While we’re gone on Christmas break

The gallery will be closed Christmas day, with Director Annie Turner gone until next week (though there will be Artist members sitting on the 26th and 28th!)  While we’re out, enjoy perusing a few older blog posts to familiarize yourself with our upcoming solo show artists:

1. Carole Nelson’s review of Gouge: The Modern Woodcut  1870 to Now at the Armand Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, which mentions our March solo artist, Lila Oliver Asher.

2. Our post about Jenny Freestone, May’s solo artist.

3. “Something Lost” by Max-Karl Winkler, our June solo artist, and another post about his recent show “Heartland” at Isadore gallery.

4. A link to Andis Applewhite’s (our July solo artist) talk at the Museum of Print History in Houston, Texas.

5. September solo artist, Carolyn Pomponio’s post “Artist \ ‘art-ist \ n :  one who professes and practices an art in which conception and execution are governed by imagination and taste.” on becoming an artist.

6. Carole Nelson’s interview with October solo artist Mike Hagan.

7. Our recent “Intern Perspectives” post on Pauline Jakobsberg, November’s solo artist.

8. Martha Oatway’s first “Postcard from the UK,” the WPG member exhibiting (with Tracey Hill) in December.

We wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas, see you next week!

“Why Printmaking” excerpt from our Winter 2010 newsletter

Below is an excerpt from our Winter 2010 newsletter, which also includes an article on our upcoming January Invitational exhibition, photos from recent exhibitions, and images of new editions, among other information.  The artists below all have an exhibition in 2011.

Some artists create prints as a primary focus. Others make prints alongside work in drawing, painting, sculpture or other media. What is it that attracts artists to explore image-making through prints? Below, four WPG artists answer the question: ‘Why printmaking?’

"Tree Shadows on the C&O Canal Path" (Palisades) by Martha Oatway, part of WPF's printeDCircuit portfolio

Martha Oatway – I came to printmaking as a painter and photographer. Having spent years making  monotypes, I morphed into monoprints after taking a paper lithography workshop. I find printmaking addictive, I print because I have to, I love to. I enjoy layering; making decisions one day, printing, then making new decisions about adding the next layer to the print. Rarely is any print fully thought out before I start, it informs me of what I need to do as I move through time.

"Tabasco" by Carolyn Pomponio

Carolyn Pomponio – As a painter turned printmaker, I think it was the element of surprise that married me to printmaking. No matter which technique used, lifting the paper off the plate, or realizing the magic of the final color in a screen print, the ‘aha’ moment is the pot of gold. Painting is zoning out – in a cocoon of pure pleasure. But printmaking has the mechanics, the hands-on manipulation and, when it works, the delightful, surprising, happy-ever-after ending.

Max-Karl Winkler – In graduate school my major was drawing and printmaking, but I was away from printmaking for a long time. During the years that I was teaching, I found that painting and printmaking were simply too much work: I could carry a sketchbook and a pen wherever I went, so my focus came to be on drawing. Later, when I was a free-lance illustrator, the tight deadlines did not often permit printmaking as a part of the workday.

"Ellen at Work" by Max-Karl Winkler

I confess, too, that I’m not attracted to all aspects of printmaking. Most printmaking techniques are, for me, like eating steamed crabs: too much work for too little meat. But woodcuts and wood engraving—those most primitive forms of printmaking—have appealed to me fromthe beginning, and the difference resides, quite simply, in the medium: I love wood: I love its grain, its look, its aroma, its texture, its frustrating inconsistency, and most of all the exciting (or, at times, disappointing) difference between the finished sketch and the resulting print.

And then there’s the aspect of printmaking that infects all of us who make prints: that each medium leads us into undreamed of labyrinths. Like the wandering Aengus, I’m drawn into the hollow lands of pattern and the hilly lands of color, and I know that there’s more to this medium than I’ll ever discover in my brief life.

"No Other" by Andis Applewhite

Andis Applewhite -Printmaking found me. It seems that I attract in life what is in me. If I think about it, it can help me understand who I am. Process, dualities, aesthetics. These three words define what I love about life and printmaking.

2011 Exhibition Line-up

Here it is, so fresh that some of it hasn’t even made it to our official website yet!  The 2011 Exhibition Schedule.  Please note that sometimes there are unscheduled trips, injuries, or outside commitments that sometimes cause a change in show line-ups, but as it stands right now, next year looks like this:

January: Bewicks Legacy: Six Contemporary British Wood Engravers: This show is curated by and includes engravings from Simon Brett, as well as 5 other British Wood Engravers.  This show is up on our website, please click the link above for more information.

