Episoder
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In s3e66 of Platemark, host Ann Shafer talks with Jennifer Roberts, an art historian and professor at Harvard, about her latest book, Contact: Art and the Pull of Print, which explores the intersection of intellectual and technical richness in print. Jennifer's book offers a fresh perspective on printmaking, synthesizing simple maneuvers like reversal and pressure to account for the medium's expansive influence. Based on her acclaimed Mellon Lectures delivered during the pandemic, the book is both conversational and accessible, aiming to engage a wide audience beyond the traditional confines of print expertise.
They also talk about Jennifer's journey into the world of print, which began during her research into the movement and dissemination of images within the Anglo-American world during the 18th and 19th centuries. Initially focused on the path of oil paintings, she inadvertently found herself immersed in the world of prints, specifically currency engraving—an intricate craft demanding the production of unreplicable reproductive objects to combat counterfeiting.
Jennifer shares insights from her 20+ years of teaching where she emphasizes long looking at objects (3 hours!) and integrates studio and theoretical learning. Additionally, Jennifer discusses an exciting collaboration with artist Dario Robleto. Their joint work delves into the fascinating realm of printed sound, specifically examining the Golden Record—a phonographic record sent into space on the Voyager probes. This project exemplifies Jennifer's penchant for exploring the intersections of materiality, meaning, and communication within both earthly and cosmic contexts, as well as the intersections of art, science, and the evolution of visual culture.
Cover photo: Sharona Jacobs.
USEFUL LINKS
Bio https://haa.fas.harvard.edu/people/jennifer-roberts
IG @jenniferrrrrroberts
Jennifer Roberts’s books and lectures
Contact: Art and the Pull of Print, 2024
https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691255859/contact-art-and-the-pull-of-print?srsltid=AfmBOoq_6iSOwrkK9suakEqQRn7TWwBvOj4zyh0Gf3zLcw4gvTpA2uC3Mellon Lectures, National Gallery of Art
https://www.nga.gov/research/casva/meetings/mellon-lectures-in-the-fine-arts/roberts-2021.htmlTransporting Visions: The Movement of Images in Early America, 2014
https://www.ucpress.edu/books/transporting-visions/hardcoverJasper Johns/In Press: The Crosshatch Works and the Logic of Print, 2012
https://shop.harvardartmuseums.org/products/jasper-johns-in-press-the-crosshatch-works-and-the-logic-of-printThe Metamorphic Press: Jasper Johns and the Monotype, 2017
https://www.academia.edu/35947545/The_Metamorphic_Press_Jasper_Johns_and_the_Monotype_2017_Platemark website
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We're replaying a past bonus episode in which History of Prints SME Tru and Platemark host Ann talk about their art origins. They come from pretty different backgrounds, but they are in complete alignment about art, art history, prints, and print history. So, listen in as they talk about how they got to where they are.
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In this episode, go behind the scenes at the museum with Alison Luxner, a paper conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Alison shares her journey to becoming a conservator, the lengthy education and training process, and her diverse experiences working in various conservation roles. They also delve into the specifics of handling and conserving works on paper, the pros and cons of using gloves, and share some adventures in couriering artwork all over the world. Furthermore, they discuss different career paths within the field. Ann and Alison's conversation underscores the complexities of art conservation and the passion required to excel in this meticulous profession.
Paper Conservator Alison Luxner treating a large Jules Cheret poster, La Loïe Fuller, 1893. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Paper Conservator Alison Luxner treating a group of hand-colored linoleum cuts by Allan Rohan Crite. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Paper Conservator Alison Luxner treating a wood engraving by Edwin Holgate, Nude by a Lake, c. 1932. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Paper Conservator Alison Luxner looking closely with a microscope at Martin Schongauer’s engraving Temptation of Saint Anthony, 1470-74. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Host Ann Shafer with Alison Luxner’s mother, Joan Kaskell, and Ann’s father, Don MacNary. -
In this History of Prints episode of Platemark, host Ann Shafer and subject matter expert Tru Ludwig explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Maria Sibylla Merian. Celebrated for her pioneering work on insect metamorphosis and her detailed illustrations of flora and fauna, Merian's journey took her to Suriname where she documented local species with the help of native people and slaves. Despite the societal constraints of the 17th century, she made significant contributions to both science and art, influencing future generations. The discussion also situates her achievements within the broader context of the Enlightenment and printmaking evolution, drawing comparisons with other naturalists like Audubon. The episode concludes with a teaser for an upcoming feature on William Hogarth, noted for his political satire.
George Peabody Library, Baltimore, MD.
Johann Zoffany (German, 1733–1810). The Academicians of the Royal Academy, 1771–72. Oil on canvas. 101.1 x 147.5 cm. Royal Collection Trust.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717) on the 500 Deutsche Mark.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717) on a German postage stamp.
Jacob Marrel (German, 1613–1681). Portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian, 1679. Oil on canvas. 59 x 50.5 cm. Kunstmuseum Basel.
[DETAIL] Joachim von Sandrart I (German, 1606–1688) and Philipp Kilian (German, 1628–1693). Detail of Portraits of Michel le Blond, Aegidius Sadeler, Georg Petele, Matthaus Merian, Renbrant a Rhen, Carol Screta, c. 1683. Engraving. Plate: 12 1/4 × 7 7/8 in. (31.1 × 20 cm.); sheet: 12 3/4 × 8 3/8 in. (32.4 × 21.3 cm.). Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit.
Wenceslaus Hollar (Flemish, 1607–1677). Muff with a band of brocade, 1647. Etching. Plate: 11.3 x 8.3 cm. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.
Matthäus Merian (Swiss, 1593–1650). Todten-Tantz Wie derselbe in der Weitberümbten Statt Basel als ein Spiegel Menschlicher beschaffenheit gantz Künstlich mit Lebendigen Farben Gemahlet, nicht ohne nutzliche Verwunderung zusehen ist. Basel: Mieg, 1621. Thüringer Landesmuseum Heidecksburg.
Jacob Marrel (German, 1613–1681). Four Tulips: (Boterman, Joncker, Grote geplumaceerde, and Voorwint), c. 1635–45. Watercolor on vellum. 13 3/8 x 17 11/16 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Rachel Ruysch (Dutch, 1664–1750). Festoon with Flowers and Fruit, 1682. Oil on canvas. 38 x 33 cm. National Gallery of Prague.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717 ). Plate 5 from volume 1 of Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandlung und sonderbare Blumennahrung (The Caterpillars' Marvelous Transformation and Strange Floral Food). Germany: self-published, 1679.
Jan Goedaert (German, 1617–1668). Study for and engraving of metamorphosis of a moth.
Tru Ludwig (American, born 1959). Dumb Luck, 2009. Two-plate etching, printed à la poupée. Plate: 37 ½ x 27 in.; sheet (42 x 30 in.). Courtesy of the Artist.
Jacobus Houbraken (Dutch, 1698–1780), after Georg Gsell (Swiss, 1673–1740). Portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian. Engraving with hand coloring, frontispiece in Der Rupsen Begin, Voedzel en Wonderbaare Verandering. Waar in De Oorspronk, Spys en Gestaltverwisseling; als ook de Tyd, Plaats en Eigenschappen de Rupsen, Wormen, Kapellen, Uiltjes, Vliegen, en andere diergelyke bloedelooze Beesjes vertoond word. Amsterdam: self-published, 1717.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Neues Blumenbuch. Nuremberg: self-published, 1680.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Blumenbuch. Nuremberg: Johann Andreas Graff, 1675.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Illustration of a Turk's cap lily (Lilium superbum) from Merian's New Book of Flowers, 1680.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Titlepage from Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandlung und sonderbare Blumennahrung (The Caterpillars' Marvelous Transformation and Strange Floral Food). Germany: self-published, 1679.
Jim Dine (American, born 1935). The Temple of Flora, 1984. San Francisco, Arion Press, 1984.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). A Pineapple Surrounded by Cockroaches, c. 1701–05. Watercolor and gouache on vellum. British Museum, London.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Merian's 'forest rat' or opossum (Didelphimorphia) carrying her young. Detail from plate 66 of Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (frog) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium ofte Verandering der Surinaamsche Insecten. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Ripe Pineapple with Dido Longwing Butterfly, 1702–03. Watercolor and gouache with gum arabic over lightly etched outlines on vellum. 43.5 x 28.8 cm. Royal Collection Trust, London.Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Ripe Pineapple with Dido Longwing Butterfly, from the book, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensis. Amsterdam: Johannes Oosterwyk, 1718.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (praying mantes) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (snake) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (tarantula) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
[DETAIL] Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (tarantula) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (tarantula) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (croc eating snake) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (pineapple and cockroaches) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Watercolor study of Toucan for Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium ofte Verandering der Surinaamsche Insecten. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (Dutch, 1647–1717). Plate (black tegu) from Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. Amsterdam: self-published, 1705.
