People of Print at Pick Me Up 2012

posted by Marcroy April 8, 2012

Well well well. It’s Easter Sunday and what better time than now to recap what we did at the incredible contemporary design fair that took place at Somerset House from 22nd March until 1st April. It was a blast and there was so much to see. If you managed to make it down you would probably agree with me when I say that it was a complete brain overload of top notch design, illustration, prints and workshops. Far too much to absorb in one day.

Review by Alice Astbury
The first thing to note about P.O.P is that they aren’t a collective as such. They describe themselves as a community, which is the exact vibe I got from helping out the past few weeks at Pick Me Up. Anyone involved becomes a “Person of Print” even it’s a four-year-old kid making a monoprint to take home and put on the fridge.

Passion and interest in print was obvious from everyone helping out on any particular day. They were there simply because they wanted to be creative – make some cool stuff, and see some cool stuff.

Showcased, alongside more seasoned exhibiters was work from unknown artists (like myself), resulting in a wide spectrum of work shown. Even stuff that didn’t make it onto the walls was included in a browsing folder, giving a sense of equal opportunity for all.

Four Workshops running continuously (Lino and Woodcut, tee-shirt Screen Printing, Tie-Dye and Letterpress), showed that P.O.P are not only interested in displaying work, but more importantly in encouraging people to create it and share it with each other. The workshops evolved naturally incorporating new skills and ideas. This made the experience fresh and exciting each day.

The aim was to teach people the processes used in the world of print, with the pieces on display serving as examples of the possible results. If there’s one thing I have learnt over the past few weeks from P.O.P, it’s that process (and passion) is the key to quality.