February: Excellence in Printmaking: We are pleased to announce that Katherine Blood, Curator of Fine Prints for the Library of Congress, will be jurying this show.  We will also be giving out awards.  If you are a BFA/MFA student in the mid-Atlantic region, you have until December 31 to apply!  See the full details here.

March: Lila Oliver Asher: Professor Emerita from Howard University, Lila has been printing in DC for over 60 years!  Lila has shown work internationally, including prints in Taiwan and India as well as our own National Museum of American Art.

April:  Pyramid Atlantic Member Artist Exhibition: Remember Jake Muirhead and Lindsay McCulloch from September 2010’s Director’s Cut exhibition?  They print downstairs at Pyramid Atlantic, and there are many more talented artists as well!

May: Jenny Freestone: We are so excited for the reschedule of Jenny Freestone’s solo exhibition, which was supposed to happen in 2010 but due to an ill-timed broken foot (but when are they every well-timed?) was postponed.  Lots of new prints will be on display.

"Ellen at Work" by Max-Karl Winkler, an example of one of his long, thin woodcuts

June: Max-Karl Winkler: Max-Karl is a wood-cut artist whose subjects range from portraits to landscapes, many of which are characteristically tall and thin–perfect to fit into those funny little wall spaces by doors or between windows.

July: Andis Applewhite: Andis is one of WPG’s distant members, and will be coming all the way from Texas to install her show of serigraphs (screenprints).  Her most recent show of prints at WPG, Obtuse Writings, were created by writing questions with her dominant hand and answering them with her non-dominant hand.  The resulting prints explore “communications that are both known and hidden.”  We are excited to see what is next!

2010 NSW First Place Print "Bound," by Kiyomi Baird.

August: 14th Annual National Small Works: 2011’s NSW will be juried by Robert Newman, Director of the Old Print Shop in New York.  For artists interested in applying, the full prospectus will be up early in 2011, so check back frequently or join our email list to make sure you get it.  Also, 2010’s winner, Kiyomi Baird, will have a solo exhibition in conjunction with the juried show.

September: Carolyn Pomponio: Carolyn is a founding member of WPG and has tried just about everything–screenprints, monoprints, etching, solarplate–making for a varied and accomplished body of work.  We are interested to see what the focus of her first solo exhibition in 5 years will be.

WPG's director's favorite print of Mike Hagan's, "Ain't"

October: Mike Hagan: Mike is a screenprint artist who enjoys pushing the boundaries of the media.  We have heard he is working on some prints to be viewed with 3D glasses as well as printing on Tyvek (yes, the same stuff as the house wrappings). There are rumors he will invite additional screenprinters to be part of this show, but nothing official yet.

November: Pauline Jakobsberg: Pauline received a lot of compliments on her recent turn to cut-out prints (think the cut-out dresses from the September 2010 Director’s Cut exhibition).  This is just one aspect of her printmaking, and as the show is almost a full year away, it is still unknown what will be included.  Check back next year for updates!

December: Martha Oatway and Tracey Hill: You may already be familiar with WPG president Martha Oatway from her “Postcards from the UK” blog entries.  She will be sharing her solo exhibition with British printmaking Tracey Hill in part of an across-the-pond print exchange/collaboration.  Again, check back as the exhibition draws closer for more details.

One more plug!

Reminder about events this weekend:

"Tree Shadows on the C&O Canal Path" (Palisades) by Martha Oatway, available exclusively through printeDCircuits

Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair--with WPG’s AMAZINGLY priced printeDCircuit portfolio–$475 for 14 prints and an introductory essay by John Kelly of the Washington Post.  Feel good bonus–70% of the proceeds go to our non-profit sister company, the Washington Print Foundation, which promotes traditional printmaking processes.  Want to know more about the fair?  Click on the link above for the official site and also read the story at the Gazette!

"Overgrown" by Lee Newman, Etching and Roulette, on view now at the gallery!

Opening Reception: Glimpse–Join Artist Lee Newman for the opening reception of his retrospective solo exhibition, Glimpse.  Lee’s put a lot of work into this show, literally–almost 60 pieces!  Some of the prints are in international collections and well-known US collections, such as the National Gallery of Art.  If you buy one, it would be a very impressive conversation starter!  “Oh yes, isn’t this a lovely piece?  It’s also in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.”  A great way to look super classy AND support a wonderful local artist.

