Special Editions Resident: Blane De St Croix

Blane De St. Croix is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. He received his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA, and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI. De St. Croix's work has centered around environmental concerns, often represented in site specific installations that address the rigid boundaries of human encroachment on the natural world. These large-scale installations utilize architectural space in a powerful and imposing manner and are based on extensive research of actual sites.

The piece pictured above is titled Mountain Strip. Created for his residency at the Black and White Project Space in Brooklyn, NY, Mountain Strip is literally a mountain built upside down, a painstakingly reconstructed topography of a section of the Kayford Mountain Ridge top in West Virginia. De St Croix's massive sculpture cut through the exterior exhibition space and spilled into the interior gallery. Referencing the strip mining process of mountain top removal Mountain Strip addresses the social and political implications of mining.

De St Croix also uses drawing as an integral part of his research practice. Working from satellite imagery, google earth, topographical mapping and even interviews he collects information to better understand the layered implications of specific areas before beginning a rendering.

As he begins his residency here at the Printshop De St. Croix will continue his ongoing investigation into the geopolitical landscape. I think he has a new site he wishes to investigate. When he came by to see the studio and meet everyone face to face, he seemed excited about how the notion of the multiple would factor into his working progress. I think that one of the most exciting parts of the Special Editions residency is seeing what it is about printmaking that pulls artists in. For some its the impression the plate makes in the paper, a relationship with the actual printing press, while for others its the notion of the edition and the idea of creating a sequence of images. In terms of the these artists we will just have to wait and see.

Courtenay

Call For Artists: Keyholder Residency

Before I delve back into introducing our new Special Editions Artists in Residence, I wanted to take a minute and talk about our upcoming residency deadline. I know exactly what you are thinking, more mail for me! Applications are due March 1, 2010. This is a postmark deadline or drop off deadline depending on one's approach. 

The Keyholder Residency Program offers emerging artists free 24-hour access to our shared printmaking facilities, giving them a year of free studio space and access as a way to foster the production of new work. Keyholders work independently and are encouraged to experiment with a variety of different printmaking mediums. Artists from all disciplines are eligible to apply, as print-making skills are not required and basic instruction in printmaking techniques is part of the program. 

All of the information on how to apply is available on our website so I won't post it here, but what I will do is show a few images of past Keyholder work. A picture is worth a thousand words. 

Darina Karpov. Untitled. 2008. Etching, drypoint, aquatint.

 

Adam Frezza. Juke-Boy Hat. 2008. Solar plate etching.

Sophie Larrimore. Untitled. 2008. Screenprint and collage.

Please pass on information about the residency to anyone you think might be interested, its free to apply and an amazing opportunity. Or if you are feeling especially "residency friendly" buy a ticket to our upcoming Benefit on February 24, 2010 and contribute directly to emerging artists!


Courtenay

New Special Editions Artists In Residence

We officially have 4 new Special Editions Artists in Residence. I cannot tell you how excited I am. My excitement partly has to do with the fact that during the month before the deadline the mailman is my best friend. Every day he brings me stacks of applications, which I then open, sort, collate and upload. The week before the deadline our mailman is basically Santa Claus, with a giant sack of mail as my presents. This means that by the time the panel comes to the Printshop  I know most of the applicants names and have seen their work several times. This particular deadline brought in almost 600 applications from all over the country and I am proud to say that I processed each and every one. The picture below is not me, but I love the image.

That being said being so involved in the process makes the outcome even more fascinating and I can't wait to see what our new artists Saul Chernick, Blane De St. Croix, Chitra Ganesh, and Marie Jager will create. As we set about creating this blog, we talked a lot about its ability to be a forum for discussion, and a place where we could share our thoughts on everything from printmaking to contemporary art and collaboration. In this spirit I am going to introduce each of the Special Editions artists one by one. I think it will be a nice way to highlight their previous accomplishments and showcase their work. It will also be a nice record to look back on at the end of their residency, to see where they were before they began their collaboration with Doug and Jamie.

I am going to start with Saul Chernick. 1) because alphabetically this makes sense and 2) because he was the first one to come into the Printshop. He dropped by this afternoon to see the studio, meet everyone, and talk about what the residency entails.

Saul Chernick is based in Brooklyn, NY and works in primarily in drawing and sculpture. He received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, RI, and his MFA from the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University, NJ. His elaborate drawings display an exquisite use of line and are executed so that they mimic old engravings. Tied to the past through technique or reference, Chernick's drawings traverse this link, reinventing our perception of otherwordly beings, alternate realities, and supernatural phenomena.