Jacobus Houbraken (Dutch, 1698–1780), after Georg Gsell (Swiss, 1673–1740). Portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian. Engraving, frontispiece in Der Rupsen Begin, Voedzel en Wonderbaare Verandering. Waar in De Oorspronk, Spys en Gestaltverwisseling; als ook de Tyd, Plaats en Eigenschappen de Rupsen, Wormen, Kapellen, Uiltjes, Vliegen, en andere diergelyke bloedelooze Beesjes vertoond word. Amsterdam: self-published, 1717.
Thomas Bewick (British, 1753–1828). Title page from History of British Birds. Newcastle: Beilby & Bewick, 1797.
Thomas Bewick (British, 1753–1828). Title page from The Supplement to the History of British Birds. London: Longman and Co., 1821.
Dr. Robert Thorton (British). Flowering Cereus from The Temple of Flora, 1807. Color mezzotint. London: self-published, 1812.
Sotheby's auction house workers David Goldthorpe, left, and Mary Engleheart, go through a rare copy of a book of illustrations by John James Audubon's Birds of America, in central London, Thursday Sept. 9, 2010. (AP / Lefteris Pitarakis)
John James Audobon (French-American, 1785–1851). The Birds of America. London: self-published, 1827–38.
John James Audobon (French-American, 1785–1851). Flamingo fron The Birds of America. London: self-published, 1827–38.
John James Audobon (French-American, 1785–1851). Carolina Parakeets from The Birds of America. London: self-published, 1827–38.
John James Audobon (French-American, 1785–1851). Northern Loons The Birds of America. London: self-published, 1827–38.
John James Audobon (French-American, 1785–1851). Hawks eating dinner from The Birds of America. London: self-published, 1827–38. -
In this episode of Platemark, host Ann Shafer talks with renowned printmaker Jenny Robinson who recently opened up her eponymous print shop in Sydney, Australia.
Jenny shares her experiences moving from America to Slovenia during the Trump era, integrating into Slovenia's printmaking community, and ultimately relocating to Sydney, Australia, to establish her print atelier. We talk about the challenges of getting different materials and the cultural contrasts in the art scenes of America, Europe, and Australia, backing and seaming prints with gampi (thanks to Paul Mullowney’s tutelage), flying with rolled prints in golf bags (for free!), and the Mario Avati Prize, which led to a one-person exhibition in the Institut de France in Paris, across the river from the Louvre.
The episode also touches upon the extensive network and collaborative spirit of printmakers and Jenny's summer residency at Flatbed Press in Austin, TX. Throughout the conversation, Jenny emphasizes the significance of artist visits, educational resources in art, and her ambitions for large-scale prints and workshops in her new Sydney studio.
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International Center of Graphic Arts (Mednarodni grafični likovni center), Ljubljana, Slovenia. Photo by Jaka Babnik.
Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Architectural Anomalies Series #2: Cornerstone. Drypoint on Gampi. 40 x 60 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Palm House Series #2: The Glass House. Drypoint on Gampi. 137 x 300 cm. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson pinning up Palm House Series #2: The Glass House.
Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Palm House #1, 2021. Drypoint on Gampi. 137 x 300 cm. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Paradigm. Drypoint on Gampi, backed with Sekishu. 60 x 80 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Above L.A. Drypoint and monoprint. Sheet: 51 x 34 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Hidden Lines, Fragile Frameworks, 2021, Drypoint on Gampi and Mulberry paper. Each: 150 x 98 cm. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson’s converted warehouse home, Sydney.
Jenny Robinson was awarded the Mario Avati Prix de Gravure in 2019. Solo exhibition took place at Le Pavillion comtesse de Caen, Academie des Beaux Arts, September 2021.
Installation shot of Jenny Robinson’s exhibition for the Mario Avati Prix de Gravure, Le Pavillion comtesse de Caen, Academie des Beaux Arts, Paris, September 2021.
Institut de France, Paris, 2021.
Installation shot of Jenny Robinson (British, born 1957). Structures, 2019. Drypoint on Gampi. Courtesy of the Artist.
Jenny Robinson Print Studio, Sydney.
Jenny Robinson Print Studio, Sydney. -
In s3e63 of Platemark, podcast host Ann Shafer talks with collaborative printer Peter Pettengill. Peter founded Wingate Studio in 1985 on his family’s dairy farm in Hinsdale, NH. Originally trained at Crown Point Press, Peter specializes in multi-plate color etchings. Now semi-retired, Peter’s son James has taken over the operating of the shop, though Peter lends a hand when requested.
They talk about Peter's early experiences at Crown Point Press, his work with celebrated artists such as John Cage, Sol LeWitt, and Walton Ford, and the technical and creative complexities of creating fine art prints. Peter reflects on his transition to semi-retirement, the passing of his studio to his son James, and the historical and artistic significance of their family farm turned artist residency. This episode offers listeners an insightful look into the dedication required in printmaking, the balance between creativity and technical skill, and the supportive community that underpins the art world.
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Robert Mapplethorpe (American, 1946–1989). Plate from the portfolio A Season in Hell, 1986. Photogravure printed with relief roll. Published by Limited Editions Club, photogravures by Jon Goodman and printed by Wingate Studio, text printed by Wild Carrot Press.
Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Crown Point, 1980. Bound volume with photoetchings. Plate (each) 2 ½ x 2 ½ in.; sheet (each) 11 x 11 in. Published by Crown Point Press, printed by Kevin Parker.
Joan Jonas (American, born 1936). Double Wheel, 1982. Color aquatint. Plate and sheet: 24 x 36 in. Published by Crown Point Press, printed by Peter Pettengill.
Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Complex Forms, 1990. Hard ground etching. Sheet: 36 x 36 in.; plate: 30 x 30 in. Printed by Wingate Studio.
John Cage (American, 1912–1992). Ryoku No. 4, 1985. Color drypoint. Plate: 18 x 24 in.; sheet: 18 x 24 in. Published by Crown Point Press, printed by Marcia Bartholme.
John Cage (American, 1912–1992). EninKa, 1986. One of 50 smoked paper monotypes with branding on gampi paper chine collé. Sheet: 18 ½ x 24 ½ in. Published by Crown Point Press, printed by Marcia Bartholme.
Walton Ford (American, born 1960). Swadeshi-cide, 1998–99. Six-plate aquatint etching with dry point, hard ground, soft ground, spit bite and sugar lift. Plate: 36 x 24 in.; sheet: 44 x 31 in. Published by Blue Heron Press, printed by Wingate Studio.
Walton Ford (American, born 1960). Baba–B.G., 1997. Mixed media. 105 x 74 cm. Paul Kasmin Gallery.
Walton Ford (American, born 1960). Bangalore, 2004. Six-plate aquatint etching with dry point, hard ground, soft ground, spit bite and sugar lift. Plate: 12 x 9 in.; sheet: 21 1/2 x 16 in. Published by Kasmin Gallery, printed by Wingate Studio.
Ambreen Butt (American, born Pakistan, 1969). Plate from Daughter of the East, 2008. Six-plate aquatint etching with chine collé, dry point and spit bite. Plate: 13 x 18 in. ; sheet: 25 x 19 in. Printed and published by Wingate Studio.
Ambreen Butt (American, born Pakistan, 1969). Plate from Daughter of the East, 2008. Six-plate aquatint etching with chine collé, dry point and spit bite. Plate: 13 x 18 in. ; sheet: 25 x 19 in. Printed and published by Wingate Studio.
Ambreen Butt (American, born Pakistan, 1969). Plate from Daughter of the East, 2008. Six-plate aquatint etching with chine collé, dry point and spit bite. Plate: 13 x 18 in. ; sheet: 25 x 19 in. Printed and published by Wingate Studio.
Xylor Jane (American, born 1963). Plate from Cat Hearts, 2023. Four-plate aquatint etching with sugar lift. Plate: 23 3/4 x 27 1/4 in.; sheet: 28 5/8 x 32 1/4 in. Printed and published by Wingate Studio.
Xylor Jane (American, born 1963). Third Order Magic Square for Deep Sleep, 2014. Three-plate aquatint etching. Plate: 17 3/4 x 15 1/2 in.; sheet: 24 1/2 x 21 3/4 in. Published by Wingate Studio.
Walton Ford (American, born 1960). Nantes, 2009. Two-plate aquatint etching with dry point, hard ground, and spit bite. Plate: 40 x 30 in.; sheet: 48 x 37 in. Published by Kasmin Gallery, printed by Wingate Studio.
