SGCI Recap No. 4

I think these etchings by Lucia Volker are just beautiful. The computer screen doesn't do them justice, either. They are so delicate and the subtlety is really wonderful.

Switching gears a little bit, here are some prints by Firecracker Press. We got to visit their shop and it was filled with letterpress goodness, posters, presses and a line out the door. I bought the Eat It poster for Jake. I love how they hand carve the blocks and the vintage aesthetic of each print. 

SGCI Recap No. 3

I had the pleasure of meeting Nicole Hand at the SGCI open portfolio. She makes beautiful multi-plate etchings (above) and I was really drawn to the contrast between the rich black areas and the more delicately drawn areas. I even got to add one of her small etching to my collection!

These prints were made by Emma Nishimura. The top two are etching/aquatints and the bottom two are photogravures. I'm particularly interested in how abstract these landscapes feel and the softness of the imagery.

SGCI Recap No. 2

As promised, more prints from the conference. The prints above are etchings from Janie Stamm. I love how awkward the creatures are and the patterning in them.

These prints by Lauren Blair Hirsch are super delicate. The jars were printed on a letterpress and the ephemeral abstract parts were hand painted afterward. I'm excited that I was able to add one of these to my collection!

SGCI Recap No. 1

I spent part of the past week in St. Louis for the annual SGC International conference. SGCI is the largest printmaking organization in the country and this conferences was awesome. Imagine 1600+ printmakers in one city, packed into hotel rooms, geeking out at the bar talking about art and the best way to pull a print. Then add workshops, demos, panel discussions and art openings. I know, it's mind-blowing! Over the next week I'm planning to post images from the conference and art from printmakers I got to meet.

One of my favorite parts of the conference is the open portfolios on the last day. During this time about 500 artists are allocated table-time to show their work. I figured I would show you some of the work that inspired me.

 

 

I bought a piece from Nguyet Nguyen. She works primarily in screenprint making monoprints (one-of-a-kinds) and then altering them with drawing and collage.

Macy Chadwick from In Cahoots Press had some stunning letterpress prints and books. The books were truly incredible and I wish the photos could show just how great they really were.

I heart mischief

This weekend is the annual Buffalo Small Press Book Fair. It's one of my favorite shows and sadly I often have to miss it! This year is no exception. I'll be in St. Louis for a printmaking conference and I'm so excited about that. If you happen to be near Buffalo, I suggest you take a trip to see the fair. You'll even get to see new work by my friend JoAnn, who makes gorgeous embroidered pieces from vintage ephemera. You can also see her work in her shop Vintage Refashioned.

Birthday wishes and a new project

Have you seen the new 20 in 20 project from Aesthetic Outburst yet? Well, if you haven't, make sure you check it out. Every day Abbey makes something fabulous (like the pieces above) and then posts it as a giveaway on her blog. I love how diverse the projects are and I'm especially enamored with the embroidery pieces.

Today is Abbey's birthday, too. A little background on my dear friend. I met Abbey 12 years ago when we were freshmen in college. We took intro to drawing together and bonded over our shared hatred of the class. I think we complained about it the entire semester and then promptly enrolled in printmaking together where my first etching was a mermaid and Abbey's was a seahorse (or possibly a sandcastle). I'm happy to say that after all these years, Abbey is still one of my closest, most talented friends. Happy Birthday Abbey!

Dated Material

This week is Spring Break, which means I've got the week off from teaching. That also means I'll be in the studio ALL week, proofing, printing, emailing. It's a good thing I have this week off because our inbox has exploded with new jobs! I've been sending proofs like a mad woman and later this week I'll be printing up a storm. I thought you might like to see the Telegram invitation in another color combination. The bride and groom chose to have these printed in chestnut brown and fuchsia. I love that pop of pink!

MASS MoCA: Day 5 randomness

I'm just about out of work to show you from our trip to MASS MoCA, so I figured today was a good time to show you a few random shots. Icicles on the tin roof lined the buildings in the complex were beautiful. By the time we left, most had slid down and and were hanging at 45-degree angles. The entrance is lined with hanging trees, an ongoing installation by Natalie Jeremijenko. I wish we could have seen these blooming, I expect they are amazing.

Lastly, we were able to walk through Petah Coyne's beautiful exhibition. I've been in love with her work since I first saw it while helping to edit on a catalog for her work at the Albright Knox. Although the work in the show is gorgeous, I honestly thought the viewing experience was a little off-putting. Only four people at a time were allowed into the main exhibition space and there were two gallery guards watching those four people. Seriously? I get it to a certain extent - Coyne's work is incredibly delicate - mostly taxidermy birds and silk flowers covered with wax and much of it sits directly on the floor. But get close enough to actually see the intricacies and a guard reminds you to step back. Maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed about this if Material World hadn't been so hands-on and encouraged interactivity.

MASS MoCA: Day 4

I've shown Katharina Grosse's work in my classes for the last few years and it was so nice to finally see it in person. The scale is just crazy and it was great to walk through the gallery. The contrast of stark white is so striking.

Sun and MASS MoCA: Day 3

Yesterday felt like it could be the start of spring. We finally had SUN in Rochester. It's truly amazing what waking up to a sunny bedroom can do for me (and anyone who is in contact with me in the morning)! The studio had the best light late in the afternoon, lots of long shadows.

Yesterday was also Cassie's 4-year adoption-day. I can hardly believe that we had second thoughts about keeping our sweet girl. She celebrated the day by sleeping on the couch...all day. And getting some special treats of really good cheese. She probably didn't appreciate it as much as I did :)

What better way to end this light-filled post than with this piece made by Alyson Shotz using reflective materials and wire. It created some of the most interesting shadows in the entire exhibition. I especially loved the overlap of shadows and where they moved from wall to floor.

MASS MoCA: Day 2

My favorite exhibition at MASS MoCA was Material World: Sculpture to Environment. The piece I showed yesterday was part of this, as are the pieces below. What I liked most was how each unique installation led into the next. The installation below is by Orly Genger and was created using 100 miles of rope. It's so intense and just looks heavy. In the third picture you can see how it's juxtaposed with the rear gallery - lightweight twisted paper dripping from the ceiling. I love this particular pairing.

The paper installation by collaborators Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen continues on the second floor. In the lower (window-less) space root-like structures hang from the ceiling. In the upper space, they seem to grow out of the floor. Both Jake and I laid on the floor and looked up into the trunk, which was every bit as complex as the outside structure.