As I write, here at Ikon we are in the process of organising Here’s the Thing, a major exhibition of work by the British-Guyanese artist Hew Locke. It will involve lots of boats, with reference to colonial history and the kind of remixed regal imagery that Locke is renowned for.
There is also a 120-page, soft-cover catalogue. We have been meeting often with London-based designer Herman Lelie to arrive at decisions about layout, typeface, paper, binding and so on, and are on the way to a final printed result that will be integral to the project. For both Ikon and the artist, the catalogue is certainly not a peripheral consideration.
When we embarked on this journey, many people observed that it was about time Locke had a new book, since the previous one, published in 2011, was out of print. The idea was to create an updated account that would be good for museum curators, gallerists and collectors, and for those with academic interests. Above all, it would be good for us.
If at the outset we told Locke that his Ikon catalogue could only be virtual – “an ebook with limitless pages and images, downloadable by billions” – I can imagine his reaction, asking in not so many words, “Where’s the thing?”
Jonathan Watkins is the director of Ikon, Birmingham. Hew Locke: Here’s the Thing is at Ikon until 2 June
There is also a 120-page, soft-cover catalogue. We have been meeting often with London-based designer Herman Lelie to arrive at decisions about layout, typeface, paper, binding and so on, and are on the way to a final printed result that will be integral to the project. For both Ikon and the artist, the catalogue is certainly not a peripheral consideration.
When we embarked on this journey, many people observed that it was about time Locke had a new book, since the previous one, published in 2011, was out of print. The idea was to create an updated account that would be good for museum curators, gallerists and collectors, and for those with academic interests. Above all, it would be good for us.
Since opening in 1965, Ikon has produced hundreds of publications, mainly catalogues, and we show no sign of letting up. As well as augmenting the visitor experience, often in an interpretative way, and being a platform for new art writing, books are an important part of our brand, as they go out into the world during and after exhibitions with our name on them and raise our profile.
They provide income through sales – in our shop, via our distributor Cornerhouse and online, sometimes paying for themselves directly – but that is a small part of the story. They encourage support from sponsors, from international agencies, trusts and foundations in ways that are usually impossible to quantify.
We are co-publishing Locke’s book with Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas, Missouri, and Colby College Museum of Art in Maine, as the exhibition travels to those US venues following its debut at Ikon. It is part of a collaborative process that we relish, rather than conventional touring.
So not only do we share ownership of the content – Diana Tuite, a curator at Colby, is providing text alongside mine and two others – we also share costs. In fact, we would find it difficult to produce such a publication without our partners, given the ambition of the exhibition and a budget to match.
We review our publications strategy often, especially as we are working with art in an age of digital reproduction. We are active on social media, but the impulse to produce and consume printed books persists.
Jonathan Watkins is the director of Ikon, Birmingham. Hew Locke: Here’s the Thing is at Ikon until 2 June
By various authors, Ikon Gallery, £22.95, ISBN 978-1-911155-21-8
