Two weeks ago (10/4) the class went to Gowanus, Brooklyn. I heard awful things about this part of Brooklyn; my brother had been working with the D.E.P. to try and clean up the Gowanus Canal. But, I really didn't think it was that terrible.
So our first stop was the studio of Paul Ramirez Jonas. Although Jonas is not a printmaker, he does work with the idea of multiples and "easily accessible" art. These themes are a very common thing to come up in a discussion about printmaking. All of his work that he showed to us deals with interaction., whether it be between the artists and audience, two member of the audience, or the audience and art. I found that particularly interesting because I never really think of the audience that much when I'm working on a piece.
One of his works I particularly enjoyed was a piece where one person was given a key to the city. Along with the key, the person got a book that showed them where to go and what the key opened, such as a mailbox, cemetery gates, a secret garden, and many other things in all 5 boroughs. I wish I was able to get a key and explore all the different places. He also had a giant horse sculpture, made out of cork. During his installation of this piece, the audience covered the horse in personal notes and messages.
Our second stop was the Gowanus Studio Space. This space seemed like a great place to have a studio. Its a small community of artists working in all different mediums (drawing, sculpture, painting, ect.). They had their own printmaking studio in the back of the main floor. There was a large variety of equipment, allowing artists who work in that shop to explore all types of printmaking; silkscreen, intaglio, relief printing, and lithography.
This space is seemed like it was a really nice community. Our professor was telling us that artists working there are constantly hoping back and forth between mediums since theres such a wide variety there. A printmaker could go to the studio right next door and start making a sculpture to incorporate in their print show. Or a painter can come in and make some prints one day.
Our final stop was Axelle Editions. This shop was another commercial print shop. They mostly worked in silkscreen, but had a few etching presses. Our tour guide was very knowledgable about the silkscreen process. He clearly isn't afraid of experimenting. He told us that the shop had printed with everything from glitter to chocolate to even blood. He explained to us that all of that is possible depending on the mesh of the screen and amount of pressure when pulling the print.
He also told us that we, as future printmakers, are extremely important to society. He said there was such a high demand for printmakers and that everything we see everyday is a print. Although, I don't know how much I believe him with his whole "you guys are the future!" speech, it's a nice thing to think about!
These were two of many of the bigger screens.
Wall of tons and tons of ink containers!
I'm glad you latched onto the social aspect of Paul's work. After hearing that line about printmaking being "accessible" so many times, it's nice to see something that actually makes that a big part of the work.
ReplyDeleteThe Gowanus Studio Space is truly a great resource, and probably one of very few places where there's so many different shops under one roof, outside of art schools like Purchase. Of course, DIY spaces also come with their own problems: when a light burns out, whose job is it to replace the bulb?
And however you chose to read Luther's enthusiasm, it is a worthwhile point: in 10 years the list of people doing jobs like his will be drastically different, another 10 after that more changed still. It's hard for anyone to think 10 years ahead, though.