I met Mathieu Renard, artist and publisher of LENDROIT Éditions last summer in France, and again this fall at the NYArt Book Fair. Amid the chaos of the NYABF, his cutting-edge limited edition books, prints, and art posters stood out, attracting a steady flow of buyers and browsers during the time I was visiting his booth.

I caught up with Mathieu again, last week, for a Q&A about art publishing; this is what he wrote:

Q: I've seen your posters, in France and at NYArt Book Fair. How do you print to get this beautiful result: shimmering opaque inks on ultra-fine surfaces?

A: When printing in offset, which is the case for most of our posters, we work with a printer who’s been a friend for more than eight years. He is not only a great resource for us (this press consistently wins prestigious awards) but he also has genuine passion for art, always finding the right paper for a particular project. In printing, I always go with "Bon à rouler:" working collaboratively with the printer and the artist, we achieve the most interesting and effective result.

LENDROIT Editions, Rennes, FR. All photos © Laurent Grivet.

How many events do you participate in or produce at your bookstore/gallery each month to bring your prints and artist books to public view? 

Since opening in 2003, we have organized more than 120 events (exhibitions, receptions, book signings, performances) on our premises. Our space is also open to the public five days a week and we participate in many exhibitions and fairs in France and abroad to promote the work of artists we produce, and printed matter in its most contemporary form.

What is the Colorama Artists Poster Collection? [I like anything that ends in -orama!]

I am quite fascinated with children's coloring books and their very silly and often repetitive aspect. A few years ago, an artist friend did a coloring book entitled "Colorama."  There were drawings that might, at first, seem designed for children, but many of the details were provocative enough that it soon becomes evident that this is not just for kids. I loved this double reading and the playing with codes and chaos that resulted. So I started a collection of artists coloring posters. I asked that friend if he would allow me to use the title of his book for the name of the Lendroit collection. When inviting artists to participate, I insist that the collection is designed for children and/or adults. (I would love to make one with Ray Pettibon.)

Your blurb for the NYABF mentions that you offer advisory services to artists who want to self-publish. Can you describe what you do in this regard?

For nearly seven years we have been a bookstore offering books and prints by artists from five continents. We have built an extensive network of practices in order to consider the issues that concern artists, publishers, arts centers, libraries, and the many people and organizations involved in the field of printmaking.

It has been my hope to offer an ideal breeding ground for artists to understand what is happening today in printed editions and to position his/her work in this ocean of ink and paper. But I am also always available to meet artists to discuss their work and to share my "address book." For example, if an artist wants to produce a serigraph 120x180 cm limited edition, with a thin frame and perfect print quality, we will guide him/her to the few print rooms that can handle small projects with artistic results. Making an edition is a job in itself; exhibiting and distributing is another thing, and we can offer support across the spectrum.

The annual Christmas Prints sale, currently underway at LENDROIT Éditions.

Does participating in the NYArt Book Fair increase your visibility beyond Rennes?

The NYABF is an amazing and essential event for anyone interested in printmaking and publishing artists’ works, and allows publishers to reach a large audience in a short time. This year, we tried to provide a representative selection of our work and our modest prices attracted some wealthy buyers, a public curious about new productions, as well as some of the collectors of tomorrow. Following the NYABF, we introduced some of our editions at Spoonbill & Sugartown, in Brooklyn. We are now working on some editions with artists we met at the fair, and Printed Matter has taken many of our editions, which is always extremely flattering.

Where in the US can your editions be seen/purchased?

We distribute our collection of free posters (BOP Big Posters Offset) in 5 locations in the United States: Printed Matter, NY; Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis; and MoMA PS1 Artbook, NY. But our publications have no borders, and can be found on Facebook.

LENDROIT Éditions, 23 Rue de Quineleu, 35000 Rennes, France. +33 2 23 30 42 27. Information. Facebook.

A print-launch event at LENDROIT Éditions.

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