Blueprint 2017-20 – Collector's edition

In 2017-18, while living in London, the artist Norman Behrendt observed how tabloids were filled with accusations, polemical commentaries and abridged versions of complex political processes around the many unresolved issues concerning Brexit. Behrendt became particularly interested in the bizarre and irritating combination of headline and picture on the cover of the Evening Standard newspaper that is distributed for free in the public transport in London. He edited the cover pages of the tabloid by applying the cyanotype process as a masking tool—toning down irrelevant information in prussian blue and thereby highlighting Brexit related headlines and out of context imagery of celebrity gossip and junk food news. The incompatibility of the two layers of information exemplifies the absurdity of the theatre of Brexit and reflects on the complex withdrawal and uncertain transition period of the United Kingdom from the European Union after 47 years of membership.

The Collector’s edition of Blueprint 2017-20 includes the book housed in a slipcase, with hot foiled European Union logo with one star cut out, wrapped in unique cyanotyped tabloid newspaper sheet and an original A3 cyanotype print.

Cover

Cyanotyped tabloid newspaper sheet of the ”Evening Standard“. The laborious process of the production involved hand-coating newspaper sheets, exposing them in an ultraviolet light unit. The newspapers were dry mounted and finally used as a wrapping for the book. Every book cover is unique.

Inside

Blueprint 2017-20 book housed in a slipcase with hot foiled EU-logo with one star cut out
OTA bound paperback with coloured edges, 304 pages, duotone offset printing.

212 photographs, an essay by Lucy Soutter, and an appendix featuring crucial texts and speeches about Brexit and EU-UK relations.

An original A3 cyanotype print, produced by Behrendt in Berlin. Three works each in edition of 10 unique reproductions, placed in a raw board folder. The selected works are
-explosion, (the impossible becomes possible)
-demolition (cooling towers, Didcot power station, UK, 2019)
-tory power stance, (George Osborne)

The clients get to choose one out of these three prints. The selection will be confirmed via email.

BLUEPRINT 2017-20 – COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Norman Behrendt