Daniel Rios Rodriguez (American, born 1978). South Parish, 2017. Single-plate aquatint etching with burnishing, dry point, electric engraving, hard ground and soft ground. Plate: 20 x 17 in. (oval); sheet: 22 x 30 1/2 in. Published by Wingate Studio.
Gideon Bok (American, born 1966). Wingate Studio with Aldo’s Press, Threnody for R.L. Burnside, 2005. Three-plate aquatint etching with burnishing, dry point, hard ground, sugar lift and white ground. Plate: 12 x 36 in.; sheet: 20 x 44 in. Printed and published by Wingate Studio. Photo: Stephen Petegorsky.
Gideon Bok (American, born 1966). Wingate Studio with Aldo’s Press, No Sleep ’Til Hinsdale, 2008. Five-plate aquatint etching with burnishing, dry point, hard ground, sugar lift and white ground. Plate: 12 x 36 in.; sheet: 20 x 44 in. Printed and published by Wingate Studio. Photo: Stephen Petegorsky.
Louise Bourgeois (American, born France, 1911–2010). Les Fleurs, 2007. Soft ground etching, with selective wiping. Plate (in 2 vertical parts) (overall): 59 5/8 × 35 ¼ in.; sheet: 59 5/8 x 36 1/8. Published by Osiris, New York, printed by Wingate Studio.
Louise Bourgeois working on I See You!!!.
Louise Bourgeois (American, born France, 1911–2010). I See You!!!, 2007. Soft ground etching, with selective wiping. Plate: 55 1/2 x 21 5/8 in.; sheet: 59 1/8 x 24 1/8 in. Published by Osiris, New York, printed by Wingate Studio.
Sebastian Black (American, born 1985). Composition with Registration Marks and Other Marks, 2017. Five-plate aquatint etching with burnishing, soap ground and spit bite. Plate: 24 x 18 in.; sheet: 31 ¾ x 24 1/2 in. Published and printed by Wingate Studio.
L–R: Paul Singdahlsen, Peter Pettengill, Nanacy Anello, Kathan Brown, and Vito Acconci at Crown Point Press.
L–R: Peter Pettengill, Ed Ruscha, Marcia Bartholme at Crown Point Press.
Peter Pettengill (left) and James Pettengill working on a Sebastian Black print at Wingate Studio.
Peter Pettengill working at Wingate Studio.
Peter Pettengill (left) and Walton Ford working at Wingate Studio.Wingate’s website: https://wingatestudio.com/
Wingate’s FB page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=wingate%20studio
Instagram: @wingatestudio
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In this five-part mini-series, Ann is talking to five artists who were selected to be included in an exhibition called 5X5, that was part of Print Austin's winter festival this year in 2024. The juror of the show is Mysczka Lewis, who is a curator at Tandem Press. Next up is Teresa Cole, an artist and printmaker from New Orleans. She has taught at Tulane University for nearly thirty years.
Teresa’s interest in the humanness of pattern has been a throughline in her work and she incorporates different cultures’ methods of patternmaking and storytelling in beautiful installations. In their conversation, they talk about orizome (a Japanese method of folding and dyeing paper), commissioning printed fabric for saris in India, printing on aluminum mesh, and Tulane’s tuition-free master’s program.
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Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Exchange. Installation shot of printed stainless steel and aluminum cylinders. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans. Photo: Neil Alexander.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Exchange. Pre-installation shot of printed stainless steel and aluminum cylinders. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Cosmati, 2021. Hand-cut Washi. 26 x 18 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Tessellation Entanglement, 2021. Screenprinted porcelain. 4 x 8 feet. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Redeem, 2023. Puff paint screenprinted on digital velvet. Installation view at WhiteSpace Gallery, January–February 2023.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Bee Pattern, 2014. Screenprint. 25 x 16 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Infusion, 2017. Dyed relief printed Washi with bamboo. 48 x 117 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Saturate 2.0, 2017. Dyed relief printed Washi with bamboo. Courtesy of the Artist.
Printing fabric at Kanishka, India.
Hand-carved printing blocks carved for the artist at Kanishka, India.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Seep, 2015. Process shot. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Seep, 2015. Relief printed and dyed Japanese paper with bamboo sticks. Installation at Artfields. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Seep, 2015 (left). Relief printed and dyed Japanese paper with bamboo sticks. Installation at Callan Contemporary, 2025. Courtesy of the Artist.
Teresa Cole (American, born 1961). Tangled Conquest, 2015. Relief printed on folded and dyed paper with sumi and walnut. 65 x 77 x 25 in. Courtesy of the Artist. -
Wondering how far you can take chine collé in a project? Listen in as Annalise Gratovich tells us all about this method of adding thin pieces of hand-dyed papers to giant woodcuts.
In s3e61 of Platemark, podcast host Ann Shafer continues talking to artists included in Print Austin’s 5x5 exhibition, juried by Myzska Lewis, a curator at Tandem Press. Next up is artist Annalise Gratovich. Annalise works in woodcut primarily (and etching), and is best known for her monumental woodcuts with multiple dyed papers glued down by chine collé.
We take a deep dive into the ins and outs of chine collé, her Ukranian heritage and inherited trauma, cuteness as a means to help viewers access difficult subjects, and her recent battle with a mystery autoimmune disease.
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Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Healer, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2023. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Mariner, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2013–15. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Mother, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2019. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Undertaker, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2021. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Builder, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2013–15. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Hunter, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2013–15. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Annalise Gratovich (American, born 1989). The Musician, from the series Villagers Carrying Things from Home, 2013–15. Woodblock print with chine collé elements. 71 x 40 in.
Installation view, Flatbed Press, Austin, TX, 2024.
Installation view, Plains Art Museum, Fargo, North Dakota, 2023.
Annalise Gratovich pulling The Healer at Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.USEFUL LINKS
IG: @annalisegratovich
FB: https://www.facebook.com/annagratovich
Website: https://annalisegratovich.com/
Mesh Art Gallery: https://meshartgallery.com/collections/annalise-gratovich
Flatbed Press: https://flatbed-press.myshopify.com/collections/annalise-gratovich
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Enlightenment publications on human anatomy changed the way artists understood their place in the world. Check out these examples of life-changing images brought to you by prints in books!
In s2e31 of Platemark’s History of Prints series, Tru and Ann continue their discussion of the Enlightenment. This time they look at several publications that put forward new discoveries about human anatomy: William Hunter’s The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus, Bernhard Siegfried Albinus’ Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani, and Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty’s Myologie complette en couleur et grandeur naturelle. They conclude with Denis Diderot’s Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, a 17-volume tome that attempted to define and codify all of human knowledge.
At the end of the episode, Ann and Tru wax philosophical about how incredible this blossoming of human knowledge is, and how talking about it makes each of them think about our place as humans on the planet. It gets a bit deep, but worthwhile.
A. Hadamart. Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in the Grande Galerie of the Louvre, 1699. Engraving.
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724–1780). Vue du Louvre en l’année 1753, 1753. Etching. Plate: 5 13/16 x 7 1/8 in. (14.8 x 18.1 cm.); sheet: 6 ¼ x 7 5/8 in. (15.8 x 19.3 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1738–1797). View of the Salon of 1785, 1785. Etching. Plate: 10 7/8 x 19 1/8 in. (27.6 x 48.6 cm.); sheet: 14 1/4 x 20 3/4 in. (36.2 x 52.7 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1738–1797). View of the Salon of 1787, 1787. Etching. Plate: 12 11/16 x 19 5/16 in. (32.2 x 49.1 cm.); sheet: 14 x 19 3/4 in. (35.6 x 50.2 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1738–1797), after Johann Heinrich Ramberg (German, 1763–1840). The Exhibition of the Royal Academy 1787, 1787. Engraving. Plate: 36.1 x 49.9 cm. British Museum, London.
Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825). The Oath of the Horatii, 1784/85. Oil on canvas. 10.8 x 13.9 ft. Louvre Museum, Paris.
Sir Joshua Reynolds (British, 1723–1792). Lady Sarah Bunbury Sacrificing to Graces, 1765. Oil on canvas. 242.6 × 151.5 cm. (95 1/2 × 59 3/4 in.). Art Institute of Chicago.
Sir Joshua Reynolds (British, 1723–1792). Lord Heathfield of Gibraltar, 1787. Oil on canvas. 142 x 113.5 cm. National Gallery, London.
Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1738–1797). Salon de 1787: view of the Salon Carre at the Louvre during the painting exhibition in Paris, 1852. Engraving. From Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly.
