Michelle Casey, “The Sound of Silence”, Collage/mixed media Journal page, 8.5 x 6 inches, 2010. This image was scanned and printed by Norm Prest… such a beautiful sample of our collaborative efforts...
During the last month, I’ve lost two dear friends… my Uncle Doug and my scanning and printing technician, Norman Prest. Both seemed to be recovering well from cancer but then suddenly passed away: Doug in October and Norm just last week. If you’d like to know more about Doug, please see: My Uncle’s Collage: A Life in a Heartbeat. As for Norm, I’ve never properly introduced you to him but a number of you have seen his handiwork on my website portfolio pages and prints of my collage and mixed media work. In honour of his memory I thought I’d share some reflections about him and the important role he played here at Collage Your World.
Once I finish making a collage, that’s not the end of the story. An art piece goes through quite a journey once it’s made. Before it’s taken to be framed and hung, the work must be reproduced (scanned digitally via computer or photographed). Once this is done, and reviewed for imperfections (in colour, texture, detail, etc.), errors are adjusted and images are readied for printing on: cards, invitations, posters, brochures and magazines as well as displayed on digital media platforms such as my website, blog and Facebook. It’s a lot of work and the process can take up to a month or more to finish depending on how many pieces I produce for scanning (somewhere between 12 to 25 per show). The process requires a great deal of trust and a good working relationship with my scanning technician who plays a crucial role in collaborating with me to get the works ready for viewing in various forms on time.
As an artist, the quality of my work is paramount to me; I want my reproductions to be as rich in colour, detail and texture as they can possibly be. I went to great lengths to try to find a decent reproduction technician in this city. The first time I “interviewed” Norm I gave him all kinds of collage and mixed media work to test him… ones with unusual or vibrant colour combinations and glittery or detailed patterned surfaces and textures; he always rose to the occasion coming up with such fabulous scans and prints. Some of the trickiest images he worked on I remember most vividly: “Memory of a Photo of My Parents”, “Resurrection”, “The Edge of Nowhere” and “The Sound of Silence”. Here there were issues related to getting the colours, glittery stickers or painting details (ie. brush strokes) just right. In “The Sound of Silence”, Norm worked hard to ensure that the sheen and texture of the black satin fabric of the floral background was visible in my prints. Watching him work, I sensed that he knew every square inch and pixel of the pieces he worked on for me and that he gave my work the same detail and attention as if it was his very own. He never failed to give me brief lectures in layman’s terms on the scanning and printing process so I would know what to look for in a good and bad print. I appreciated this extra step he took to ensure I was well-informed. He also talked to me about storing and protecting my collages – a real bonus.
Norm always delivered a scan or print that was near to perfection as he could get it. Sometimes I liked them even more than the original works! And, I always loved the way he presented them to me with such pomp and circumstance. A tall, gentle, gravely-voiced, soft-spoken man, he would always emerge from his office with a serious look on his face – I’d think “Oh my God, what’s wrong?!” Then he’d smile and present me with my scans or prints and we’d stand for a while revelling in them and have a good long chat about the challenges he faced with each one. Norm would also tell me which ones were his favourites and I would use that advice to make certain works key PR images for my shows… one of the my most popular images, “Memory of a Photo of My Parents”, was suggested by him. Boy, I’m going to miss seeing him and having those talks. My fondest goodbye to Norm Prest, he was such a skilled technical collaborator and a beautiful human being. I feel so privileged to have worked with him and have pieces of his handiwork to share with you through my art. My sincere condolences to his family and his “family” at GPC Labworks.
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