Staff Profile

Introduction

I am a committed, enthusiastic and passionate artist and educator with 20 years of working within HEIs whilst maintaining a national and international exhibiting profile. My work is socially focused, and in content and process, works toward expressing the reality of human nature often intercultural.

Background

Born in Mexico City in 1972 and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. In 2000 obtained her Master of Arts degree in New York University. In 1998 received a Fulbright-Garcia Robles grant to study her MA.

Roles and Responsibilities

Working within Newcastle University’s Fine Art Department, I have specialised in printmaking, delivering tuition to students throughout the four stages of the degree programme on both conceptual and technical aspects of their work. I also regularly work with M-Level and PhD students on their research, and have worked with several colleagues from other departments on interdisciplinary projects. I have highly developed printmaking skills and am up-to-date with recent technologies and programs, as well as a range of printmaking techniques, orthodox and non-toxic. I am well versed in Health and Safety procedures, risk assessments and in my current role have to undertake considerable administration and organisation.

Qualifications

Master of Arts New York University USA

Bachelor in Visual Arts, UNAM Mexico

Memberships

CLACS

Northern Print

Measures of Esteem

2024 Keynote speaker for RIEVIP International Congress ‘City, art and environment’ at the University of Xalapa, Mexico “Formas de práctica en reflexion de un entorno’

2024, 2022 Evaluator for postgraduate candidates of Caixa Foundation Fellowship.

2023 Keynote speaker at the International Conference ‘Art, Feminism and Resilience’ Universidad de Guadalajara CUC.

2023 RED COTECI-CTI: Women strengthening Mexico’s Scientific Diplomacy in knowledge, innovation and technology. First edition 2023, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Profile Erika Servin p.148

2020 Jury for Open Portafolio, Fig Bilbao Portfolio 2020.

2019 Jury for Open Portafolio, Fig Bilbao Portfolio 2019.

2014 Nominated for the Teaching Excellence Award from Newcastle University.

1998-2000 Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar.

1997 October Recognition from the Association of the Contemporary Museum of Art of Chamaliers, France for the print presented Angels of the Street, as part as an exhibition organised by them: Triennial mondiale dÉstampes petit format.

1§996 January 30th, First Place, at the Fifth University Contest of Visual Arts in Printmaking with the piece: Angel without escape...” Mexico City.

Languages

Spanish

English

Informal Interests

Design

 Google Scholar: Click here.

Research Interests

Printmaking is my primary source of practice, not only I am interested due to its well known historic, political relationship with Mexican popular prints but also owing to its unique qualities of reproduction and graphic possibilities. Through my artwork I translate the concept of Mexican popular culture from symbols into narratives. There is a political aspect contained within printmaking and it has an important role in societal changes. 

Other Expertise

Painting and drawing.

Current Work

Mujeres de Juarez

The Women of Juárez Project embraces memory to argue in favor of a population that has endured a political crisis thanks to which it has developed a collective way of remembering. This painful memory is essential for political protest. In turn, protest through art shares different points with a series of phenomena involved in society, politics and culture, and that express a complex narrative of an interrelated nature. 'Women of Juárez' is a project that embraces testimonies to argue that the political crisis, which we as a population have endured, has led us to the development of a collective memory, a memory within society. From this context, the practical investigation that is linked to written files of the police department, in which it is described in a few sentences the way in which the bodies were found in Cd. Juarez and its surroundings, during the months of October and December 1995. From these graphic descriptions, I made drawings to represent that written explanation. For each text of a woman's corpse found, an image. The image and text were then transferred to silksreens and printed on to newsprint paper the type of paper used to cover the tortillas when they come out from the heat. The images are printed into the corn tortillas. I use the corn tortilla as material in which not only supports our national nutritional source but is the main source of nutritional value. Once the tortillas were printed, they were left to dry in a similar way to how in memory the act of femicide remains dry.

One sea only.

A proposal to develop a collaborative project between staff and students of the Universidad de Guadalajara (CUC) Fine Art in Mexico and Newcastle University Fine Art, printmaking that focuses on reflecting on environment.

Context:

As educators in both institutions, we want to give continuity to a project that started in 2022 and beginning of 2023 “Reconociendonos’/ Getting to know each other’ between two printmaking areas one in Newcastle university the other in Centro Universitario de la Costa. The experience was so successful in terms of reaching to diverse audiences and creating links for our students that we wanted to develop it further into a project that reflects on important issues such as the environment.

The proposal is to do a mutual action, this is an activity that allows students from both universities to connect through making artwork. The main conceptual reference will be costal environment and the sea.

