Kort beskrivning:
Utställningen kretsar kring en teckning som har tagit mig 511 timmar att göra och där jag har använt blyertspennor med hårdhetsgrad H av märket Derwent.
Utställningen sträckte sig över galleriets bägge rum. I det innersta rummet visades teckningen som är inglasad och består av små rutor (cirka 0,5 mm i kvadrat). Själva teckningen mäter ungefär 80 * 110 centimeter. På socklarna, i glaskuber, syns de pennor som använts för att skapa teckningen, allt pennväss från pennorna samt ett förstoringsglas svävande över en anteckningsbok. Jag har tecknat med vänsterhand och i höger hand har jag haft förstoringsglaset och därgenom sett teckningen långsamt växa fram. I anteckningsboken har jag för varje teckningstillfälle noterat datum, antal timmar och ett mätvärde för teckningsrutornas storlek vid aktuellt tillfälle.
I nästa rum hade jag byggt upp en mur av cementblock. Innanför denna visades en videofilm om en cykeresa mellan Göteborg och Fredrikshavn utan att vidröra vatten. Berättaren läser texten på danska. I den andra delen av rummet visas en brevväxling mellan mig och Derwent pen i England. Jag vill veta varför svärtan i mina pennor är olika trots att jag använder samma hårdhetsgrad H på alla pennor. Jag får kontakt med en kvinna på kvalitetsavdelning och vi startar en mailkonversation.
Foto: Staffan HjalmarssonNedan följer mailkonversationen med Derwent pen i England
From: Thomas Dahl [mailto:thomas.dahl@valand.gu.se]
Sent: 22 February 2007 11:03
To: Moore, Joan
Subject: Feedback from www.pencils.co.uk
Hi,
My name is Thomas Dahl and I am an art student at the University of Gothenburg (Valand School of Fine Arts). For the past two years I have been working with a drawing using a Derwent Graphic H pencil. Through tests and experience with different pencils and my preferred paper, I came to the conclusion that for my purpose your pencil was the best. There is only one thing that puzzles me a bit; the variation of graphite in your H pencil. The blackness in the graphite varies widely, and this is in spite of the pressure and density of my lines. By mere accident the error has become, as often happens in art, an effect that I find quite pleasant. But I am wondering what causes the variations to occur? Is it impossible to keep the same exact grade on all graphite? Is H just a general category that in itself contains variations, or is the explanation simply that I got some defective pencils?
Here is a description of my work and attached are some images (not possible in this mail) where you can clearly see the variations. My work consists of small squares drawn on a sheet of paper. The pencil I’m using, as I previously stated, is a Derwent Graphic H. It takes about an hour to fill an area of approximately 50 millimeter by 50 millimeters. At the moment I have spent about 350 hours on the work, which is now finished. I think the result has become a rather fantastic surface, which contains textures and vibrations I had not anticipated. I have used about 30 Derwent Graphic H pencils, which I have bought on different occasions, but always in the same shop. I will soon exhibit this drawing and am therefore interested in finding out the explanation for these variations, not only for my own interest, but to be able to answer peoples’ questions about the work.
Here is a description of my work and attached are some images (not possible in this mail) where you can clearly see the variations. My work consists of small squares drawn on a sheet of paper. The pencil I’m using, as I previously stated, is a Derwent Graphic H. It takes about an hour to fill an area of approximately 50 millimeter by 50 millimeters. At the moment I have spent about 350 hours on the work, which is now finished. I think the result has become a rather fantastic surface, which contains textures and vibrations I had not anticipated. I have used about 30 Derwent Graphic H pencils, which I have bought on different occasions, but always in the same shop. I will soon exhibit this drawing and am therefore interested in finding out the explanation for these variations, not only for my own interest, but to be able to answer peoples’ questions about the work.
With best regards
Thomas Dahl
From: “Moore, Joan”
Subject: RE: Feedback from www.pencils.co.uk
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:06:36 -0000
To: “Thomas Dahl”
Thanks for the email, I have forwarded it to our technical team & asked them to reply.
From: “Eland, Angela”
Subject: H Degree pencils
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:50:09 -0000
To:
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for your email concerning H degree pencils.
The reason you are getting variations in the blackness of the graphite is probably due to the way that the pencil is sharpened, which part you use ( sharp or rounded), and the surface area used.
As you are already aware the pressure also creates different depths of blackness. All of our graphite pencils have Standards to adhere to and are tested throughout production for consistency so I would be surprised if you had got a batch of defective pencils.
I am sending today a few H degrees for you to try, perhaps you could let us know how they compare to the ones you have been using.
Your Art work sounds very exciting and different, it would be interesting to see if possible to e mail.
With regards Angela.The reason you are getting variations in the blackness of the graphite is probably due to the way that the pencil is sharpened, which part you use ( sharp or rounded), and the surface area used.
As you are already aware the pressure also creates different depths of blackness. All of our graphite pencils have Standards to adhere to and are tested throughout production for consistency so I would be surprised if you had got a batch of defective pencils.
I am sending today a few H degrees for you to try, perhaps you could let us know how they compare to the ones you have been using.
Your Art work sounds very exciting and different, it would be interesting to see if possible to e mail.