Jean-Antoine Houdon (French, 1741–1828). Voltaire Seated, 1781. Terra-cotta. 120 cm. tall. Musée Fabre, Montpellier.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Les hasards heureux de l’escarpolette (The Swing), c. 1767–68. Oil on canvas. 81 x 64.2 cm. The Wallace Collection, London.
Jean-Antoine Houdon (French, 1741–1828). Benjamin Franklin, 1778. Marble. 23 1/8 × 14 1/2 × 11 1/4 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606–1669). The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632. Oil on canvas. 216.5 × 169 ½ cm. (85 1/4 × 66 5/8 in.). Mauritshuis, The Hague.
William Hunter (British, 1718–1783). Title page from The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus. Birmingham: John Baskerville, 1774.
Jan van Rymsdyk (Dutch, c. 1730–1790). Plate VI from The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus. London: S. Baker & G. Leigh, 1774. Engraving.
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519). Sketchbook page: the fetus in the womb, c. 1511. Black and red chalk, pen and brush and ink. The Royal Collection.
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519). Sketchbook page: the female genetalia and fetus in the womb, c. 1511. Black and red chalk, pen and brush and ink. The Royal Collection.
Johann Zoffany (German, 1733–1810). William Hunter Lecturing, 1770–72. Oil on canvas. Royal College of Physicians, London.
Roman copy of Greek marble. The Dying Gaul, late 3rd century BCE. Marble. Capitoline Museums, Rome.
William Pink (British, 1809–1857), after Agostini Carlini (British, born Italy, c. 1718–1790). Smugglerius, c. 1834. Plaster. Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Thomas Banks (British, 1735–1805). Anatomical Crucifixion (James Legg), 1801. Plaster cast. Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (Dutch, born German, 1697–1770). Title page from Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani. London: H. Woodfall, 1749.
Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (Dutch, born German, 1697–1770). Page from Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani. London: H. Woodfall, 1749.Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (Dutch, born German, 1697–1770). Page from Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani. London: H. Woodfall, 1749.
Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (Dutch, born German, 1697–1770). Page from Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani. London: H. Woodfall, 1749.
Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (Dutch, born German, 1697–1770). Page from Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani. London: H. Woodfall, 1749.
Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty (French, 1716–1785). Plate from Myologie complette en couleur et grandeur naturelle. Paris: Gautier, Quillau, Lamesle, 1746.
Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty (French, 1716–1785). Plate from Myologie complette en couleur et grandeur naturelle. Paris: Gautier, Quillau, Lamesle, 1746.
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519). Sketchbook page, c. 1511. Black and red chalk, pen and brush and ink. The Royal Collection.
Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty (French, 1716–1785). Plate from Anatomy of the head, in printed images, representing the natural appearance of the brain at different levels, the distribution of the vessels, the sensory organs and part of the nervous system; taken from dissected and prepared portions of the subjects, 1748. Wellcome Library Collection, London.
Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty (French, 1716–1785). Plate from Exposition anatomique des organes des sens. Paris: Demonville, 1775.
Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty (French, 1716–1785). Plate from Exposition anatomique des organes des sens. Paris: Demonville, 1775.
Jacques Fabien Gautier D'Agoty (1717–1785). Plate from Anatomie générale des viscères. Paris: 1752.
Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty (French, 1716–1785). Plate from Anatomy of the head, in printed images, representing the natural appearance of the brain at different levels, the distribution of the vessels, the sensory organs and part of the nervous system; taken from dissected and prepared portions of the subjects, 1748. Wellcome Library Collection, London.
Jacques Fabien Gautier D'Agoty (1717–1785). Plate from Anatomie des parties de la génération de l'homme et de la femme. Paris, 1773.' Pregnant Woman
Jean-Antoine Houdon (French, 1741–1828). Denis Diderot (1713–1784), 1773. Marble. Height (bust): 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.); height (stand): 4 11/16 in. (11.9 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Title page and frontispiece from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Anatomy pages from the Encyclopedia Britannia, 1963.
Flags pages from the Encyclopedia Britannia, 1963.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784) and Jean le Rond d'Alembert (French, 1717–1783). Plate from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.
Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828). Plate 43 from Los Caprichos: The sleep of reason produces monsters (El sueño de la razon produce monstruos), 1799. Etching and aquatint. Plate: 8 3/8 x 5 15/16 in. (21.2 x 15.1 cm.); sheet: 11 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (29.5 x 21 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. -
In Platemark’s History of Prints series, we are leaving the Baroque behind and are turning to the Enlightenment. The late seventeenth and eighteenth century is a fascinating time when social ideas focused on the value of knowledge in all sectors. Rationalism and empiricism led to the scientific revolution, the separation of church and state, literary salons, and for the purposes of this episode, art academies. The era saw the establishment of taxonomies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and studies of foreign cultures. The results of all of these studies led to both good and bad, leading Tru and I to discuss alternate terms for the era beyond the Enlightenment: the Endarkenment and the Enwhitenment. Listen in as we parse out this fascinating moment in history.
You can listen to Platemark or watch a video version. Links to all the possibilities are on the episode page at www.platemarkpodcast.com.
George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
Hyacinth Rigaud (French, 1659–1743). Louis VIX, 1700–01. Oil on canvas. 277 x 194 cm. (109 x 76 3/8 in.) The Louvre, Paris.
Aerial view of Versailles.
Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665). Et in Arcadia ego, 1637–38. Oil on canvas. 85 × 121 cm. (34 1/4 × 47 1/4 in.). Louvre, Paris.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Italian, 1598–1680). Bust of Louis XIV, 1665. Marble. Palace of Versailles.
Façade of the Louvre Museum.
Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665). Landscape with St. John Patmos, 1640. Oil on canvas. 100.3 × 136.4 cm (39 1/2 × 53 5/8 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.
Johann Zoffany (German, 1733–1810). The Academicians of the Royal Academy, 1771–72. Oil on canvas. 101.1 x 147.5 cm. Royal Collection Trust.
Raphael (Italian, 1483–1520). School of Athens, 1509–11. Stanza della Segnatura, Apostolic Palace, Vatican.
Roman. Laocoön and His Sons, 27 BCE–68 CE. Marble. 208 × 163 × 112 cm. (82 × 64 × 44 in.). Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican City.
Wax ecorché figure. Science Museum, London.
Johann Zoffany (German, 1733–1810). William Hunter Lecturing, 1770–72. Oil on canvas. Royal College of Physicians, London.
Anton von Maron (German, 1733–1808). Portrait of Johann Joachim Winkelmann, 1767. Oil on canvas. 136 x 99 cm. (53 ½ x 38 7/8 in.). Collection of Schloss Weimar, Weimar, Germany.
Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825). The Oath of the Horatii, 1784/85. Oil on canvas. 10.8 x 13.9 ft. Louvre Museum, Paris.
Jan van Riemsdyck, Plate VI from The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus. London: S. Baker & G. Leigh, 1774. Engraving.
Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828). Plate 43 from Los Caprichos: The sleep of reason produces monsters (El sueño de la razon produce monstruos), 1799. Etching and aquatint. Plate: 8 3/8 x 5 15/16 in. (21.2 x 15.1 cm.); sheet: 11 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (29.5 x 21 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784). Title page and frontispiece from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris : André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72. -
African-American artist Dox Thrash is in the spotlight on s3e60 of Platemark. Podcast host Ann Shafer speaks with Ron Rumford, director of Dolan/Maxwell, a private gallery in Philadelphia, which has a particular specialty in the prints of Stanley William Hayter and the associated artists of Atelier 17, as well as Black artists of the same era, such as Dox Thrash, Bob Blackburn, Norma Morgan, Elizabeth Catlett, Ed Clark, and more. Ron was eager to highlight an exhibition focused on Dox Thrash, which is on view at the African American Museum of Philadelphia through August 4, 2024.
They talk about Thrash and his invention of the carborundum mezzotint, Bob Blackburn’s Printmaking Workshop and its relationship to Atelier 17 and Hayter, the monumental importance of the WPA printmaking division, and Ballinglen, an artist residency and gallery founded by Peter Maxwell and Margo Dolan in Ballycastle, a tiny farming town in County Mayo, Ireland.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). Sunday Morning, c. 1939. Etching. Sheet: 12 5/8 x 10 5/8 in.; plate: 8 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
L-R: Krishna Reddy, Stanley William Hayter, Robert Blackburn, and friend, 1980s, at Reddy’s studio.
Hayter at the press with lithography press behind him, Atelier 17 in New York.
Photo of Pennerton West with fellow artists including Augusta Savage and Norman Lewis.
