22 planet of the arts / spring 1998 PRACTICE Printmaking d from pr page puter today. “Artists are often at the forefront of technology,” says McIntyre, “even as printmakers continue to work with wood and stone.” For exam- ple, one of Malaspina’s visiting artists from Peru had brought over a very sensuous wood from the rainforest to carve with nothing more than nails, while a Mexican artist worked initially with Photoshop and then layered the prints through silkscreen. The fact that printmaking can range from carving with sticks and stones to manipulating cutting edge digital media makes it the most con- temporary visual art medium of all, especially when considering the post-modern approach of appro- priation and combination which comments on the media as well as the message. Malaspina invites two visiting artists per year — typically one from within Canada and one interna- tional artist — to lecture and to work in the 24-hour studio, encouraging a cross-pollination of ideas and techniques. Malaspina also holds student scholar- ships during the summer. Mia Tremblay and Tomoyo Ihaya participated the Five Man Show, a materialization of their collaboration in this pro- gram. This exhibition was held last February at the Malaspina Gallery and showed a selection of prints by five scholarship-winning artists. Tremblay and Ihaya applied to the scholarship program as a col- laboration because they discovered that they share a similar drawing spirit. They both studied at Emily Carr during the 96-97 school year—Tremblay as a fourth year student, and Ihaya on exchange from Mount Allison University. Tremblay is a native of Vancouver Island and explores naive qualities of line, while Ihaya enjoys the characteristic plate tone achievable only through the process of etching. Tremblay most enjoys the action of scratching the copper plate’s surface in the intaglio process. She simply draws what she remembers, preferring to deal with conceptual rather than perceptual form. Ihaya begins the process by sketching sprigs and similar organic forms so as to gain a direct experi- ence as a basis for the print. She is entranced with the process itself; a “strange expansion” happens when she etches the plate. With seemingly opposite methods, one might hardly think these two artists could collaborate on something as small as a 10 x 12 inch sheet of copper, but their differences strength- en the work. On the count of three they turned the Gill Armitage, one of Relative Pieces, 1997. Scanned photograph digitally manipulated and lithography. 5”x6”. plate and continued on different parts of the image. In one piece, Ihaya drew the hands while Tremblay scratched the rest of the figure into the middle of the plate. Their imagery and energy flowed between them fusing the work. As for the process of printmaking, Tremblay loves the fine line and looseness etching on hard- ground (copper plate) enables. “The image comes up with me,” says Mia; when she trusts the image inherently without knowing the destination she allows it to come out of her dreamworld. Tomoyo seems spellbound by the stages of the process; she sees a fantastic world emerging from the etching of the plate to the pulling of the wet paper through the press, an imbuing of the print with the unique char- acteristics of a chosen paper. Tomoyo and Mia both find this collaboration very exciting and fruitful. Keep your eye out for these two, I assure you the experience of seeing their work will not leave you unchanged. Another category of printmaking is the com- mercial offset printing of “limited edition” repro- ductions like the signed and numbered “prints” by Robert Bateman. Just how is this form different from hand-pulled prints (done here at the Institute or at places like Malaspina)? For starters, according to Malaspina documentation, a reproduction is a copy of an original artwork which is “photographed and reproduced using an automatic offset printing process” This process is used to print newspapers, posters and magazines. For these formats, it is nec- essary to break the image up into tiny dots called a dot screen, or halftone screen, which is usually visible to the naked eye. A problem that has arisen out of this technique is that these reproductions are often labelled as “limited edition prints” and are sold at the same level as authen- tic prints. Using offset printing to pro- duce thousands of identical copies is not like hand-pulling one print at a time. Hand-pulled editions potentially num- ber about three to five hundred. Malaspina defines this type of print as “using a matrix of plate, stone, block or screen. The unique qualities of each matrix influence the nature of the images created by the artist. Once an ‘edition’ of prints is complete, the prints are numbered and signed in pencil by the artist and the original image on the matrix is destroyed.” Herein lies the deceit of practicing artists like Robert Bateman. Andy Warhol (or his assistants at least) hand-pulled his silkscreens and prints, making each one unique and valuable. He explored a range of effects brought on by changes in colour composition and registration. He exploded the media searchingly, locating its imperfections and turning these into powerful mes- sages in themselves. The more you reproduce an image, the less precious it becomes and therefore, less lucrative in the gallery system. But the market- ing of offset-printed reproductions as fine art The fact that printmaking can range from carving with sticks and stones to manipulating cutting edge digital media _makes it the most contemporary visual art medium of all. “prints” has