by Alex Weir (aka Smex) 

Alex Weir (aka Smex) is an artist and illustrator, originally from Ayr and now based in Glasgow. Smex works in several mediums (painting, printmaking, bookmaking and installation), but it is drawing that is integral to his practice - since July 2018, he has created one drawing every single day as part of his ongoing ‘Drawing a Day Project’.

The mundanity and repetition of everyday life is a particular inspiration, and his work constantly attempts to find humour and joy within it. Smex is especially interested in anything to do with food - previously he has created several ‘cookbooks’ (with this being his first serious one) and has presented his installation ‘Smex Cafe’ in several forms throughout Scotland since 2017.

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A key theme in Smex’s practice is waste reduction. This is both in materials - recycled or repurposed - and subject matter. By creating work every day, and about everyday life, he is constantly attempting to make the most of his time and adopt every aspect of daily life into his work so that nothing is wasted.

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About the cookbook:

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‘It’ll be Ready When it’s Ready’ is an artist’s book in the form of a cookbook. It contains 120 pages featuring 75 recipes and 55 drawings. All recipes, drawings, design and production was done by Alex (Smex).

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The drawings are all about cooking, taking inspiration from individual moments experienced in the kitchen, as well as words and phrases often found in cookbooks. The drawings celebrate the mundanity, repetition and necessity of cooking, in an attempt to appreciate the process of creating home made food.

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The recipes are a selection of hings Alex has cooked over the course of a year. Other than that, there is no collective theme.

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The funding of the book was kindly supported by Creative Scotland and riso printed in Make by Narture.

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About the exhibition:

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The exhibition features works in several mediums to support the themes expressed in the cookbook. Where the drawings in the book concentrate on the process of cooking and the concept of a cookbook, these works were more broadly inspired by food culture and eating at home in general.

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Every part of the project focuses on sustainability, recycling and zero waste:

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● All drawings and recipes for the cookbook were drawn and/or written on recycled paper

● The cookbook was risograph printed at Narture Studios on recycled paper using soy based inks. It is bound with a biodegradable coil made from recycled materials. All offcuts of paper have been kept to be used in packaging of the book

● All paintings are stretched on wooden frames sourced from charity shops. They are either painted on organic canvas or canvas sourced from charity shops.

● All risographs are printed on recycled paper using soy based inks

● All linocuts are printed on recycled paper using offcut lino that would otherwise have been thrown away

● All etchings were created using second hand ink and metal sourced from the ‘scrap bin’ at Glasgow Print Studio, these pieces would otherwise have been disposed of

● All of the other works on paper are on recycled paper. They, as well as some paintings, are both inspired by and utilise materials that would otherwise have been thrown away (food packaging, shopping lists, spam letters and leaflets etc.)

● All textiles (totes, tea towels and t-shirts) were screen printed in the most sustainable way possible on ethically sourced organic cotton at Printclan

● All travel I had to do was done by train (or on foot where possible)

● All results from the testing of the recipes for the cookbook were eaten (by me)