Pennerton West (American, 1913–1965). Troll in the Grain, 1952. State proof; color etching and lithography. Image: 14 ¾ x 17 ¾ in. Dolan/Maxwell Gallery, Philadelphia.
Pennerton West (American, 1913–1965). Troll in the Grain, 1952. State proof; color etching and lithography. Image: 14 ¾ x 17 ¾ in. Dolan/Maxwell Gallery, Philadelphia.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). Georgia Cotton Crop, c. 1944–45. Carborundum mezzotint. Plate: 8 7/16 x 9 7/8 in.; sheet: 11 ¼ x 11 3/4. in. Dolan/Maxwell Gallery, Philadelphia.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). Ebony Joe, c. 1939. Lithograph. Sheet: 10 5/8 x 8 7/8 in. Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). Octoroon (Study for a Lithograph), c. 1939. Brush and ink wash over graphite. Sheet: 16 7/8 x 12 ¼ in. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). Octoroon, c. 1939. Lithograph. Sheet: 22 13/16 x 11 9/16 in. Collection of John Warren, Philadelphia.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). Charlot, c. 1938–39. Carborundum mezzotint. Plate: 8 15/16 x 6 15/16 in. Dolan/Maxwell, Philadelphia.
Michael Gallagher (American, 1895–1965). Lackawanna Valley, 1938. Carborundum mezzotint. Plate: 7 3/8 x 12 11/16 in.; sheet: 9 3/8 x 14 in. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.
Hugh Mesibov (American, 1916–2016). Homeless, 1938. Carborundum mezzotint. Plate: 5 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia.
Dox Thrash (American, 1893–1965). One Horse Farmer, c. 1944–48. Carborundum mezzotint. 9 x 6 in. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
John Ruskin (British, 1819–1900). The Garden of San Miniato near Florence, 1845. Watercolor and pen and black ink, heightened with whie gouache, over graphite. Sheet: 13 7/16 x 19 3/8 in. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Stanley William Hayter (English, 1901–1988). Cinq personnages, 1946. Engraving, softground etching, and scorper; printed in black (intaglio). Sheet: 495 x 647 mm. (19 1/2 x 25 1/2 in.); plate: 376 x 605 mm. (14 13/16 x 23 13/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.
Stanley William Hayter (English, 1901–1988). Cinq personnages, 1946. Engraving, softground etching, and scorper; printed in black (intaglio), and green (screen, relief). Sheet: 460 x 660 mm. (18 1/8 x 26 in.); plate: 376 x 605 mm. (14 13/16 x 23 13/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.
Stanley William Hayter (English, 1901–1988). Cinq personnages, 1946. Engraving and softground etching; printed in black (intaglio), orange (screen, relief), and purple (screen, relief). Sheet: 510 x 666 mm. (20 1/16 x 26 1/4 in.); plate: 376 x 605 mm. (14 13/16 x 23 13/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.
Stanley William Hayter (English, 1901–1988). Cinq personnages, 1946. Engraving, softground etching, and scorper; printed in black (intaglio), green (screen, relief), orange (screen, relief), and purple (screen, relief). Sheet: 488 x 668 mm. (19 3/16 x 26 5/16 in.); plate: 376 x 605 mm. (14 13/16 x 23 13/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.
Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland.USEFUL LINKS
Imprint: Dox Thrash, Black Life, and American Culture. African American Museum in Philadelphia, March 23–August 4, 2024.
https://www.aampmuseum.org/current-exhibitions.html
John Ittmann. Dox Thrash: An African American Master Printmaker Rediscovered. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2001. https://archive.org/details/doxthrashafrican00ittm
Dox Thrash House, Philadelphia: https://doxthrashhouse.wordpress.com/
Ballinglen Arts Foundation: https://www.ballinglenartsfoundation.org/fellowship/
Dolan/Maxwell’s IG: @dolan.maxwell
Ron’s IG account: @ron.rumford
Ron’s artist website: www.ronrumford.com
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In s3e59, Platemark host Ann Shafer sits down with David Avery to talk shop. David is an etcher, who restrains his work in both size and palette, but manages to tackle big topics. His social commentary is stinging and remarkable in that it comes in such a small package. These etchings pack a punch.
Ann and David talk about absurdist literature, standing on the shoulders of giants (Dürer, Max Klinger, Della Bella), how prescient Goltzius’s Disgracers are, and how we could never have imagined the state of our politics—reality is outstripping our imaginations.
Cover image: Patricia Avery
Max Klinger (German, 1857–1920). Abduction (plate 9 from Paraphrase on the Finding of a Glove), 1881. Etching, drypoint, and aquatint on chine collé. Sheet: 18 15/16 x 26 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Obeliscolycny, 2013. Etching. Plate: 27 ¾ x 5 in.; sheet: 33 5/8 x 10 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Safe, Clean, Cheap: Phaethon in the 21st Century, 2011. Etching. Plate: 6 x 6 in.; sheet: 11 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Too Close to the Sun, 2013. Etching. Plate: 6 x 6 in.; sheet: 11 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Running on Empty, 2016. Etching. Plate: 6 x 6 in.; sheet: 11 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Mendacia Ridicula (The Wheel of Ixion), 2018. Etching. Plate: 6 x 6 in.; sheet: 12 x 11 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558–1617). After Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (Netherlandish, 1562–1638). The Four Disgracers, 1588. Engraving. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Ship of Fools (Das Narrenschiff), 2018.Etching. Plate: 14 ¼ x 7 ½ in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). After the Deluge, 2022. Etching. Plate: 10 ½ x 7 ¾ in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Becalmed, 2023. Etching. Plate: 6 x 15 ¾ in.; sheet: 10 x 18 ¾ in. Courtesy of the Artist.
David Avery (American, born 1952). Concerning The Great Ship MOUR-DE-ZENCLE, 2016. Etching. Plate: 12 ¾ x 6 ¼ in.; sheet: 18 ¼ x 11 in. Courtesy of the Artist.David’s galleries
https://www.inclusionsgallery.com/
https://www.warnockfinearts.com/david-avery
https://childsgallery.com/artist/david-avery/
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In s3e59, Platemark host Ann Shafer continues talking to artists included in Print Austin’s 5x5 exhibition, juried by Myzska Lewis, a curator at Tandem Press. Second up is Anna Trojanowska, an artist and lithographer from Wroclaw, Poland. Anna creates collages made from lithographs, which she creates on a single marble slab in her garage studio. The works included in 5x5 seek to give the feeling of echolalia, a form of autism in which words and phrases are repeated over and over. That repetition is a central part of the collages and gives the feeling of uncontrolled reverberation.
Ann and Anna talk about falling in love with lithography, what it’s like to use marble instead of limestone, how the veins in marble wander as the stone is ground down, how to transfer sound into images, and the surprise technique she would turn to if she had to give up lithography.
Cover image by Marcin Simonides
Anna Trojanowska (Polish, born 1978). Echolalia_12, 2022. Carrara marble lithograph, collage. 16 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Anna Trojanowska (Polish, born 1978). Echolalia_14, 2022. Carrara marble lithograph, collage. 16 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Anna Trojanowska (Polish, born 1978). Echolalia_16, 2022. Carrara marble lithograph, collage. 16 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Anna Trojanowska (Polish, born 1978). Echolalia_19, 2022. Carrara marble lithograph, collage. 16 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Anna Trojanowska (Polish, born 1978). Echolalia_20, 2022. Carrara marble lithograph, collage. 16 x 12 in. Courtesy of the Artist.Anna's website: https://litografia.pl/en/authors/
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In s3e57, Platemark host Ann Shafer speaks with Karen Kunc, an artist who manipulates reduction woodcuts in an amazing and unique way. Karen is a retired professor from the University of Nebraska, and is owner of Constellation Studios in downtown Lincoln. At the studio, which opened ten years ago, Karen offers workshops, curates exhibitions, and makes her own work. The studio includes equipment for papermaking, book arts, letterpress, and other means of creating prints.
Karen’s work includes relief prints and artist books reflecting her signature nature-based lyrical abstraction. These images could be macro or micro: the biomorphic shapes could be aerial images of her native Nebraska, or the wiggles and squiggles could be forms held within our cells. Each print becomes a portal to an alternate reality, where the boundaries between the tangible and the intangible blur, inviting us to explore the complexities of our earthly domain.
