January 21st - March 12th, 2011
The fine-art print, in its finest expression, is a piece of paper where a person possessed of special sensitivity has stamped an inked plate with a small-but-sincere sample of his (or her) joy of living, his sense of humor, his delight in form or color, his unique vision of the world around him, his existential doubt, his fear of death, his fondness for mythology, his fascination with science... or simply the profound satisfaction of tracing a line on a plate with a pointed stylus.It all started when...
Printmaking is known as one of the most technical of art forms. In simple terms, traditional prints are created by transferring ink from a matrix, or through a prepared screen, to a sheet of paper or other material, resulting in what is called an impression. Common types of matrices include: metal plates for etching or engraving, stone or aluminum for lithography, blocks of wood for woodcuts, and linoleum for linocuts. Multiple impressions printed from the same matrix form and edition. These are typically signed and numbered, creating limited editions.
Today, however, the rise of digital printmaking is transforming the medium of printmaking. This process refers to printing from a digital based image, created or stored on a computer, directly to a variety of media typically using stand-alone printers, which is the major difference with this process. Rather than using printing plates, an inkjet or laser printer deposits the pigment or toner onto a wide variety of substrates, including paper, canvas, cloth, glass or even marble, to name a few. Contemporary printmaking often uses photographic processes as well as a combination of traditional printmaking techniques.
Printmaking remains an admired medium among art collectors not only because of its ability to produce multiple copies, but for the unique qualities to which each different process lends itself. Monotype, lithography, woodcut, solarplate etching, photogravure, gum bichromate, gelatin silver printing, digital pigment printing - these are just a few of the processes that will be exhibited in The Print. It is our hope that through the display of these works on paper, our audience will be given the opportunity to better understand the true complexity and beauty of this art form.