On Friday morning I took part in a very interesting workshop with EPS/Outsell on the switch point from hard-copy publications to electronic - which genres change first, when and how dramatic are the changes etc. Is it useful to look beyond the pattern of publication to changes in authorship - what effect will the shift to electronic have on writers?
This debate is very germane to 'Breaking the Rules' - the underlying principle is that 1900-37 saw the most favourable conditions for the printed format - a rich world economy (at least until 1915); cheap and readily available printing technology that could utilise photography; an avant garde denied traditional outlets - such as official salons, galleries etc. But film and broadcasting lie in the wings to take over from print as the primary means for the communication of information. Meanwhile the avant garde make the most use of the printed format - manifestos, flyers, posters, artists' books, little magazines, printed music etc. Dada, for example, is primarily a paper and print movement.
I move on to a meeting with the exhibitions team, Alan, Geraldine and Janet, and Kevin from the designers, AKA. We are finalising the graphics panels - there are people and isms, cities and a walkthrough chronology. At this late stage we are trying to simplify them but with the visitor's experience upmost. I ask Kevin if we can use a photo of the original model for the blog. Here it is, though we have moved on quite a lot since then (click the thumbnail to see a larger version).