This all sounds simple, but Karen’s process is anything but. She uses stencils, fingers, hands, brushes and any other tool to gain amazing transitions between forms. Plus, she intuitively solves compositional challenges as she goes. Karen is an artist's artist whose groundbreaking woodcuts will amaze and delight you.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Array of Raressence, 2018. Woodcut. 72 x 26 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Coral Sanctuary, 2019. Woodcut. 72 x 26 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Blue Cascade, 2020. Woodcut. 14 1/2 x 42 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Gatherings, 2021. Woodcut. 14 x 29 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Distillation, 2018. Woodcut, etching, pochoir, and watercolor. 12 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Sacred Allegori, 2018. Woodcut, etching, pochoir, and watercolor. 24 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Drifts of Ice & Gold, 2022. Woodcut. 17 x 56 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Blooms of the Present Moment, 2023. Woodcut. 17 x 56 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Waves of Riches, 2016. Woodcut and pochoir. 13 1/2 x 57 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Panoply, 2016. Woodcut and pochoir. 13 1/2 x 57. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Verse from Macrocosmica, 2010. Woodcut. 29 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Release, 2020–21. Accordion-folded volume with etching, woodcut, and letterpress on various Japanese Nishinouchi papers. Closed: 7 x 4 in.; open: 7 x 56 in. Published by Blue Heron Press at Constellation Studios, Lincoln, Nebraska. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). The Way of Water, 2024. Accordion-folded volume with woodcut and letterpress on Japanese Nishinouchi. Closed: 11 x 7 1/2 in.; open: 11 x 45 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Kunc (American, born 1952). Incessant White Noise, 2013. Accordion-folded volume with woodcut and letterpress on Japanese Nishinouchi. Closed: 11 x 5 in; open: 11 x 35 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Constellation Studios, Lincoln, NE. -
In s3e56, Platemark host Ann Shafer introduces a five-part miniseries with the artists in 5X5, an exhibition that was part of PrintAustin 2024. First up is Briar Craig, one of five artists selected for inclusion in 5X5 by juror J. Myszka Lewis, curator at Tandem Press, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Briar is an artist and professor at University of British Columbia, Kelowna. He primarily works in screenprint, using found text and surprising juxtapositions. Ann and Briar talk about words and their unlikely combinations, Dada poetry, UV screenprints, his favorite color, and the only text-based tattoo that has tempted him so far.
Briar Craig (Canadian, born 1961). UTOPIAN VACUUM, 2017. UV screenprint. 40 x 28 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Briar Craig (Canadian, born 1961). An Uncomfortable Situation Will Soon be Eased, UV screenprint. 40 x 28 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Installation view of Briar Craig: README. January 29–April 17, 2022. Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
Briar Craig (Canadian, born 1961). White Wash Privilege, 2014. UV screenprint. 40 x 28 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Sam Gilliam (American, 1933–2022). 3 PM School Bus, 2018. Screenprint. 18 ½ x 51 ½. Published by Lily Press, Rockville, MD. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Lily Press.
Sam Gilliam (American, 1933–2022). 4 PM School Bus, 2018. Screenprint. 18 ½ x 51 ½. Published by Lily Press, Rockville, MD. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Lily Press.
Briar Craig (Canadian, born 1961). There Is Nothing You Can’t Do, 2017. Neon. 120 x 38 x 5 in. (305 x 97 x 12.5 cm.). Courtesy of the Artist.USEFUL LINKS
Briar’s website www.briarcraig.com
Briar’s video about printing White Wash Privilege https://youtu.be/o-NCS2IwSGc?si=0b_PoHveHf98RvFN
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In s3e55, Platemark host Ann Shafer speaks with Miguel A. Aragón, artist and professor at the City University of New York, Staten Island. They talk about CNC routers, drills as woodcutting tools, growing up in Juarez, Mexico, and that city’s war on drugs as a subject in his art. He weaves a tight conceptual circle in prints that explore violence, death, perception, and memory in surprisingly subtle works.
Miguel A. Aragón (Mexican, born 1978). Espectadores (Spectators), from the series Meoria Fracturada, 2013. Burnt residue embossment. 11 x 15 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Miguel A. Aragón (Mexican, born 1978). Retrato 18, negro (Portrait 18, black), 2008. Hand-drilled paper with drywall dust. 96 x 48 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Miguel A. Aragón (Mexican, born 1978). Retrato 18, negro (Portrait 18, white), 2008. Hand-drilled paper. Each: 96 x 48 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Miguel A. Aragón (Mexican, born 1978). Retrato 06, panel de yeso (Portrait 06, drywall). Hand-drilled drywall. 96 x 48 in. Courtesy of the Artist.
Miguel A. Aragón drilling into drywall for the Retrato series.
Miguel A. Aragón (Mexican, born 1978). Retrato 06, panel de yeso (Portrait 06, drywall). Hand-drilled drywall. 96 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Miguel A. Aragón (Mexican, born 1978). Aplacado (el Veladero) [Appeased (el Veladero)], 2016. Woodcut. Image: 48 x 36 in.; sheet: 51 ½ x 38 ½ in. Published by Flatbed Press, Austin.
Miguel A. Aragón working at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA.
Miguel A. Aragón working at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica di Venezia in Venice, Italy.Miguel A. Aragón working at Zygote Press in Cleveland, OH.
Miguel A. Aragón working with Wuon Gean Ho at East London Printmakers.
Studio view of the Edinburgh Printmakers in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Studio view of the Glasgow Print Studio in Glasgow, Scotland
Studio view of the Grafikwerkstatt Dresden in Dresden, Germany.
Michael Barnes working at the Steindruck München Lithografie-Werkstatt in Munich, Germany.
Miguel A. Aragón’s mother’s doilies at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, OH.
Miguel A. Aragón. 26.06.2009, 20:07:31. Color lithograph. Sheet: 27.5 x 22 in. Published by Flatbed Press, Austin.
Miguel A. Aragón. Index: 2170. Color lithograph. Sheet: 27 1/2 x 22 in. Published by Flatbed Press, Austin.
Installation shot of Miguel Aragón: Holding it all Gently. February 13–March 14, 2024. College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island.
Installation shot of Miguel Aragón: Holding it all Gently. February 13–March 14, 2024. College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island.
Installation shot of Miguel Aragón: Holding it all Gently. February 13–March 14, 2024. College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island. -
In s3e54, Platemark host Ann Shafer talks with Andrew Raftery, artist, professor, scholar, and wallpaper designer. Andrew works in several modes, most notably in engraving. The through line in the work is domesticity. An early print featured a young man suit shopping. Next was a portfolio of engravings detailing rooms during a real estate open house. Then engravings representing each month in the life of a garden were transferred to twelve dinnerplates and sold as a set. His latest show included watercolors depicting historical interior rooms that feature French and Chinese wallpapers. He also produces letterpress wallpapers himself.
Ann and Andrew talk about how engraving shows itself completely—there is no secret to how it is made, the inscrutability of Vermeer’s paintings, the importance of understanding the history of prints, how the transfer process works with ceramic dinnerware, how French and Chinese wallpapers were made (some were hand painted!), and hatboxes.
Images of Andrew's art are by Erik Gould; Andrew's headshot is by Ned Lochaya. Andrew is represented by Mary Ryan Gallery.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Human Resources, 1990s. Engraving (unfinished). Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Cosmetic Counter, 1990s. Exterior of folding triptych. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Cosmetic Counter, 1990s. Interior of folding triptych. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Suit Shopping: An Engraved Narrative, 2002. Diptych, engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Suit Shopping: An Engraved Narrative, 2002. Triptych, engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Scene 1 (living room) from the portfolio Open House, 2008. Engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Scene 2 (dining room) from the portfolio Open House, 2008. Engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Scene 3 (kitchen) from the portfolio Open House, 2008. Engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Scene 4 (hallway) from the portfolio Open House, 2008. Engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Scene 5 (bedroom) from the portfolio Open House, 2008. Engraving. Courtesy of the artist.Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). January (recto) from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). January (verso) from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). February from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). March from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). April from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). May from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). June from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). July from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). August from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Study for August from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Pen and ink. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). September from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). October from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Figure model for October from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). November from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). December from the set Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16. Earthenware dinner plate with transferred engraving. Courtesy of the artist.
Installation shot of Autobiography of a Garden on Twelve Engraved Plates, 2009–16, at Mary Ryan Gallery. Courtesy of the artist.
Clare Leighton (American, 1898–1989). New England Industries, c. 1952. Set of twelve dinner plates. Live Auctioneers.
Paul Scott (British, born 1953). Gardens of Lyra, 2020. Set of dinnerware produced for Fortnum and Mason.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Winter: Weeds, 2019. Letterpress printed wallpaper. Courtesy of the artist.
Installed Winter wallpaper.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Spring: Irises, 2019. Letterpress printed wallpaper. Courtesy of the artist.
Installed Spring wallpaper.Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Summer: Scutellarioides, 2019. Letterpress printed wallpaper. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Autumn: Amaranths, 2019. Letterpress printed wallpaper. Courtesy of the artist.
