Sunday, 23 September 2007

Contemporary Printmaking

Exploring the widening frontiers of contemporary printmaking
Always a frontrunner in the celebration of the visual arts, the George Segal Gallery at Montclair State University has long been known for presenting innovative and informative art exhibitions. And in pursuing that goal, the gal-lery is focusing on the effect that a rapidly evolving technology has on the art of contemporary printmaking.

“Contemporary Printmaking at the Crossroads,” on view through Nov. 10 at the George Segal Gallery, investigates the ways digital processes are transforming contemporary printmaking today. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

“Printmaking has traditionally accepted and even embraced the concept of the hybrid, with printmakers often incorporating multiple processes into the making of a single print,” said Catherine Bebout, who along with Mary Birmingham, are the curators of the exhibition. “Today printmaking continues to earn its reputation as a ‘democratic medium,’ integrating traditional techniques like etching, woodcut, lithography, and silkscreen with photo-based media and emerging digital applications. At the crossroads where traditional and digital processes intersect, new hybrids are energizing the practice, and even redefining our understanding of the ‘original print.’”

Constantly evolving digital technologies are transforming the realm of contemporary printmaking, concurred Curator Mary Birmingham. “The Internet provides a vast array of images and information available instantaneously,” she said. “Raster- and vector-based graphics-editing programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator enable artists to create and manipulate images. Large-format archival pigment printers allow them to push the limits of scale and production. Consequently, this expanding field is inspiring traditional printmakers and attracting artists from outside the print world — painters, photographers and sculptors — fostering an atmosphere of cross-pollination that is provocative and enlivening.” Full article

No comments:

Post a Comment