completely distorted this balance and allowed reproduction to overtake the markets that hand-pulled prints previously occupied. And so, printmaking has become somewhat ghettoized, according to McIntyre, in that prints selling for a few hundred dollars are perhaps more difficult to sell in a gallery than a painting worth thousands of dollars because of its “one-of-a-kind” quality. But there is an upside because printmaking has always been affordable to most people. Many students here at Emily Carr Institute are currently selling their prints at prices that justify the use of an edition; a case in point is the Print & Ceramic Sale held at the Institute last November. This event offered a wonderful variety of techniques and approaches, and buying affordable art became exciting and encouraging to fellow art students. Ken Shymka is a fourth year student who works with a photo-litho process that begins in photogra- phy, goes through several digital manipulations, and then prints off a metal plate. Ken is working with color separations in a way that is not current- ly being done at Emily Carr. He needed to consult people in various areas in order to clarify his process and confirm his technique: computer tech- nicians on our second floor, printing technicians in the industry, and the support services of the print- making department. The process is complex, but I will attempt to keep this explanation to the basics as I understand them. Ken first scans a photograph into Photoshop and performs a number of manip- ulations including colour separations. Without get- ting too technical, colour separations are basically the separation of printable colour into the four colour components as mentioned earlier (CMYK). There are various steps to go through to arrive at these separations with digital tools; it is not simply a matter of punching a key and having the comput- er spit out the proper balance. Once the digital process is complete, the four colour separations are printed onto transparent material and then trans- ferred onto a plate. From this plate, the process of lithography is engaged. It has taken Ken nearly a year to arrive at the stage of printing the finely reg- istered separations onto paper, and he acknowl- edges the array of skills he had to master in order to realize his idea. His series of prints is based on the idea of the Fraser River as a logging resource and its Kim Austin, detail of Insect Issues, 1998. Watercolour and ink on paper. 5” wide. role in the relationship between human production and nature. The stream of technologies necessary to the realization of his project parallel the numerous stages in the paper manufacturing industry. Ken also has the intention of making his own paper to print upon, completing the cycle. Rachel “Anne-Marie Potatoe” Brett, a second year student, prints spontaneous, subconscious art. Her line-intaglio with chine collé work intends to express an idea more than a particular product. She bases her work on her own personal experience, but also on women’s position in society. Her method of line succeeds in making the work very accessible. This is important to Rachel because her ideas are rooted in the notion that we’re all naked under- neath our clothes—that many stereotypes are based on appearances which are chiefly regulated by our clothing; and that if we somehow rid ourselves of this shell then perhaps we might shed a lot of our stereotypes. Working from that perspective, Rachel draws naked figures expressing an open sexuality — our binding trait is that we are all sexual beings. She hopes to address sexuality by exposing the bareness which unites us. And as for new and exciting works surfacing in our printmaking department, recall the all-too- brief Print & Book exhibit in the Concourse Gallery held in early April. Celia King is the instructor for the newest course addition to the School of Visual Arts: Book Arts. While students in this three credit elective are fully initiated into the traditional tech- niques of printmaking, they are called on to explore the medium in terms of producing books as works of current and relevant art. Student works like Kim Austin’s (see above), integrate methods of collage, drawing, painting, and typography into the concept of a printed volume. The book as an art medium is very new, explains Celia. One just has to think of Nick Bantock’s “Griffin & Sabine” books of letters and postcards to get an idea of the current direction of this medium. Celia sees the book as a cohesive, creative whole where the maker is at once the artist, the author and the designer: a one-person show, if you will. Like film, video and animation, there is a narrative or a sequence involved where exploration and dichotomy can be fully applied. Historically, this kind of form had been used by artists like Picasso and Gauguin as a supplement to an exhibi- tion — using text as poetry while not directly relat- ing it to the content of the painting exhibition. These days, this particular manifestation of the artist’s book is not alive, perhaps mainly because galleries are not in a position to afford the publica- tion of such works. However, on the subject of lucra, Celia spells out that publishing can be a very good way of winning your dough. There is great potential in this medium as printing methods are constantly changing, and digital implications in particular look very promising. Digital treatment can be a very beneficial way of circumventing the tedious tasks associated with publishing your own work of art. Celia deals with a publisher who provides her with worldwide distribution; now who wouldn't enjoy