From:
Subject: Pencils-degree H
Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:02:35 +0100
To: Angela.Eland@acco.com
Hi Angela,
First of all, thank you for the pencils. They arrived today, so I have not had a chance to try them out yet. I’m sure they are good quality, but I will let you know when I have tried them. I am sending you some images of my work in an attached PDF-file, which also includes an image of a map, which is connected to the work. Of course the map is also made by your pen, degree H. I have saved the pencils I found defect. I can send them to you if you want, but it’s no big deal. You have answered my question so I’m very pleased. I really try to keep my pencils sharp all the time, but the pencil sharpener is really a problem. They are cheap, which is good, but they differ in quality and get very blunt quickly, so perhaps you are right.
Here in Sweden there is still some snow, but there are signs that the spring will soon arrive. Gothenburg, the city where I live, is a located on the Swedish westcoast in the south of Sweden. It’s a very windy and rainy place most of the year, but in summer it’s rather nice. Where is your company located? I have been looking at your homepage and I’m a bit confused. If I understand things correctly I found your company in a city near London called Aylesbury. But Keswick, where the company started and where the graphite deposit is situated, is in the north of England. By the way, looking at the pictures, Keswick looks like a beautiful place. Once again, thank you for the pencils and your quick answer.
Here in Sweden there is still some snow, but there are signs that the spring will soon arrive. Gothenburg, the city where I live, is a located on the Swedish westcoast in the south of Sweden. It’s a very windy and rainy place most of the year, but in summer it’s rather nice. Where is your company located? I have been looking at your homepage and I’m a bit confused. If I understand things correctly I found your company in a city near London called Aylesbury. But Keswick, where the company started and where the graphite deposit is situated, is in the north of England. By the way, looking at the pictures, Keswick looks like a beautiful place. Once again, thank you for the pencils and your quick answer.
With best regards
Thomas Dahl
From:
Subject: Pencils-degree H
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:42:46 +0200
To: Angela.Eland@acco.com
Hi Angela,
I hope everything is fine with you. Now I have tried out the pencils you sent me. They were of equal quality. I mean they have exactly the same blackness in the graphite. It doesn’t matter what kind of pencil sharpener I use, the blackness is the same as you can see from the picture in the attachment. So far, everything is good. But, as you also can see, the blackness is darker on the other sides of the pattern. These are my old pencils - Derwent H. I used exactly the same pencil sharpener and pressure and so on. On investigation, I found the graphite much softer in those pencils. They really differ a lot, so perhaps I just got a bad bunch there. Now I have the address of your company but I need a person’s name - or can I just direct it to you? Then I could send you the different pencils I have tried out, some of the ones you sent me and some of my old ones. Perhaps that finally helps to solve the mystery.
With best regards,
Thomas Dahl
Part of the drawing
The light part is made by the pencils you sent to me - X,The other parts is made by my other Derwent H pencils -Y
From: “Eland, Angela”
Subject: h degree pencils
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:16:28 +0100
To:
Hello Thomas,
Thank you for your email, in answer to your question you can direct any mail to me at address below. I can reimburse you for any pencils you send back to us with product, have you tried graphitint pencils yet? they are graphite with a hint of colour and are also watersoluble.
The weather here in Keswick is lovely at the moment, sunny and warm, the Lake on the way to work was beautifull this morning very calm with mist hovering above. The factory is moving 20 miles west in 2008 so the journey will not be as pleasant, no lake to drive by just fields and industrial estates, never mind there are still weekends to enjoy the beautifull Lake district.
The weather here in Keswick is lovely at the moment, sunny and warm, the Lake on the way to work was beautifull this morning very calm with mist hovering above. The factory is moving 20 miles west in 2008 so the journey will not be as pleasant, no lake to drive by just fields and industrial estates, never mind there are still weekends to enjoy the beautifull Lake district.
Hello Angela,
I have seen some images on the Net of the Lake District, and it looks really beautiful. I especially like the green hills, but there were also some big mountains with snow on the top that I found a bit surprising for England. Where I live in Sweden we don’t have any mountains. By the way the spring has came to Gothenburg. This week, the weather is sunny and warm here too. It is some kind of record here - it has never been this warm in March before. My school is situated in the middle of the town where the bars and cafes have been quick to move their business outside, and there are a lot of people everywhere.
So, the problem with the degree H pencils; I am returning two of the pencils you sent me along with two of the pencils I had before, and that I found defect. I have marked them so you know which one is which, and put them in your pencil box so they don’t get destroyed. This will be the last measure I take in terms of the degree H. I have promised my self to let go of the problem and try to think of something else, perhaps the degree HB (a joke). So you don’t have to send me any more degree H - pencils, but I am bit curious about the graphitint quality that you mention. And please keep me updated about the result of your investigation.
So, the problem with the degree H pencils; I am returning two of the pencils you sent me along with two of the pencils I had before, and that I found defect. I have marked them so you know which one is which, and put them in your pencil box so they don’t get destroyed. This will be the last measure I take in terms of the degree H. I have promised my self to let go of the problem and try to think of something else, perhaps the degree HB (a joke). So you don’t have to send me any more degree H - pencils, but I am bit curious about the graphitint quality that you mention. And please keep me updated about the result of your investigation.
With best regards,
Thomas Dahl
