Printmaking
Like the development of spoken and written language, the invention
of paper and printing was a huge step for humankind. Religions
spread over countries, various kinds of information could be widely communicated.
Over centuries, printmaking techniques emerged, had their primes, were replaced
by others. Today, some of them are used mainly or exclusively as artist mediums.
Compared with other visual arts, printmaking
shows some special qualities. Asthetically printmaking is connected
to drawing and painting while working on the
plate can pass into the area of sculpture.
The successful creation of a print especially from several plates might require
detailed planning and analysis as well as logistic and experience
in handling materials like wood, metal or paper.
A special quality of printmaking is the option to keep single working steps
or states which can be reproduced after the works completion, or even can be
reworked by re-using old plates as new starting points.
Printmaking has a certain social element –
as the reasonable priced multiple naturally refers to a bigger
audience, by the fact that the easily reproduced print made printmaking perfectly
suited for political expression, and lastly in the places of
printmaking, the studios where artists meet and exchange aesthetic
and technical ideas.
Making prints means consistently being confronted with new situations and thus
being forced to find solutions for new emerging problems. It requires patience
and makes the present of meditative moments and the trilling moment of pulling
a first proof.
On these pages I present the three printmaking techniques I
am mainly using in my own art work: intaglio, woodblock and screen printing.
Intaglio, the printing from metal plates, is a
printmaking technique which is deeply connected to the European art history.
Here I explain the process of
printing a drypoint intaglio.
Woodblock printmaking is one of the oldest printmaking technique. I am cutting
and printing my own woodblocks using the technique of the
Japanese woodblock
print. Very important for that is the
Japanese paper. Here I also demonstrate the
printing process of a woodblock print by the Japanese technique.
The first (woodblock) prints were done in China. Here I present
information about history and technique of the
traditional Chinese woodblock print and the
Chinese folk art woodblock print.
Screen printing is a recent printmaking technique. Here I demonstrate the
process
of a screen printing.
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