Bringing Square Peg Round Hole to Life
When an artist puts their work on display, the paintings themselves are naturally the stars of the show. But behind every successful exhibition is a whole host of details that help bring the artist’s vision to life. We were delighted to play our part in the recent Square Peg Round Hole exhibition by Suffolk contemporary artist Gina Long, helping to turn her collection of original artwork into a range of beautifully produced printed pieces. For us, it was a project that brought together several areas of our business, from graphic design and print through to our sister company, Indigo Giclée, and some rather lovely finishing work along the way.
A very special collection of artwork
Square Peg Round Hole is Gina Long’s first exhibition, featuring 32 original paintings presented as 16 pairs.
The colourful abstract works explore themes including vulnerability, resilience, individuality, self-acceptance and belonging. Gina’s journey into art is rather unusual. Having spent much of her career in business, communications, campaigning and fundraising, she began painting later in life after being inspired by an abstract painting by Ed Sheeran that had been donated to a charity auction that she had organised. What started in a greenhouse studio developed into a substantial body of work and eventually, an exhibition at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. We were fortunate to be involved in helping create some of the printed elements surrounding the exhibition.
Fine art reproduction by Indigo Giclée
For the reproduction artwork itself, we brought in our sister company, Indigo Giclée, specialising in high-quality fine art and photographic printing. As a Hahnemühle Approved Studio, the reproductions were printed onto 285gsm Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl archival paper, selected to provide an excellent combination of image quality, colour reproduction and longevity. Giclée printing uses pigment-based inks and a very wide colour gamut to produce highly accurate reproductions of original artwork. When combined with a quality archival paper, it provides a long-lasting way for artists to reproduce and sell their work.
For this project, getting the colour and detail right was particularly important. Abstract artwork can contain subtle changes in tone, texture and colour that can easily be lost with less specialised reproduction methods. The finished prints give Gina the opportunity to make her artwork available beyond the original canvases, while maintaining the quality expected from fine art reproduction.
Turning artwork into something people could take home
One of the requirements was to create a set of greetings cards featuring the artwork. With a collection as colourful and distinctive as Gina’s, accurate reproduction was particularly important. Each card needed to do justice to the original artwork while also working as a quality printed product in its own right.
Alongside the cards, we also produced bespoke case-bound 104 page hardback books, showcasing the artwork and the inspiration behind the collection. These were designed to provide a more permanent record of the exhibition, bringing together the paintings and their stories in a substantial, ‘coffee table’ tactile format. There is something particularly satisfying about seeing artwork move beyond the gallery wall and become something that can be held, shared and kept.
The details matter too
An exhibition isn’t just about the artwork on the walls. We also produced the invitations for the private preview evenings, along with bespoke address labels for the guests. And because the fine art prints are intended as collectable reproductions, we also produced certificates of authenticity, giving each print an additional sense of provenance. These may be smaller elements of the overall project, but they are exactly the sort of details that help create a consistent and professional experience around an exhibition.
From artwork to finished exhibition
What made this project particularly enjoyable for us was the variety of work involved. From greetings cards and hardback books to fine art giclée printing, invitations, address labels and certificates of authenticity, it brought together several different parts of what we do. It also demonstrates something we often talk about at Indigo Ross: print isn’t just putting ink onto paper. The choice of stock, reproduction method, finishing, binding and even the smaller supporting items can all make a difference to how a finished piece feels and how an artist’s work is presented. For Gina’s Square Peg Round Hole exhibition, the original paintings will always be the main event. Our job was simply to make sure that everything around them helped tell the story. And we’re very pleased with how it all came together.
A project we’re proud to have been part of
Square Peg Round Hole is a fascinating collection, and it was a pleasure to help Gina bring the project to life in print. From the first reproduced image through to the finished hardback book and the invitation waiting on a guest’s doormat, there was a lot going on behind the scenes.
It’s also a lovely example of how Indigo Ross and Indigo Giclée can work together, combining design, commercial print and specialist fine art reproduction to provide a complete solution for artists, galleries and exhibitions.
If you’re an artist preparing for an exhibition, looking to reproduce your artwork, or simply want to turn a collection of work into something tangible, we’d be happy to have a chat.
Sometimes the best projects start with a blank sheet of paper. This one started with a collection of rather brilliant paintings.
