CREATE - Colour Research for European Advanced Technology Employment

Through substantial European Union Framework 6 Marie Curie funding, CREATE - Colour Research for European Advanced Technology Employment: a pan-European network of research projects brought together European 8 colour groups to exchange and disseminate knowledge through a programme of specialist events (2007-2010). The project responded to Sir George Cox’s HM treasury report 2005; and addressed the Lisbon Summit agenda 2000. Partners were: Universita Degli Studi Di Milano, Italy; Gjovik University College, Norway; University of Leeds; University of Ulster at Belfast; Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain; Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France; Pannon University, Hungary.

Carinna has edited and is the author of three chapters of major book surveying research from the CREATE project: Colour Coded. This 300 word publication, published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) is a collection of the best papers from the 4-year European project that has considered colour from the perspective of both the arts and sciences.

The research crossovers between the fields of art, science and technology was also a subject that was initiated through Bristol’s Festival if Ideas events in May 2009. Carinna coordinated and chaired the event during which the C.P Snow lecture “On Two Cultures’ (1959) was re-presented by Actor Simon Cook and then a lecture made by Raymond Tallis on the notion of the Polymath.

C. Parraman, Specifying Colour and Maintaining Colour Accuracy for 3D Printing, CREATE Conference, Gjøvik University College, Norway. June 2010 (.pdf)
C. Parraman, The longevity of ink on paper for fine art prints. CREATE, Colour Heritage and Conservation Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Italy, 19 - 24 October 2009 (.pdf)
C. Parraman, A. Rizzi: 'Developing the CREATE network in Europe', Colour in Art, Design and Nature, Edinburgh, October 24th 2008.
P. Walters, D. Huson & C. Parraman, '3D Printing and Colour: A Multidisciplinary Investigation',
CREATE (Training event 2), UWE, Bristol, 13th-17th October 2008.
C. Parraman, 'A report on the CREATE Italian event: Colour in cultural heritage'
C. Parraman, “Mixing and describing colour”. CREATE (Training event 1), France, 2008.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) Partnership

The Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) initially established links with Hewlett Packard (HP) in 2000 through the HP Art and Science Philanthropy fund, which was set up to promote collaboration between arts based research organisations, science research and HP. The purpose of the fund was to ensure that these links could be strengthened, not only through access to equipment, but also by providing technical support in the form of detailed information on ink, head array mechanics and software and firmware within the printer. Over an unprecedented five-year life the project brought together major art museums and galleries, schools of art and design, universities and secondary schools to explore how information technology could be used in support of art; its creation, preservation and communication. As such some long standing flagship relationships were built with and between institutions including the National Gallery London, the Louvre Paris and the Uffizi, the CFPR, Southampton University and other key European universities involved in the science of art. Many of these relationships formed the basis for further pan-European collaborative formations, and also seeded a series of Large Format Printing and Colour master classes, ‘The Perpetual Portfolio’, led by the CFPR.

View full details of Carinna's work with HP.

Screenprinted Colour as a Theoretical Model for the Development of Inkjet Technology

This research project examined the relationship between traditional colour mixing (as used by British artists interested in 'colour field' painting during the 60s and 70s) and digital colour. Drawing on access to the Tate Print collection, Carinna investigated how screenprinted colourants and surface tactile qualities can be used as a model for inkjet technologies asked how colour rendition in inkjet technologies might be improved for the artist who wishes to use technologies beyond photographic reproduction. Her work in this area of colour resulted in a collaboration with Hewlett Packard Laboratories, San Diego, USA on new methods for inkjet printing for artists.

Methodologies for the integration of fine art practice and wide format digital printing

For the fine artist, wide format digital printing promises new potential for the creation of print based artwork. However, although some common ground exists between the industry led function of this technology and aesthetic concerns of the printmaker, to date little has been done to define how it may be effectively employed to incorporate qualities which have become unique to the domain of fine art print. This project sought to quantify existing methods of processing digital images and develop imaging and colour systems which may assist in broadening the current scope of digitally based printing from a fine art perspective.