that kind of exposure? The accordion fold out books created in this course are the fruits of three hours’ labour in the studio. The free-writing exer- cises and rapid problem-solving involved make these dynamic works of art a remarkable strength in the printmaking program. coy 22 plonet of the orts / spring 1998 PRACTICE Printmaking puter today “Artists ate often at the forefront of technology! sys Meinye, continue to work with wood and stone “ven as printmakers ple, one of Malaspina’s visting artists from Peru had brought over a very sensuous wood from the carve with nothing more than mail while a Mexican artist worked initially with Photoshop and then layered the prints through silkscreen, The ft that printmaking can range from carving with ticks and stones to manipulating cating edge digital media makes tthe mos con temporary visual at medium of ll expecially when considering the postimodert approach of appro: ration and combination which comments om the ‘media aswell as the messge Malaspina invites two visting artists per year ‘typically one from within Canada and one interna tional artist to lecture and to work re 2Ahour studio, encouraging a cros-polinaton of ideas and techniques. Malaspina also holds student schol ships during the summer, Mia Tremblay and Tomoyo thay participated the Five Man Show, a ‘materiliation of thi collaboration inthis pro fram. This exhibition was held lst February tthe Malaspina Gallery and showed a selection of prints by five scholarship-winning artists, Tremblay and Thaya applied to the scholarship program as aco: Inboraton because they discovered that they share a similar drawing spirit, They both studied at Emily Car during the 96-97 school yea-Tremblay as a fourth year student, and Thaya on exchange from Mount Alison University. Tremblay isa naive of Vancouver Island and explores naive qualities of lin, while thay enjoys the characteristic plate tone achievable only through the proces of etching. Tremblay most enjoys the ation of scratching the copper plate’ surface inthe intagio process. She simply draws what she remembers preferring 10 eal with conceptual rather than pereptual frm. Thaya begins the proces by sketching sprigs and similar organic forms ss o gain a direct expe ‘nce as a basis for the print. She is entranced with the proces itself a “strange expansion” happens ‘when she etches the plate. With seemingly oppos methods, one might hardly think these wo artists ‘could collaborate on something as small as a 10x 12 inch shet of coppe, but thee differences seengt en the work. On the count of thre they turned the Cl Armitage, one of Relive Pcs, 1997 ‘Scanned photograph digitally manipulated and thography. 56" plate and continued on diferent parts of the image. Tone piece, thaya drew the ands while Temblay Scratched the test of the fgute into the middle of the plate Their imagery and energy owed between them fasng the work. As for the proces of prinumaking, Teemblay loves the fine line and looseness etching on hard round (copper plate) enables. “The image comes ‘up with mg” sys Miss when she trust the image inherently without knowing the destination she allows ito come out of her dreamworld Tomoye seems spellbound bythe stages ofthe process: she Sees fantastic world emerging from the etching of the plate to the pling of the wet paper through the press an imbuing ofthe print with the unique char _cterstics ofa chosen pape. Tomoyo and Mia both Find this Keep your eye out for these two, Hasse you the sboraton very exiting and fi ‘experience of scing thee work will not lave you unchanged. “Another category of printmaking i the com mercial offct printing of “lite. edition” repro signed and umbered “prints” by teman. Just how is this form diferent dvetions lke Robert B from hand: pulled prints (done here atthe Insite ‘or at paces lke M to Malaspina dacum spina)? For starters, according nation, a reproduction isa ‘copy of an original artwork which is photographed and reproduced using an automatic offet printing process” This proces is used to print newspaper, posters and magazines, For these formats ts nec ‘sary to break the image up into tiny dots called dt sereen or halfione screen, which s usally visible tothe naked ee 'A problem that has arisen out of this technique that these reproductions are labeled a “limited edition pe and are soldat the same level as authen: tic prints. Using oft printing to pro: duce thousands of identical copies is Hike hand-plling one prin ata time Hand-pulled editions potentially num: ber about three to five hundred. Malaspina defines this type of print a “using a matrix of plat, stone block or cren, The unique ‘qualities ofeach matrix influence the nature of the images created by the artist. Once an ‘edition’ of prints is complet, the prints are numbered and signed in pencil by the artist andthe orginal image ‘on the matrix is destroyed” Herein isthe deceit of practicing artists like Robert Bateman. Andy Warhol (or his assistants atleast) hand-pulled his “oft Kim Austin, deta of nsec sues, 198. Watercolour and ink on pape. 5° wide. silkscreens and pins, making etch ne unique a ‘valuable. He explored a range of effets brought on by changes in colour composition and registration, He exploded the media sarchingly locating its imperfections and tuning these into powerful mes: sages in themselves. The more you reproduce an image, the less precious it becomes and therefore, vein the gallery system. But the market. ing of offet-prined reproductions a8 fine art The fact that printmaking can range from carving with sticks and stones to manipulating cutting edge digital media makes