These common references are part of their day to day living and part of the geography that they live in. 

Objectives

1.        Propitiate interaction and familiarity between students for both universities that will allow them to make common work through a collaborative methodology.

2.       Reflect on the changes that occur in the environment in a natural manner or by human action, in times of climate change and to check how this affects and modifies the equilibrium of the immediate surroundings and in a global way.

3.       Investigate about techniques and production of less toxic printmaking.

4.       Create a binnacle of the work done together.

5.       Exhibit the outcomes of the project as an installation.

6.       Share the results of the reflective discussion done by the students, their proposals and digital portfolios of the development and results.

7.       Academic Exchange to develop workshops ‘One sea only’ done by Ireri Topete in UK and by Erika Servin in Puerto Vallarta. (2 weeks)

Pulque: The Drink of the Gods.

It is a project that investigates an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. It is traditional to central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. I am interested in the revival of this drink and its relation to the community and social traditions as well as the visual symbols that are contained in old and new culture. The mix of pre-Columbian and contemporary identity and the interest of the visual significance and historical importance are the centre of my research interests. 

The project compromises:

• a series of prints taken from a photographic and video source of the “pulquerias”
• an intervention of those public space (Pulqueria Insurgentes)
• interaction of artists, art students and the consumers of the drink.

MUXE NOW

Research context: The Zapotec term ‘Muxe’ (or ‘muxhe’) refers to people who are assigned male at birth but who identify as female. Juchitan is home to a group of ‘Muxes’ and the community dates back at least to the 1950’s and probably much further. The Muxe tradition is local and indigenous. They may take on traditional female roles within the household, including cooking, housework and childcare. Now a day they are taking important roles in political life. Muxe’ have a vibrant visual culture which is specific to the Zapotec people of Southern Mexico. Here the ‘Muxe’ are regarded not as transsexual but as a ‘third gender’.

Research Aims: MUXE NOW is a fine art practice-based research project

that explores the distinctive visual identity of the ‘Muxe’ and its relation to contemporary globalised culture. The project will provide new perspectives

on gender identities and visual and media culture and race in Mexico. The research context for the project starts locally in Juchitan, in the Mexican

state of Oaxaca, but makes connections between local and global concerns in relation to gender/visual identities, race and specifically to the idea of a ‘third gender’.

Micro Macro Photo Litho

I was awarded the Institute of Creative Arts Award for a collaborative project: ”Interdisciplinary exchange in technical process of photo-lithography”, with Dr. Enrique Escobedo-Cousin a Research Associate from the Institute of Neuroscience/School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The main objective of this collaboration was to produce a collection of macro and micro scale images which was exhibited July 2017 in Newcastle Upon Tyne and in Mexico City at the Galeria Taller de Arte Contemporaneo (T.A.C.O) in November 2017, which shares conceptual approaches and to exchange technical processes and which will also be accompanied by a seminar.

In March of 2017 I was awarded the School of Arts and Cultures Strategic Research Fund, for the project: “Lithography development for Excellence in Print”. This application seeks support to develop new skills and networks in printmaking, specifically in sustainable lithography methods and techniques, and to enhance the printmaking research (and teaching) environment at Newcastle University.

In September 2018 had an exhibition at the Biblioteca Central of Cantabria and delivered an Academic Paper for Impact 10 conference in Santander, Spain. 

In November 2018 exhibited new work related to Micro Macro at Fig!8 Bilbao International Print and Paper Fair. Where I gave a talk and judge the work for the award of Young Creatives. 

CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS.

2024 Keynote speaker at the International Conference “ City, Art and Environment’ University of Veracruz, Mexico. October

2023 Keynote speaker at the International Conference ‘Art, Feminism and Resilience’ Universidad de Guadalajara CUC.

2022 Hatton Gallery, Friends of the Hatton talk, July “Printmaking practice “.

2022 MPACT 12, International Print Conference “Pulque: The drink of the Gods” Bristol, UK

2018 IMPACT 10 International Print Conference’ presented an Academic Paper on Micro Macro Photo Lithography. Santander, Spain.

2017 Presentation and Talk at Talleres de Arte Contemporaneo, ‘Micro, macro foto lito’ in Mexico City.

CLACS (Centre for Latin-American Cultural Studies) December 2017 Presentation of the work Micro Macro Photo Litho in collaboration with Enrique Escobedo-Cousin.

