There’s the usual mild panic in the studio (or in some cases, not so mild) as we’re busy getting ready for our new London Printmakers exhibition, which is opening next week at Bankside Gallery on London’s Southbank.
We’ve decided to call it ‘Where’s the Original?‘ as that’s a question all printmakers get asked. The idea is that we try to explain how the print itself is the original and that there is no other artwork (a painting, for example) from which the print has been taken.
It seemed like a good idea at the time but it’s been more difficult than I had anticipated, trying to provide an insight into how I arrive at the finished print, and then finding a way to display it on the walls of the gallery, in a clear and visually interesting manner.
In the end, I decided to frame up a working drawing (above) and a series of printing stages (below), neither of which I’m entirely happy to inflict on anyone. Still, someone always has to suffer in the name of Art and it might as well be the viewer…..
What a great idea Gail, I hope everyone visiting your exhibition finally gets the message, and appreciates the hard work that goes into an 'original' print.
Hope so too, Wendy – an artist's original print was always hard to explain but with the advent of digital printing- giclee, etc – it's much more difficult…
I think it's a great idea, to show the various stages, to get to the finished Original Print! It's by no means obvious to most people, how you design and produce such artwork.
I wonder if I can get to the exhibition, I would like to see it!
Absolutely, Lizzie – although I think linocuts are easier than most forms of printmaking as people remember doing it at school.
Anyway, the show is on for the whole of September, in case you can make it….