With the Book Arts Fair and the Opening, there will be lots of WPG artists around, so this weekend is definitely worth the trip to Silver Spring if you’ve been putting it off.  We hope to see you soon!

Postcards from the UK III

The following is WPG President Martha Oatway’s write-up on Elizabeth Couzins Scott, one of the artists in the AA2A program Martha introduced us to in her previous postcard.  Exciting side note–Martha is back states side for a short visit and will be at today’s “Thank You Silver Spring” party at the gallery (1-4 pm).  Stop by to say hello and tell her your favorite UK blog contribution!

Liz Couzins Scott with her "Stiched Faces" body of work

The Artists Access to Art College (AA2A) program in the UK provides four professional artists unlimited studio access for two semesters at each university.  I had the privilege to work with three of the AA2A printmaking students at the University of Central Lancashire this past year.

In September last year’s AA2A participants showed their work in the gallery at the university.  I’ve already written about David Henckel, here is Elizabeth Couzins Scott in her own words.

“The AA2A scheme has given me the opportunity to experiment with producing more complex printed surfaces onto fabrics. Having an uninterrupted period of time to think has enabled me to diversify and create a new body of work that would have been impossible at my own studio

close-up of "Stitched Faces"

My current practice has developed from my interest in the symbolic and cultural meaning of consumer culture and contemporary anxieties .There are powerful cultural forces that persuade women to buy into the impossible beauty myth. Our society is consumed with visual images of external female perfecton.It would seem that women from early childhood can be socialized into gender stereotypes for social approval. Cosmetic surgery procedures are being sought by younger and younger women

The interpretation of these themes led me to use a selection of figurative images taken from one glossy fashion magazine which were rearranged, collaged, stitched and applied to dolls faces .The imagery was then printed onto a selection of fabrics like silk organza and transparent polyester using photo silk screen techniques and then layered, bonded and stitched together to produce unsettling images.”

Postcards from the UK II

Below is the 2nd installment of art news from WPG President Martha Oatway, currently splitting her time between the States and the UK.

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston participates in a national plan called Artists Access to Art Schools (AA2A) which allows an artist access to studio space for a year and a stipend for materials.  During the past year I’ve had the pleasure of working beside three of the four AA2A printmakers in the printmaking studio.  In September they had a joint show in the Victoria Building gallery, the culmination of their years work. 

 

Table print by David Henckel

One day during the semester I walked into the classroom and found a desk top inked like a relief plate.  David Henckel noticed something everyone else saw but really didn’t notice:  the scratches and dings in the surface of the desk made by 20+ years of students.  He inked it and printed it.  His print of the gum deposits in front of Victoria Building takes a similar tack.

 

David Henckel in his own words:

David Henckel

The chewing gum piece and the table print are concerned with the patterns and marks that develop as a result of unconsciously collaborative activity. Both pieces highlight and draw attention to something that is already there. The table print is a direct relief print taken after inking up the table with a litho roller and shows in greater contrast the intricate cuts and scratches that have built up over time from its use as a paper trimming area. It reveals a pattern of activity loosely focused along one edge from when the table was pushed up against the wall.
I like the ambiguity of the finished print and the semi focused randomness of the marks.

Chewing gum deposits painted bright pink by David

I noticed the chewing gum deposits throughout Preston and felt they were similar in nature
to the marks on the table. Diffusion patterns with concentrations of deposits at the entrance way
to buildings or around the trash bins. The 2 screenprints that I made use photographs as a starting point which I’ve then manipulated to leave only a hint of the architecture and the space. The chewing gum which merges with the pavement has been coloured in on another layer and in the prints stands out in stark contrast to the background.

After making the prints I decided I really wanted to paint the actual chewing gum deposits and after a little bit of negotiation and a few blind eyes being turned set about the entrance way to the gallery. Thankfully a good friend volunteered to help me and we painted all the gum in the vicinity a nice bubblegum pink.
Whilst painting the gum, no one tried to stop me and we got a few odd questions including
“What are those pink blobs meant to be?” and “Is that meant to be chewing gum?”

What I originally thought might be far too obvious turned out to be a lot more subtle and with the
onset of Autumn??? already the pink blobs seemed to fit with the leaves.

I’m thinking about a chewing gum film of Preston and the possibility of a musical piece based on the distribution of gum being notes in a sequence.