Installed Autumn wallpaper.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Green Wall, 2019. Letterpress printed wallpaper. Courtesy of the artist.
Installed Green Wall wallpaper.
Andrew Raftery and Dan Wood printing wallpaper.
Working materials for wallpaper.
Working materials for wallpaper.
Andrew Raftery’s studio.
Winterthur, Garden & Library, Delaware.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Winterthur, Baltimore Drinking Room with Chinese hand-painted paper, artists unknown, 2022. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist. And the artist working in situ.
Corliss-Carrington House, Providence.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Corliss-Carrington House, Providence, East Parlor with Chinese hand-painted paper, artists unknown, 2023. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Corliss-Carrington House, Providence, Telemachus on the Island of Calypso by Dufour: Garden of Calypso, 2022. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Winterthur, Philadelphia Bedroom with Chinese hand-painted paper, artists unknown, 2022. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Private Residence, Delaware, Zuber’s View of North America, 2023. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Handicraft Club, Providence.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Handicraft Club, Providence, Great Tiger Hunt of India, 2023. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Handicraft Club, Providence, Great Tiger Hunt of India, 2023. Watercolor over lithograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Redwood Library, Newport.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Studies for Redwood Library, Newport, commission, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Studies for Redwood Library, Newport, commission, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Studies for Redwood Library, Newport, commission, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Powderhouse Bandbox, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Powderhouse Bandbox with open lid, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrew Raftery (American, born 1962). Monogrammist ASR’s Hatbox, 2024. Courtesy of the artist. -
In s3e53 of Platemark, hosts Ann Shafer and Tru Ludwig conclude their conversation with Carol Wax, artist and author of The Mezzotint: History and Technique. Carol recently published the second edition of The Mezzotint, expanding greatly in every area from the 1990 first edition. As she tells us, there is a better break down of rocking the copper plates, and of inking and printing them, plus there are new chapters about printing papers and the history of the medium and how it fits in the greater history of prints.
They talk about the early history of mezzotint, whether one can over rock a plate, what happens when you do, and about Carol’s dislike of perspectival composition, all the machines and their personalities, and her dogs Cecil, the Weimaraner, and Delia, the new dog in her life. The conversation ran long, so the episode is split into two parts.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Singer I, 1984. Mezzotint. 11 ½ x 8 in. Courtesy of the artist. This was a beautiful tensile piece of copper (ground exact same way as Singer II, but totally different experience and different result).
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Singer II, 1985. Mezzotint. 14 ½ x 7 3/4 in. Courtesy of the artist. This was a brittle copper – two of several state proofs illustrating process of solving technical problem and the finished state. This process led directly to historical research that resulted in my writing The Mezzotint: History and Technique.
John Martin (British, 1789–1854). Belshazzar’s Feast, 1826. Mezzotint. Plate: 23 ½ x 32 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Martin’s large plate was printed with up to eight different inks to enhance the tonal range and compensate for the peculiarities of mezzotints engraved on steel.
Richard Earlom (British, 1743–1822), after Frans Snyder (Flemish, 1579–1657). A Game Market, 1783. Mezzotint and etching. Plate: 16 ½ x 22 ¾ in. New York Public Library, New York.
Richard Earlom (British, 1743–1822), after Jan van Huysum (Dutch, 1682–1749). A Flower Piece, 1778. Etching (early state before mezzotint). Plate: 558 x 420 mm. (21 15/16 x 16 9/16 in.). Yale Center for British Art, New Haven.
[Right] Richard Earlom (British, 1743–1822), after Jan van Huysum (Dutch, 1682–1749). A Flower Piece, 1778. Mezzotint and etching. Plate: 558 x 420 mm. (21 15/16 x 16 9/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.
J.M.W. Turner (British, 1775–1851) and Charles Turner (British, 1774–1857). Scene from the French Coast (Liber Studiorum, plate 4), 1807. Etching and mezzotint. Plate: 20.9 x 29.1 cm. (8 ¼ x 11 7/16 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.[DETAIL] J.M.W. Turner (British, 1775–1851) and Charles Turner (British, 1774–1857). Scene from the French Coast (Liber Studiorum, plate 4), 1807. Etching and mezzotint. Plate: 20.9 x 29.1 cm. (8 ¼ x 11 7/16 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.
Thomas Goff Lupton (British, 1791–1873), after Thomas Girtin (British, 1775–1802). Chelsea Reach, Looking toward Battersea, from the series Gems of Art, 1825. Mezzotint and engraving. Sheet: 260 x 341 mm. (10 1/4 x 13 7/16 in.); plate: 168 x 252 mm. (6 5/8 x 9 15/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). The Old Clothesline, 1983. Mezzotint. 11 x 11 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Fanfare, 1983. Mezzotint. 16 x 11 in. Courtesy of the artist. This was the first image I did with a mechanical subject and the first time I subtracted so much of the background.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Singer I, 1984. Mezzotint. 11 ½ x 8 in. Courtesy of the artist. This was a beautiful tensile piece of copper (ground exact same way as Singer II, but totally different experience and different result).
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Under Wraps, 2008. Mezzotint. 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist. One of many images of animate/inanimate objects. This series turns the table and uses fabric to objectify a living subject. This project is also an example of how different grounds can be used creatively: the plate was ground with an 85-gauge rocker, but the dog parts were scraped down and reground with a 120-gauge roulette to differentiate textures between fabric and fur. The whiskers were engraved with a burin.
Carol’s wall of inspiration.
[Left] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Remington Noiseless, 1986. Mezzotint. 20 x 16 in. Courtesy of the artist. Remington Noiseless illustrates stylized shadows before working for Philip Pearlstein.[Right] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Remington Return, 1993. Mezzotint. 18 ½ x 24 1/2 in. Courtesy of the artist. Reflects Pearlstein’s influence as well as more sophisticated technique and confidence acquired while writing the book.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Glad Tidings, 1993. Two relief intaglio holiday cards. Each: 3 x 2 9/10 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Missing Peace, 2001. Relief intaglio. 5 x 1 1/2 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Fortune’s Fool, 2020. Gouache. 8 ¼ x 9 1/4 inches. Courtesy of the artist. This clown puppet represents Trump, seen here being devoured for lunch by the Chinese, and while he thinks he’s sticking it to their butt (the pencil sharpener from Chinatown), he’s only sharpening their strategies.Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Butterfly Effect, 2018. Gouache. 22 x 14 in. Courtesy of the artist. The pulley is a commentary on our convoluted election system that is subject to all kinds of whims.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Rigged, 2018. Gouache. 20 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist. This image is about how the system is rigged.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Underhanded, 2020. Gouache. 21 x 14 in. Courtesy of the artist. This image is about a few things (manipulation, power, etc.), but think “George Floyd.” The political undertones of my paintings have found their way into recent mezzotints.
Frederick Mershimer (American, born 1958). Various states of The Great Divide/42nd Street, 1994–97. Mezzotint. Mershimer is a master at making corrections/changes–the likes of which have not been seen since the 17th century. Here is a prime example where he seamlessly changed the focus of a print by removing and moving figures and reissued the plate with a [deservedly] different title.
USEFUL LINKS
Carol’s website https://www.carolwax.com/
Jennifer Melby’s link https://www.jennifermelby.com/
Conrad Graeber’s link https://conradgraeber.com/
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In s3e52 of Platemark, hosts Ann Shafer and Tru Ludwig talk with Carol Wax, artist and author of The Mezzotint: History and Technique. Carol recently published the second edition of The Mezzotint, expanding greatly in every area from the 1990 first edition. As she tells us, there is a better break down of rocking the copper plates, and of inking and printing them, plus there are new chapters about printing papers and the history of the medium and how it fits in the greater history of prints.
They talk about the early history of mezzotint, whether one can over rock a plate, what happens when you do, and about Carol’s dislike of perspectival composition, all the machines and their personalities, and her dogs Cecil, the Weimaraner, and Delia, the new dog in her life. The conversation ran long, so the episode is split into two parts.
[Top] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Eleven Shells, 1982. Mezzotint. 2 ¾ x 5 inches. Courtesy of the artist. First mezzotint I felt comfortable signing and which shows the influence of Hamaguchi.{Bottom] Yozo Hamaguchi (Japanese, 1909–2000). Shells. Mezzotint.
