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Mick McGraw

In recent years Mick McGraw has been investigating aspects and issues related to land use, focussing on our industrial/social integration with land/space. This investigation is linked to an extensive analysis of social, political and historical findings allied, or perhaps in opposition to, technological acceleration and advancement.

His work is frequently related to his own involvement with the natural landscape, often as result of his interaction with a particular place, space or site. His most recent works have taken on an edge of true simplicity, almost cathartic in their conception whereby we are encouraged to explore and reflect upon some very elementary acts of involvement, such as his series of “proposed” works and “viewing platforms”. These works include very simply designed structures and enclosures which are intended to take the “viewer” on an experiential journey designated to heighten their perception of place/space, irrespective of their familiarity with it. The idea here is to encourage us to re-assess and re-visit pre-conceived notions of familiarity by identifying an often very subtle change to our accustomed viewpoint.

Some examples of these ideas include the proposition of placing mirrors in strategic locations with the intention being to draw attention to impressive feats of civil engineering mastery, for example, perhaps normally ignored on a daily basis. These mirrors would offer a reflection of this structure/place/site and hence re-establish it once again in our consciousness, a re-affirmation of past feats. Another of his proposals, realised through the use of and fabrication of scale models, is to construct a wooden floating pontoon structure which could be towed to various sea/loch/ocean locations. This square floating pontoon is intended to frame a section or enclosure of water enabling the viewer the opportunity to experience the changing characteristics of the waters’ surface, its colour, depth, movement, isolation, and relationship to location.

Other works document our changing landscape heritage, such as his work on the Ancient Remnant Caledonian Pine Forest, a series which aims to heighten awareness of our lack of desire to protect important cultural and environmental sites. This forest once covered all of northern Europe as far as Eastern Siberia but now only consists of 89 living trees and 38 standing dead trees, a legacy, he believes to our policies on land use and ownership. His practice in this work involved identifying exact locations for each living/standing tree, employing gps and altimeter technology, plotting these onto maps of the area. The outcome of this activity is to realise the whole section of landscape and replica trees as a scale model and photographic record of the forest as it exists at present. This is indicative of his expanded practice where he employs a range of media incorporating print, photography, sculpture, installation and artists’ bookworks coupled with geographic, scientific and architectural research methods to realise his ideas.

Education

State University of New York at Purchase 1993
Glasgow School of Art 1992-1993
Glasgow School of Art 1988-1992

Qualifications

BA (Honours) Fine Art (Printmaking)
Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art

Selected Travel/ Research

  • Oslo, Norway, January 2006
  • Dubrovnik, Croatia, August 2005
  • Oslo, Norway, February 2005
  • New York, January 2004
  • Gothenburg, Sweden, September 2003
  • Budapest, Hungary, May 2003
  • New York, September 2002
  • Madrid, August 2001
  • New York, September 2000
  • New York, April 2000
  • Reykjavik, Iceland. April 2000
  • Prague, Czech Republic, September 1999

Current and past positions

  • 2001 - ongoing
    • Glasgow School of Art, Lecturer in Charge of Printmaking
  • 1995-2001
    • Glasgow School of Art, Lithography and Reprographics Technician 1995-2001

Selected Exhibitions

  • 2006
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Hartley Library, University of Southampton, England
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Library AKI, Enschede, Holland
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Rikhardinkatu Library, Helsinki
  • 2005
    • Boxing Clever, Mini-Print Exhibition. UWE, Bristol, England
    • Boxing Clever, Mini-Print Exhibition. Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, England.
    • Boxing Clever, Mini-Print Exhibition. Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu, Poznan, Poland
    • LAND2 Group Exhibition. Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, England
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Trace Gallery, Dorset, England
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. UWE, Bristol, England
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Eagle Gallery, London
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Grahame Galleries and Editions, Brisbane, Australia
    • Arcadia id est, Artist Book Exhibition. Moufflon Bookshop, Nicosia, Cyprus
  • 2004
    • Group Exhibition, Leubsdorf Gallery, Hunter College, New York .
    • 7th Contemporary Artists' Book Fair. Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax, England
    • LAND2 Group Exhibition. Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax, England.
  • 2002
    • 20:20 Artists Survey, Group Exhibition. CFPR, University of West of England
  • 2001
    • Perfect Worlds, Group Exhibition. Evington Park Visitors Centre, Leicestershire
    • 60 Second Interlude, Solo Exhibition. market, Glasgow, Scotland
    • Digital Print / Traditional Print, Group Exhibition. CADE Conference, GSA, Scotland.
    • DA2 Commissions, Two Person Exhibition. Plymouth Arts Centre, England
    • Cortona International Print Symposium, Group Exhibition.University of Georgia, Italy
    • Artists' Books Group Exhibition. Edinburgh Printmakers
  • 2000
    • St. Magnus Festival, Group Exhibition. Stromness Library, Orkney
    • Perfect Worlds, Group Exhibition. Phoenix Arts Centre, Leicester, England
    • A Survey of Photomechanical Prints, Group Exhibition. Create Centre, Bristol.
    • International Mini-Print Exchange, Group Exhibition. Centre for Fine Print Research, Bristol.
    • Digitally Mastered, Group Exhibition. Glasgow Print Studio, Scotland.
    • g312000Open, Group Exhibition. market, Glasgow, Scotland
  • 1999
    • Form and Fluidity, Group Exhibition. Mitchell Library, Glasgow
    • Kiss My Ass, Group Exhibition. 13th Note, Glasgow
    • Later Editions, Group Exhibition. Kyoto Seika University Gallery, Japan
    • Habitat, Group Exhibition, Year of Architecture and Design. Glasgow Print Studio, Scotland
    • Glaskunst Triennale, Group Exhibition. Kunstmarkt, Nurnberg, Germany
    • Perfect Worlds, Group Exhibition. De Montfort Hall, Leicester, England
  • 1998
    • Arcade II. Picture Gallery, Novosibirsk, Siberia
    • Group Exhibition.Stockholm Art Fair, Sweden,
    • Art on the Rock. Artlink Central, Stirling Castle, Scotland,
    • 3rd International Symposium on Lithography. Academy of Lithography, Tidaholm, Sweden
    • Tronway Arts Centre, Group Exhibition. Transmission Gallery, Glasgow
    • Street Level Open, Group Exhibition. Street Level Gallery, Glasgow
    • Artists' Books and Multiples Fair. Grahame Galleries and Editions, Brisbane, Australia
    • International PrintTriennale. Prefectural Gallery, Kanagawa, Japan
    • Later Editions, Group Exhibition. Iwate Arts Festival, Japan
    • Later Editions, Group Exhibition. Machida International Graphics Museum, Tokyo, Japan
    • 5th International Biennale of Prints and Drawings. Moscow Prospect Gallery, Kaliningrad, Russia
    • Townhouse, Artist Initiated Exhibition. 25 Buckingham Terrace, Glasgow
  • 1997
    • Turning the Page. Picture House Centre for Photography, Leicester, England
    • Arcade II. University of Brighton, England
    • Arcade II. Kensington and Chelsea College, London, England