RESEARCH FUNDING

 2024 Un solo mar/ One sea only. Project funded by Grodman Grant for Repatriation of Talent, awarded by the Grodman Legacy and The University of Guadalajara Foundation-USA. $8,000.00

2023 EDI funding traveling costs for EDI activities Conference in Mexico Universidad de Guadalajara (CUC) £950.00

2022-23 Barlett award, Printmaking exchange Universidad de Guadalajara and Newcastle University. Production of prints, exhibitions, and catalogue £2,510.00

2022 Pioneer Awards, Network and practical printmaking methods with the Cultural Institute of Aguascalientes, Mexico. £621.89

2021 School of Arts and Cultures Strategic Research Fund, (Research Output) Pulque: The revival of the Drink of Gods, Newcastle University. £1,392.00

2019 HaSS Faculty Research Fund Newcastle University. “Muxe Now”, UK. £5,000.00

2018 School of Arts and Cultures Strategic Research Fund Award “Micro-Macro-Photo-Litho”, UK

  School of Arts and Cultures Strategic Research Fund Award ‘Excellence in Print Lithography’, England    

2016 Newcastle University Institute for Creative Arts Practice "Interdisciplinary exchange in technical process of photo lithography". England.

2015 Arts Council Lottery Grant. Project “UK-Mexico Cultural Print Exchange”, England. £13,650.00   

Santander Mobility Fund Award 2014 on the Research Project Printmaking Workshops in Mexico. £1500.00

September 1998 - December 1999       Fulbright – Garcia Robles Scholar, School of Education, Health, Nursing and Art Professions, New York University, Master Studio and Environmental Art. New York, NY. September 1998 - December 1999, New York University.

This academic year I teach stage 1 and 2 . I work with UG and PG students with practical printmaking workshops, courses and events. 

I work as Panel Member for PhD's students supervision, as well as also providing students with online content through the Print Forum where we offer workshops, international seminars and exhibition opportunities.

I am Deputy Senior Tutor.

• Artefact

  • Servin E, Escobedo-Cousin E. Micro Macro Photo Litho Prints. Newcastle and Mexico City: Newcastle University UK and T.A.C.O. Mexico City, 2017.

• Article

  • Servin E. WIP Pulque the Drink of the Gods. Printmaking Today 2022, 31.

• Exhibitions

  • Servin E, Mieves C, Weileder W, Brown I, Jones C, Easton T. The Toon, artists from Newcastle University. 2024. Mexico City: TACO Gallery, 6.
  • Servin E, Razo C. Las Mil y Una estampas. 2024. Toluca, Mexico: Centro Tolzu, 1000.
  • Servin E, Johnny x, Bytautas A, Yates J, Culpa F, Easton T, Sweeting J, Christie Nick. Fluxus Fields. 2023. Newcastle Upon tyne: The Cluny Gallery Space, 6.
  • Servin E, Rose S, Willcox L, White S, Jewett A, Bee K, Willow F, Heath S, Franco T, Heaton L. Unseen, Online Exhibition and Program, commissioned by SAW (Sheildfield Art Works). 2021. online, 1. In Preparation.
  • Servin E, Mayes T, Majella O, Lance G, Zubieta M, Barton S, Wong A, Reyes R, Lazarus L. Re-Imagine Exhibition curated by Pink-Collar Gallery and Las Iluminstas. 2021. UK and Mexico: Different locations, 5. In Preparation.
  • Servin E, Angeles M, Fuentes J, Franco P, Serra l, Flores Herrasti R, Larrañaga G, Ricaño S. Calibre 16. 2020. Eibar, Spain: Portalea Casa de Cultura, 1.
  • Servin E, Bytautas A, Sweeting J, Easton T, Turner L, Stewart G. Make Print Great Again. 2019. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Vane Gallery, Print.
  • Servin E. Mujeres Mexicanas. 2015. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: 36 Lime Street Gallery, 2.
  • Servin E. Mujeres en la Grafica. 2015. Mexico City, Mexico: Museum of History of Tlalpan, 1.
  • Servin E. Foreign Encounter. 2015. Munich, Germany: FOE Galerie, 1.
  • Tofield T. Foreign Encounter. 2015. Munich, Germany: FOE Galerie, 1.
  • Servin E. Essays and Defective Materials. 2015. Veracruz, Mexico: Galeria AP, 2.
  • Servin E. Brewing Prints. 2015. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Ex Libris Gallery, Newcastle University, 2.

• Online Publications

  • Servin E. Pulque: The Drink of the Gods aricle. UWE, 2022. Available at: https://impact-journal-cfpr.uwe.ac.uk/index.php/impact/article/view/114.
  • Servin E. Pulque the Drink of the Gods. UK: Erika Servin, 2021. Available at: https://www.erikaservin.co.uk/projects-2. In Preparation.