globe, from Armenia to Yemen and Australia to Zimbabwe. Photokina visitors will be able see the images, flawlessly printed on Innova Art media, on the Innova Art stand (A006, Hall 3.1), and also in a stand-alone exhibition on stand A002, between Halls 4 and 5. The Photokina displays are the first opportunity anywhere to see the Atlas of Humanity collection in print, rather than online.

The Atlas of Humanity project is the brainchild of the international photographer and curator Martin Vegas. We asked Martin to tell us how the project began and how it has grown. 

Innova Art: What inspired the idea for the Atlas of Humanity project?

Martin Vegas: It’s an ongoing, never-ending project that I first set up in 2015. My inspiration was the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, to help preserve and promote cultural diversity worldwide. Now, thanks to the amazing work of some hundred photographers from all over the world, the project extends to more than 400 ethnic groups, though some of the images have still to be published on the Atlas of Humanity website.

Innova Art: Once you’d had the idea, how did you begin collecting the images?

Martin Vegas: I started out by inviting photo journalists, travellers and amateur photographers whose work I knew – but in fact amassing images turned out to be much easier than the first job of deciding on the format of the project. I really didn’t expect to have so much positive feedback from the photographers who have sent me their images!

Innova Art: Is Atlas of Humanity your first experience of curating a large collection of images? Do you prefer to work with photographers you know?

Martin Vegas: Atlas of Humanity is the biggest project I’ve worked on but it’s not the first. Some years ago, I set up the photographic exhibition ImageNation in my hometown of Desenzano del Garda, in Italy. The idea was to show the work of national and internationally-known photographers in the city in which I lived, but it just grew and grew. I took ImageNation to Paris, where it drew an international audience. Paris is now the home of the project – I first met Innova Art at Paris Photo – but ImageNation also extends to Arles and Venice.

Some of the contributing photographers I know well. Having organised so many exhibitions over the years has meant I travel a lot and meet photographers in a great many places and variety of contexts. With others I exchange tons of emails so I guess I could say I know them all!

Innova Art: Are there any particular photographers of note who have contributed to the project?

Martin Vegas: The aim of the Atlas of Humanity project is to present a ‘choral’ idea of humanity. There are many established photographers, but also some amateurs. The project focuses on the images rather than the photographers – the diversity of the subjects rather than the photographers’ particular, individual approaches.

Innova Art: How comprehensive would you like the project to be and are you encouraging other photographers to contribute to help expand it?

Martin Vegas: We’re hugely ambitious! We all have the right to dream and my dream is to encompass the entire diversity of humanity. Anyone willing to share their interest in our common humanity can contribute.

Innova Art: This project has big aims but is it political?

Martin Vegas: In an age when nearly all armed conflicts are taking place within, and not between, states, and politicians are talking about strictly policing borders, even building walls, Atlas of Humanity is proudly non-political. The same can be said in respect of the 100-plus contributors from around the world who participate in the project.

.   .   .

To view Atlas of Humanity, visit the Innova Art stand A006, Hall 3.1, and the exhibition on Stand A002, between Halls 4 and 5. Both Martin Vegas and the Innova Art team will be on hand to offer insights into the making of the exhibition; Martin welcomes approaches from photographers who may be interested in adding their work to the collection.

Innova Art celebrates 15 years in the digital media industry in 2018. To find out more about the Innova Art range at Photokina, contact Kirsty-Anne Ward, Marketing Manager; kirstyanne@innovaart.com 

Why Choose YouTac® Textile?

For their eighth London edition in October 2017, Moniker Art Fair were looking to create multiple displays that were eye catching yet easy to install. As the venue for the fair needed to be returned to its original condition once the event was over, each installation needed to be easy to remove. They also invited Innova Art to exhibit at the event and, as the manufacturer of YouTac® Textile, we took the opportunity to show off a few applications on our stand as well.

Installation Showcase

Entrance to Moniker Art Fair 2017 printed on YouTac® Textile

To promote Moniker Art Fair and other events at The Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, YouTac® Textile was printed with various designs and installed outside the entrance to the fair. Applied to a purpose-built panelled frontage around the door, YouTac® Textile was printed using eco solvent inks and coped with October weather in London without any issue. The installation was completed by a team of professional installation experts who had never used the product before.

Moniker Art Fair 2017 VIP wall featuring work by Alex Fakso, printed on YouTac® Textile

For the VIP area, Moniker Art Fair created an immersive experience centred around the transient tales theme of the eighth edition. Wanting  to create an eye catching focal point they selected a photograph by Alex Fakso showing an underground train line disappearing into the distance. This image was then enlarged and printed across multiple strips of YouTac® Textile. Installed by the Innova Art team whilst they were on site for our own stand installation, the ventilation pipes going through the wall presented no problem. All that was needed was a pair of scissors to cut around them (a craft knife could also be used). The end result was a photographic quality print which was so realistic it gave the illusion you could set foot on the tracks and just keep walking.

Alongside the VIP area at the fair, visitors could get up close to a larger than life special edition box for Kaspersky Security Software. Featuring work by graffiti artist Ben Eine, the box was built by professional prop makers who applied eco solvent YouTac® Textile printed panels and then arranged for a sign painter to apply varnish to every face. Neither the prop maker or the sign painter had worked with YouTac® Textile before.

Special Edition Kaspersky Security Software box featuring work by Ben Eine at Moniker Art Fair 2017, printed on YouTac® Textile

The final feature of YouTac® Textile at Moniker Art Fair’s eighth edition could be found on the walls and floors of the Innova Art stand. Using eco solvent inks for durability we enlarged and printed artwork by Ian Kuali’i to cover one wall and the floor area. Applied to the concrete floor and painted plywood wall, the finished prints perfectly showed off the fine details of Ian’s work and were removed easily at the end of the fair without any adhesive residue being left behind. 

Counter Wrap featuring work by Mr. Frivolous at Moniker Art Fair 2017 printed on YouTac® Textile

Also on the Innova Art stand, YouTac® Textile created a wrap for the counter artist Mr. Frivolous used while he customised prints of his work. To create the counter wrap, Mr. Frivolous supplied a selection of his marker pen drawings which he had previously scanned in. We then used these digital files to create a repeating tiled pattern which could be printed onto YouTac® Textile and applied to the foamex sides of the counter unit. 

Will Moniker Art Fair Be Printing on YouTac® Textile Again?

Moniker Art Fair loved the prints produced on YouTac® Textile for the eighth edition so much, they decided to produce more short term large format displays for the ninth edition in New York City.

Read more about YouTac® Textile products on the Innova Art website. See more work by Alex Fakso, Ben Eine, Ian Kuali’i and Mr. Frivolous by clicking on their names. Click here to learn what the tenth edition of Moniker Art Fair has in store. 

Showcase your skills

Do you have a story about how you use Innova products? Email marketing@innovaart.com with details for your chance to be featured here.