Selected Publications/ Artists Books

  • 2006
    • McGraw, Michael Cast Paper Wall Center for Editions
  • 2005
    • McGraw, Michael Silva Center for Editions
  • 2001
    • McGraw, Michael 60 Second Interude market gallery/Michael McGraw
    • McGraw, Michael Three Fifths Fluid Center for Editions
  • 2000
    • McGraw, Michael Aqueduct Michael McGraw @ Center for Editions @ GSA
  • 1998
    • McGraw, Michael Every Transfer Point..... Michael McGraw @ Center for Editions @ GSA
    • McGraw, Michael Dig We Must 2 Michael McGraw @ Center for Editions @ GSA
  • 1996
    • McGraw, Michael KEF Michael McGraw @ Center for Editions @ GSA
  • 1993
    • McGraw, Michael Ten Year Tide Mark Glasgow School of Art, Scotland
    • McGraw, Michael Dig We Must Glasgow School of Art, Scotland
    • McGraw, Michael Exchange Overview Glasgow, Scotland
    • McGraw, Michael Gaseteria Purchase, State University, New York
    • McGraw, Michael Sit’e Purchase, State University, New York
  • 1992
    • McGraw, Michael Wave Book 1 Glasgow School of Art, Scotland
  • 1991
    • McGraw, Michael 1:250 000 Glasgow School of Art, Scotland
    • McGraw, Michael Deterioratum Glasgow School of Art, Scotland

Work in Collections

  • Granary Books, New York, USA.
  • Insight Press, New York, USA.
  • Art Metropole, Toronto. Canada.
  • Grahame Galleries and Editions, Brisbane, Australia.
  • DA2 Digital Arts Development Agency, Bristol, England.
  • Tate Gallery, London, England.
  • Manchester Metropolitan Library, England.

Conferences Attended / Participated

  • 2005
    • Arcadia id est, Artists’ Books, Nature and The Landscape, UWE, Bristol.
    • 2nd International Collotype Conference, UWE, Bristol, February.
  • 2004
    • LAN2D: Art “After Landscape”: Memory, Place and Identity, Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax, November .
  • 2001
    • CADE Conference 2001, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, .
  • 2000
    • Preservation and Conservation Issues Related to Digital Printing, Institute of Physics, London,
  • 1999
    • IMPACT International Conference on Printmaking, University of West of England, Bristol

Residencies

  • 2000
    • Artist in Residence, July/ August Centre for Fine Print Research, University of West of England, Bristol, in conjunction with DA2 Digital Arts Development Agency, July/ August

Selected Publications / Articles

  • 2005
    • Arcadia id est, Artists’ Books, Nature and The Landscape, UWE, Bristol, Exhibition Catalogue
  • 2004
    • LAND2: Beyond Landscape? Dean Clough, Halifax, Exhibition Catalogue
  • 2001
    • Electronic Printmaking, Green & Black publications, George Whale and Naren Barfield
    • ‘Artists Books’, Edinburgh Printmakers, Exhibition Review, Scotland on Sunday, 1st July
    • ‘60 Second Interlude’, Exhibition Review, The Guardian, 10th April
    • ‘60 Second Interlude’, Exhibition Review, The Big Issue, Issue 319, April
    • ‘60 Second Interlude’, Exhibition Review, The List, Issue 410, March / April
    • ‘60 Second Interlude’, Exhibition Review, The List, Issue 409, March
    • ‘The Relationship Between the Digital Image and Traditional Forms of Print’ Printmakers Council
  • 2000
    • ‘Survey of Photomechanical Prints’, Essay and Exhibition Catalogue
    • DA2 Digital Arts Development Agency, Bristol, website www.da2.org.uk
    • ‘The Book Society’, St. Magnus Festival 2000, Exhibition Catalogue/ Publication, 2000.
    • ‘60 Second Interlude’, Artist Newsletter, August 2000.

 

Mick McGraw

e-mail: m.mcgraw@gsa.ac.uk