it the most contemporary visual art medium of all. “pris” has completly distorted this balance and allowed reproduction to overtake the markets that hand: palled prints previously occupied And so, printmaking has become somewhat ghettoized, aconding to Melnyte, in that prints seling fora few hundred dollars are perhaps more dificult to sll in a gallery than a painting worth thousands of dollars because ofits “one-of aking” quality. Bu there is a upside because printmaking has always been affordable to most people. Many students here at Emily Care Institute ate currently seling their rims at price that justify the use of an ‘edition ease in pit isthe Print & Ceramic Sale held at the Insitute last November, This event ‘offered a wonderful variety of techniques and approaches, and buying affordable art became ‘exciting and encooraging wo fellow art students. Ken Shymka is a fourth year student who works ith photostitho proces that begins in photogr ‘hy goes through several digital manipulations, and then prints off a metal plate. Ken is working with color separations ina way that isnot cueent Iy being done at Emily Care He needed to consult people in various areas in order to darify his proces and confirm his technique: computer tech nicians on our second lor, printing technicians in the industry, and the support services ofthe print ‘making department. The process is complex, but 1 willatempt to kep this explanation tothe basis as 1 understand them. Ken fist scans @ photograph into Photoshop and peforns a number of ranip ulations including colour separations Without ge ting 100 technical, colour separations are basically the separation of printable colour into the four colour components as mentioned earlier (CMYK), Thee ae various steps to go through to arive at these separations with digital tools: it isnot simply a mate of punching key and having the comput spit out the proper balance. Once the digital process complete, the four colour separations are Printed onto transparent material and then trans ferred 10 a plate, From this pate, the process of lithography is engage. thas taken Ken ncaly year to arrive at the tage of printing the finely re Istered separations onto paper, and he acknov! cages the arayof lls he had to maser inorder to teat his ies. His series of print is based on the ‘dea ofthe Fraser Rivers logging resource and its rol in the relationship between human production and nature. The stream of technologies necestry to the realization of his project paral the numerous stags in the paper manufacturing industry. Ken aso as the intention of making his own paper to Print upon, completing the cp Rachel “Anne-Marie Poatoe™ Brett second yea student, prints spontancous, subonscious art Her line imagio with chine cllé work intends to ‘expressan idea more than a particular product She ‘bases her work on her own personal experince, but also on women’ position in society. Her method of line sueceds in making the work very accesible This is important to Rachel because hee ides are rooted in the notion that we're all naked under: neath our clothes-that many stereotypes ae based ‘on appearances which are chiefly regulated by our clothing and that i we somehow id ourses of ‘this shell then perhaps we might shed alo of our stereotypes. Working fom that perspective, Rachel ras naked figures expressing an open sexuality ~ ‘our binding tats that we areal sexual beings She hopes to addres sexuality by exposing the Bareness ‘which nites us ‘And a for new and exciting works surfacing in ‘our printmaking department, recall the all-1o0 ‘brit Print & Book exhibit inthe Concours Gallery held in early Apri. Cli King i the instructor for the newest course addition tothe School of Vis ‘Ars Book Arts, While students inthis thee credit lective ate lly initiate into the traditional tech niques of printmaking, they ae elle onto explore the medium in terms’ of producing books as works rent and relevant at. Student works ke Kin Austins (se above), imeprate methods of collage, «drawing, panting, and typography into the concept ‘of primed volume. The book as an art medium is very new, explains Cela, One just as to tink of [Nick Bantock’s “Griffin & Sabine” books ofleters and postards to get an idea of the current direction ofthis medium. Celia sees the book as a cohesive, creative whole where the make sat once the ats the author and the designer one-person show, if you wil Like film, video and animation, there a narrative ora sequence involved where exploration and dichotomy can be filly applied. Historically, this kind of form had been used by ats Hike Picasso and Gauguin asa supplement to an exhib tion — using text as poetry while not ditety elat- ing it to the content of the panting exibition These days, this particular manifestation of the artnts book i not alive, perhaps mainly because talleres are notin a postion o afford the publica tion of such works. However onthe subjet of ara, ofa (Gaia spels out that publishing can bea very good ‘ay of winning your dough. Theres reat poten in this medium as printing methods are constantly cular changing, and digital implications in p look very promising: Digital treatment beneficial way of circumventing the tedious tasks associated ‘with publishing your own work of at Celia deals with a publisher who provides het with workwide distribution: now who wouldnt enjoy that Kind of exposure? The accordion fokd out hooks erated inthis course are the ests of three hours’ labour in the studio, The free-riing exer: cises and rapidproblem solving involved. make these dynam works of rt remarkable strength in the printmaking program: