Revolutionising Print: Bound Art Book Fair
Since launching in 2017, Bound Art Book Fair has become the leading event for arts and photography publishing outside of London, providing a platform for a diverse selection of artists and practitioners to share their work and reach new audiences. Exhibitors include artists and collectives, small presses, independent publishers, galleries and distributors who are committed to expanding the potential of publishing to communicate radical ideas and amplify underrepresented voices. We headed down to Bound 2019 to see what went down, following on from the event we chatted with two of the three co-founders Robert Parkinson and Lillian Wilkie to learn more about the event.
For those who don’t know, when did Bound first begin and how did the event come about?
RP: It started back in 2017 at the Whitworth where our main annual event happens but we have hosted a number of interim events around publishing and print in between those. It was basically born out of being frustrated about no decent self-publishing fairs being hosted outside of the capital. So instead of moaning we decided to do it ourselves.
LW: It’s also important to acknowledge the context out of which Bound emerged: there were major publishing fairs in London and Paris, and the key annual events for art publishing were the Printed Matter fairs in New York and LA. Most, if not all, of these weren’t accessible to smaller, regional artists and publishers due to the sheer costs of table fees and travel. Bound offered an opportunity to many people who previously hadn’t been able to do book fairs to share their practice, expand their networks, and make sales. With support from the Whitworth and now Arts Council England, we’re able to keep costs low whilst still providing a brilliant space and a top quality programme.
What were your main aims to achieve with the event?
RP: As with every Bound event we put on we aim to celebrate a series of artistic practices which predominantly revolve around print and publishing. We often expand this into performance, film and installation works which we like to intertwine between the stalls. Every year we like to introduce new publishers to the fair we haven’t seen before and instigate collaborative opportunities. Space Afrika’s performance accompanied with Bound 2019 exhibitor Amrit Randhawa’s (of Taxi Cab Industries) visuals was a highlight me while also showcasing what the fair is about.
LW: Every year we’ve had a loose theme which guides the programming and the various collaborations we instigate. Last year, notably, we were really interested in print as a political and pedagogical tool, and we worked closely with the Working Class Movement Library in Salford to create a new commission incorporating a performance and publication. It was really rewarding to be able to work with such an invaluable institution, and introduce new audiences to their collections and ethos. This year our thinking was shaped by ideas around youth culture and collective joy. Good book fairs have a palpable sense of community and shared experience, and we wanted to push that further. It’s always got a politics I guess, but in different manifestations and languages.
Can you give us any insight on what’s it like to organise a big event like this, what’s involved behind the scenes?
RP: Too much to say really! Lots of boring logistical, financial, health and safety bits but at the core of it the real exciting stuff. Inviting practitioners we are really into at the time with most of them accepting the invites! So its a great way to meet people you like at the moment. That on top of it being a fully collaborative process with us all, its really fun to see what comes together. Couldn’t recommend it enough to other people who are thinking about it.
LW: It’s a lot of work! We juggle it alongside full time careers, and we’re all based in different cities. We rely on each other’s flexibility, Skype, and Dropbox. Clear communication is so important. Working with a big institution like the Whitworth is really satisfying but also challenging; they have a really fragile and special permanent collection, so there’s always a conservation issue to grabble with. You learn to adapt. You also learn to listen carefully to exhibitor’s needs and try to develop creative solutions. When the Whitworth’s in house cafe refused to offer exhibitors a discount, we responded by raising funds to buy everyone a fry up at a local greasy spoon. You can’t solve everything, but you can try to make people happy in other ways. Again, it goes back to that sense of community building, too.
What’s next for Bound?
RP: Thats a big question! We are keen to do another fair, expand to some degree and really explore new territories that we are just touching the tip of the iceberg with at the moment. We are hoping to host one or two other interim events between now and the next fair. Publishing has always been on the cards… We shall see!
LW: It’s really crucial for us to maintain some kind of interim programme, to develop the profile of the fair as an initiative. This has included previous collaborations with Sounds from the Other City in Salford, and Format International Photography Festival in Derby. We’re interested in developing ways to help artists realise new work, promoting expanded forms of publishing and performance, and getting involved with education. We’d also like to foster stronger links with what’s going on in mainland Europe – Brexit is going to be really damaging to independent publishing. There are also a load of new, small, interesting fairs popping up across the continent, so we’re keen to get to know those too.
Keep up to date with Bound Art Book Fair here.
Our publications selection is curated by Village Bookstore Leeds and features culture and music focused titles alongside in-depth brand history and archive books from some of our most revered labels. Online now.
Behind The Design: Shinya Hasegawa Of Battenwear
To mark the arrival of our latest Battenwear AW19 delivery, we spoke to founder and designer Shinya Hasegawa to learn more about the history of the brand, details behind this seasons collection and what inspires him day on a daily basis.
Could you explain how Battenwear began and the main concept of the brand for those who may not know?
SHINYA: I started Battenwear in in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY. I’d long been a collector of classic American outdoor clothing and sportswear, actually ever since I was a teenager in Tokyo. I really love the details and practicality of old mountain parkas and hiking bags and athletic gear. I also like how a lot of American brands focus on durability and functionality—the lack of focus on fashion makes it cool to me. Especially when you mix it with contemporary fashion pieces.
When I was coming up with the concept for Battenwear, I mainly wanted to make functional gear for the activities I like most: surfing trips, hiking, camping, and traveling. I wanted everything I made to have classic details and construction but also look contemporary. The Travel Shell Parka was the first item I made. I wanted a jacket that I could wear hard on a hike in the woods that would also look great when I came back into the city—so that I would have to pack only one jacket when I traveled.
You travel a lot between surfing and working in New York and also exploring the outdoors and working on Battenwear in your second office in California – how does this influence your designs?
SHINYA: There’s an amazing and really helpful contrast between New York’s Garment District, where our first office opened, and Topanga Canyon in California, where I live and keep my design studio. The work I do in New York is set to the sound track of sirens and honking horns. In Topanga, it’s crickets and frogs and birdsong. Both places have great communities. In New York, it’s MUCH easier to do everything because our factories and suppliers are all within easy walking distance. In addition, there’s so much sensory influence—just getting on the subway, you can study new trends in colors and silhouettes. New York is a truly unique place and I miss it a lot when I’m not there. But in Topanga, it’s easier to focus on the designs and be creative, especially since I can clear my head anytime with a quick hike Topanga State Park or a surf session with friends at the beach close by. I really enjoy being able to live in nature in California in a way that’s impossible in New York.
Is there a particular piece in the new AW19 collection which you are excited about?
SHINYA: I made a new down jacket called the Batten-Down Deck Jacket. I call it my “dad jacket” because it feels like the jacket I want to be wearing to pick up my kids and go camping in. It hasn’t really started to be autumn yet in southern California, but I’m really looking forward to wearing this jacket when it finally cools down in Topanga.
You are known to enjoy vintage made in USA garments, which brands are impressing you with their current collections?
SHINYA: Hmm. I wish I had a better answer for this. I wish there were more made in USA brands. Of course I really like Engineered Garments. Daiki has long been my mentor and friend. He always makes something new and unique and groundbreaking, and that really inspires me and motivates me. But I don’t know about a lot of other made in USA brands that are active right now.
We love hearing about stories that influence your designs such as the extra pocket seen on your 5-pocket Canyon Shirt inspired by the need to have a extra pocket that fits a subway card whilst on the way to the beach carrying a surfboard – please could you explain inspirations or any more stories like this you may have behind these items from your AW19 collection?
SHINYA: I started designing this jacket during the Polar Vortex in 2013 for AW14. It was so amazingly cold in Manhattan that winter and I really wanted something that would help me feel like I could survive it. I asked my wife what I should call this parka and she suggested “Northfield” because that’s the name of the town in Minnesota where she went to college. Her freshman year of college, they had so much snow and cold weather that she almost gave up. This is the jacket she wished she had. It’s still one of my favorites for winter.
SHINYA: Living in Topanga, CA, I love going hiking in the evenings. I like my Five Pocket Island Shirt a lot and wanted to have a long sleeve version as a kind of shirt jacket. So I made this.
SHINYA: I played rugby in Japan as a teenager and I really fell in love with the sport and the gear. I still have my old rugby shirts and shorts. A couple of years ago I was able to get in touch with a factory in Canada that could make a truly authentic rugby shirt so I jumped at the chance. I added the chest pocket to make the shirt more practical for everyday wear.
SHINYA: This is another made in Canada item. Canada does such good knits—they have different machinery than we do in the US. I really love this hoody and wanted to make a version of it with our logo printed on it. Like, join the team!
Lastly, which was the last book read and record you listened to that you felt inspired you?
SHINYA: Once of the most recent, best books I read was Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Nike. All chapters ended in failure—there were so many challenges that they faced when building the brand. The message of struggle was inspiring. Because of course, with a small brand like Battenwear, we have daily struggle. It encouraged me to keep on trying. And it encouraged me to see the benefits of making mistakes.
For music, I’ve been on 1990’s electronic kick lately, like Stereolab and Apex Twins. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because when I’m designing I tend to get nostalgic and like to think about when I felt really happy and inspired, like in college, which is when I was most into these bands.
New AW19 arrivals from Battenwear. Online now.
Kickers x Hikerdelic Event Recap
To celebrate the release of the AW19 Kickers x Hikerdelic Kick Hi collaboration, we joined with both brands to hold the official launch event which took place in our flagship Leeds store last week.
The night featured early access to get hands on with and purchase the collaboration alongside Hikerdlic gift bags, food by Poco Sicilian and drinks by Leeds Brewery. Catch up with what went down at the event below and keep an eye out for more events in the future.
The Kickers x Hikerdelic AW19 Kick Hi is online now.
Kickers x Hikerdelic AW19 Kick Hi
For AW19, Iconic footwear brand Kickers have partnered with Manchester based Hikerdelic to create a new take on the classic Kick Hi silhouette.
“Not ones for counting our blessings, when the opportunity came to collaborate on one of the most iconic shoes in the world, we jumped at the chance. The Kickers Kick Hi is more than a just a cool pair of boots, it’s a twentieth icon. Whether worn by French school kids having a crafty Gauloise on the channel ferry, ortho-obsessed 80s casuals, the revolutionary Rik from the Young Ones or a generation of bug-eyed ravers and pissed up Brit Poppers, the Kick Hi remains both exotic and ubiquitous.” – Neil Summers, Hikerdelic.
Not wanting to mess with a classic formula too much, the ‘Kick Hikerdelic’ product has kept the French DNA and added some Stockport ‘Je ne sais quoi into the mix. So expect three Autumnal tones of suede, a hiking lace option, a branded tongue, embossed logos and a very special fleurette.
The Kickers x Hikerdelic AW19 Kick Hi is online now.
