Reaction to the Printmaking Symposium

The printmaking symposium was one of the less innovative of the bunch, but still displayed some interesting commercial and artistic applications for this ancient medium. Printmaking has been around since ancient China began making wood block prints. Since then this art form has expanded into the realm of lithography, etching, screen printing, inkjet prints, and even prints made from elements found in nature. Printing is most notable for its ability to manufacture the same image numerous times quickly and efficiently. This has made it extremely useful for advertising, posters and flyers, newspapers, etc. Printmaking still exists in its more primitive forms, but they now exist primarily to add texture and intrigue to standard inkjet or laser prints. For instance, when asked to design labels for Beck's brand beer, Tim Head chose to make wood block prints and scan the resulting images. The outcome was a set of images that could never have been created through purely digital means, painting, drawing, or any other medium. They had a handmade feel that was simultaneously clean and earthy. This technique is currently quite popular in the world of design when a more organic vibe is desired. Printmaking still exists in its original form as well however.

A recent trend is the sale of posters, cards, stationary, and other paper goods that have been handprinted. Shops such as Hammerpress, Tugboat Printshop, and Cannonball Press to name a few. Paper prints such as these are fairly traditional however, and printmaking can also show up in the form of more formal artistic formats such as installations. One example of this is the project by SEMEFO which took unclaimed bodies and made prints with them. It took the prints and hung them in a public location along a long wall, emphasizing the large number present. This is a morose example, but it demonstrates the growth that printmaking has seen since the days of Chinese block printing. This medium does not have quite the same room for innovation as others we have learned about recently, but it does have the same potential for unique and impactful image design. I appreciate the fact that prints can only be made up of positive and negative space with no room for shades of gray and their textural qualities are quite interesting. I intend to look deeper into the possibilities present in this ancient medium and explore the types of images I could create, but I do not think I will try to make a career out of it.