John Raphael Smith (British, 1751–1812), after Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741–1825). The Weird Sisters (Shakespeare, MacBeth, Act 1, Scene 3), 1785. Mezzotint. Sheet: 18 1/16 x 21 7/8 in. (45.8 x 55.5 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
[Left] John Raphael Smith (British, 1751–1812), after Sir Joshua Reynolds (British, 1723–1792). The Infant Jupiter, 1775. Mezzotint. Plate: 20 x 14 in. New York Public Library, New York.[Right] Valentine Green (British, 1739–1813), after Sir Anthony Van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641). The Earl of Danby, 1775. Mezzotint. Sheet: 20 7/8 x 13 7/8 in. Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Carol Wax. The Mezzotint: History and Technique (2nd Edition). Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2023.
Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558–1617). After Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (Netherlandish, 1562–1638). Icarus, from the series The Four Disgracers, 1588. Engraving. Sheet: 13 7/16 x 13 1/4 in. (34.2 x 33.7 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Ludwig von Siegen (German, 1609–after 1676). Amelia Elizabeth Landgravure of Hesse-Kassel, 1642. Mezzotint. Sheet: 16 7/16 x 11 15/16 in. (41.8 x 30.3 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Prince Rupert (German, 1619–1682). Head of the Executioner, 1662. Mezzotint. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Institution, New York.
Theodor Caspar von Fürstenburg (German, 1615–1675). Salomé, 1656–75. Mezzotint. 191 x 149 mm. British Museum, London.
David Lucas (British, 1802–1881), after John Constable (British, 1776–1837). The Rainbow, Salisbury Cathedral, 1855. Mezzotint. Sheet: 24 ¼ x 28 ¼ in. (61.5 x 71.7 cm.). Christie’s.
Thomas Frye (British, 1710/11–1762). Head of a Man Wearing a Turban, 1760. Mezzotint. Plate: 19 7/8 × 13 15/16 in. (50.5 × 35.4 cm.); sheet: 23 3/8 × 16 15/16 in. (59.4 × 43 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Valentine Green (British, 1739–1813), after Joseph Wright of Derby (British, 1734–1797). A Philosopher Shewing an Experiment on the Air Pump, 1769. Mezzotint. Plate: 19 × 23 in. (48.3 × 58.4 cm.). Sheet: 19 7/8 × 25 5/8 in. (50.5 × 65.1 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Joseph Pennell (American, 1857–1926). Hail America, 1908. Mezzotint. Plate: 8 7/16 × 14 11/16 in. (21.5 × 37.3 cm.); sheet: 9 7/8 × 15 3/4 in. (25.1 × 40 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Reynold Weidenaar (American, 1915–1985). The Bridge and the Storm, Mackinac Straits, 1957. Mezzotint. Sheet: 19 5/8 x 15 ½ in. Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac.
Mario Avati (French, 1921–2009). Le Goût acide du jaune citron, 1982. Mezzotint. 29 x 37.7 cm. Fitch Febvrel Gallery.
Yozo Hamaguchi (Japanese, 1909–2000). The Three Lemons, 1956. Color mezzotint. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland.
Art Werger (American, born 1955). Clarity, 2021. Mezzotint. 24 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Craig McPherson (American, born 1948). Memento Mori, 2013. Mezzotint. 13 5/8 x 16 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist.
Judith Rothchild (American, born 1950). Le nid, 2005. Mezzotint. 7 13/16 x 11 5/8 in. Annex Galleries, Santa Rosa.
Jacob Crook (American, born 1985). Nightrise II, 2019. Mezzotint. 8 ½ x 11 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Julie Niskanen (American, born 1983). Sanctuary, 2007. Mezzotint. Courtesy of the artist.
Charles Ritchie (American, born 1954). House II, 2012–19. Mezzotint. Plate: 6 x 3 7/8 in.; sheet: 13 ½ x 10 in. Courtesy of the artist.
J.M.W. Turner (British, 1775–1851) and Charles Turner (British, 1774–1857). Norham Castle on the Tweed (Liber Studiorum, part XII, plate 57), 1816. Etching and mezzotint. Plate: 7 x 10 5/16 in. (17.8 x 26.2 cm.); sheet: 8 1/4 x 11 1/2 in. (21 x 29.2 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Frank Short (British, 1857–1945), after J.M.W. Turner (British, 1775–1851). Liber Studiorum—Frontispiece, 1885. Etching and mezzotint. Plate: 124 x 185 mm. Tate, London.EXTRA IMAGES
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Type Face, 2002. Mezzotint. 9 ¼ x 9 ¼ inches. Courtesy of the artist. An example of (perhaps more than any other) anthropomorphizing subjects and the use of modulating, repeating patterns to suggest animation, as well as the humor and humanity I see in manufactured objects.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Sew What, 2022. Mezzotint. 20 x 12 inches. Courtesy of the artist. This was printed from two plates: a black-and-white key plate rocked with an 85-gauge rocker and a color plate ground selectively with roulettes and wiped selectively. These images demonstrate the dialogue between my current work in painting and mezzotint.
[Left] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Pipe Dream, 2003. Mezzotint and engraving. Plate: 2 ½ x 1 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist.[Right] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Serpentdipity, 2003. Mezzotint. Plate: 2 ½ x 1 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist. These two show burin engraving through a mezzotint ground.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Binder Spiral, 2023. Graphite. 127 x 23 in. Courtesy of the artist.USEFUL LINKS
Carol’s website https://www.carolwax.com/
Jennifer Melby’s link https://www.jennifermelby.com/
Conrad Graeber’s link https://conradgraeber.com/
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In s3e51, Platemark host Ann Shafer talks with Chris Santa Maria, artist and gallery director at Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl. As director of the New York gallery, Chris is responsible for showcasing and selling the print output of the storied LA workshop to enable it to keep working with amazing artists and producing incredible editions.
Chris and Ann touch on Gemini’s history, the structure of the workshop, how artists get to work there, and Julie Mehretu, Julie Mehretu, and Julie Mehretu. They also talk about Chris’ side hustle as an artist and his intricate paper collages.
Josef Albers. White Line Square IV, 1966. 53.3 x 53.3 cm (21 x 21 in.). 2011. The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; ©Gemini G.E.L. and the Artist.
Chris Santa Maria wrangling prints at Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl, New York.
Sidney Felsen, co-founder of Gemini G.E.L. Photo by Alex Berliner.
Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl, 535 West 24th Street, third floor, New York. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Chris Santa Maria hanging Julie Mehretu’s print at Art Basel Miami, 2019.
Julie Mehretu’s etching installed at the New York gallery, June 8–August 24, 2023. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Julie Mehretu at work at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Julie Mehretu at work at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Analia Saban working at Gemini workshop. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Robert Rauschenberg working on the limestone for Waves from the Stoned Moon series with Stanley Grinstein in the background. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen, 1969. From the collection of Getty Research Institute.
Jasper Johns deleting imagery from a lithography plate for Cicada, November 1981. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 2001.
Richard Serra at work on his etchings and Paintstik compositions, November 1990. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 2001.
Ellsworth Kelly (left) and NGA curator Mark Rosenthal at Gemini; Ellsworth canceling a print from the Portrait Series, February 1990. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 2001.
Works by Richard Serra and Julie Mehretu at the IFPDA Print Fair, October 2023. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Joni Weyl and Sidney Felsen at the 2019 IFPDA Print Fair, New York.
Tacita Dean at work at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Roy Lichtenstein at work at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Julie Mehretu at Gemini G.E.L.’s booth at the IFPDA Print Fair, October 2023.
Tacita Dean. LA Magic Hour 1, 2021. Hand-drawn, multi-color blend lithograph. 29 7/8 x 29 7/8 in. (75.88 x 75.88 cm). ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Chris Santa Maria. Field 31, 2023. Paper college on 4-ply ragboard. 10 x 10 in.
Chris Santa Maria’s studio.
Chris Santa Maria’s studio.
Chris Santa Maria. President Trump, 2020. Paper collage. 72 x 72 in.
Chris Santa Maria. No. 5, 2014. Paper collage on MDF. 58 x 60 in. in the window of Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York.
Ellsworth Kelly. The River (state), 2003 and River II, 2005. Lithographs. Installed during the exhibition Ellsworth Kelly: The Rivers, October 25–December 8, 2007 at Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl, New York.
Julie Mehretu’s etchings installed at the New York gallery, June 8–August 24, 2023. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Bruce Nauman in the curating room canceling a copperplate by drawing a sharp tool across it to destroy the image with assistance from William Padien, 1983. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 2001.
Julie Mehretu at work at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Works by Ann Hamilton and Tacita Dean in the exhibition at the New York gallery, Selected Works by Gemini Artists. January 2–February 24, 2024. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California.
Daniel Buren at Gemini workshop, August 1988. Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen. ©Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 2001.USEFUL LINKS
Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl. | (joniweyl.com)
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- Se mer
