Julie Merriman
 Cork County Council/Bealtaine Uillinn Artist in Residence Award 2026

Julie Merriman
Cork County Council/Bealtaine Uillinn Artist in Residence Award 2026
1 to 31 May 2026

Studio open to the public on Monday and Tuesday

Artists’ Talk, Saturday 23 May at 1.00pm.

A book is a sequence of spaces in which it is possible, as an artist, to be curator, producer, publisher, printer and binder. During the residency, I will focus on book art, specifically examining the structure of the book and how a series of folds in the paper can disrupt the conventional spatial arrangement of image and text. Content will be created on a Japanese mimeograph press using a stencil method called the File Plate Process.

As part of my visual arts practice, I create Book Art. It is a relatively new and evolving process for me, and is, as is the case with many artists, an expression of my larger artistic practice. During the residency, I want to investigate how varying the structure of a book can disrupt the conventional spatial arrangement of image and text. In making a drawing, I often deliberately disrupt the research imagery to allow new readings to emerge. Now, I want to explore how creating imagery on a series of folded sheets of paper might achieve this.

Content for the book art will be produced on a Japanese mimeograph press. There are several methods of stencil production; during the residency, I will use a method called the File Plate Process. A wax-coated Washi paper is placed on the file plate; the image is then drawn with a metal stylus, the pressure causing the sharp points of the metal plate to perforate the paper and wax, creating the stencil. These stencils will be printed on-site on two analogue Horii duplicators (Tokyo, 1920).

Artists working in various media will create artist books as an accessible and affordable way to disseminate ideas. I want to foster a wider public engagement with this genre of visual art and would welcome the public to my studio to view and/or participate in the processes involved in creating book art. I am also ambitious to forge new connections for mimeograph and to expand its use in a fine art context. By re-employing this obsolete print technology, I am contributing to its revival and continuous deployment.

Marking a surface, as a system of communication, has lost little of its relevance today; the means may be more varied, but the essence of the act remains fundamentally unchanged. My work is a continuation and a disruption of this process. Using present-day and historical data as research material, I investigate modes of inscription, replication and transmission. A central element in my practice is the repurposing of obsolete office copying materials: carbon paper and typewriter film. Currently, I am re-employing an early office stencil and ink print technology called Mimeograph.

Bealtaine 2026 at Uillinn, Celebrating the arts and creativity as we age

 Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre is delighted to present a rich and varied programme for Bealtaine 2026, Ireland’s national festival celebrating the arts and creativity as we age. Throughout May, Uillinn will host exhibitions, film screenings and open‑studio events, with free activities taking place both at the Centre and across West Cork. Coordinated nationally by Age & Opportunity, Bealtaine invites older people throughout Ireland to engage creatively and share their artistic voices.

Bealtaine at Uillinn reflects the relationships we have built with artists, older people and our health and education partners across West Cork. The work shared is the result of time, trust and creative conversation. At Uillinn, we believe creativity should be accessible to everyone, and Bealtaine is a powerful reminder of what happens when people are given the space, support and encouragement to make art. The projects in this year’s exhibition highlights the imagination and skill of older artists in our community.

We are delighted to open our doors for a month of free events, screenings and open studios, no booking required.

www.juliemerriman.com

Image: Drift, Mimeograph book, Japanese file plate stencils, ink and carbon paper, 2025, Dimensions open 90 x 300 x 90mm, closed 90 x 90 x 18mm

Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre acknowledges the financial support of  Cork County Council / Comhairle Contae Chorcaí and The Arts Council  / An Chomhairle Ealaíon in making these residencies possible.