As a draftsman you can see how each individual mark works together to create his imagery. There is also a clear fascination with the phastasmagoric and the metaphysical. It will be great to see how this continues when he delves into printmaking.

Courtenay

Sneak Preview........Printshop Benefit 2010

We just got the last batch of works for the Benefit back from the framer and they look amazing! The invites came yesterday and the office is a whirlwind of color and activity. I just wanted to share a quick sneak peek of what we have to look forward to at the gala. Below are two pieces to keep an eye on, in my humble opinion.

Emilio Perez. No Bones, 200. Color pencil and watercolor on paper. 

Joe Fig. Pollock (Jackson Pollock 1950) #2, 2002. C-print. 

You can also catch a glimpse of Emilio Perez's new paintings when his solo exhibition at Galerie Lelong opens on February 11, 2010. And if you are out and about grab a copy of Joe Fig's new book Inside the Painter's Studio which was just published by Princeton Architectural Press. 

Courtenay

Looking Back

In the spirit of the new year I thought it might be nice to look back on some of the great prints that were on view in New York in 2009. Ranging from the confessional to the political the world of modern and contemporary printmaking certainly made an impression. Artists and print shops created new awe inspiring work, while museum and galleries took the time to show us that a blast from the past can also be a breath of fresh air. Here are four inspiring presentations from 2009 - artists to keep in the back of your mind as we move forward into the new year.
 
Sister Corita Kent
Zach Feuer Gallery
October 23 – December 5, 2009 

Sister Corita incorporated fragments of slogans, advertising jingles, pop songs, newspapers and
magazines into her work, mixing images of the Vietnam War with the color and expression of iconic images like the Wonder Bread logo. An activist and artist, Sister Corita's work illustrates printmaking's inherent relationship to social expression and change.

Tracey Emin, Only God Knows I'm Good 
Lehmann Maupin
November 5- December 19, 2009

Tracey Emin's monoprints betray her hastily scrawled thoughts and their abundance echoes the labor of love and generosity that goes into her work. Mining her own life and experiences for the content of her work, Emin's prints betray a softer, subtler side of the artist. Filled with imagery of nudity and copulation, the prints do not shock, but rather evoke the artist's willingness to let her failure out in the world alongside her success.

Paper: Pressed, Stained, Slashed, Folded

MOMA

March 11 - June 22, 2009

Focusing on artwork made in the 1960's and 70's this exhibition emphasized an interest in utilizing everyday materials in combination with non traditional processes. Dieter Roth's print (pictured above), illustrates the experimental nature of the printmaking process, combining pressed sausage and collage to create a dynamic layered composition. Using paper as both a material and a medium artists within this exhibition highlight drawing and printmaking's ability to mutate and adapt within different artist's hands. Robert Rauschenberg's print below is another amazing example.

Roni Horn aka Roni Horn

Whitney Museum

November 6 - January 24, 2009

Roni Horn's practice encompasses a wide variety of processes and materials. Horn uses material with remarkable sensitivity, changing her medium and process to create a specific and unique relationship between her subject and its eventual object. Her prints utilize drawing, photography and text, playing with and on our relationship to landscape.

Artist News

The most exciting thing about the Printshop is the plethora of artists that come through our door and who embrace our studio as their base to create new work. Seeing artists explore the printmaking process and begin to engage and collaborate with our Master printers is truly amazing. However seeing how the Printshop experience carries over into their artistic practice is even more rewarding. So we thought we would like to take the time to highlight some of the recent accomplishments of current and past Lower East Side Printshop artists.

Gina Ruggeri's work is now on view in Figment, a two person exhibition with Rob Wynne at Kumukumu Gallery. Ruggeri paints detailed images of natural accumulations- land masses, ocean waves, and clouds directly onto wall mounted mylar. Figment runs through December 13th, so you have this weekend to try and make it to this beautiful exhibition. However if you miss it do not despair, simply keep an eye out for Immaterial Landscape, a painting and installation project that Gina Ruggeri will be debuting at the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut in 2010. We will definitely be keeping you posted on this one!

Joan Linder's drawings are currently being featured in Drawing Itself: A Survey of Contemporary Practice at the Brattleboro Museum &Art Center, on view November 22, 2009 through February 21, 2010. The exhibition fills the Museum's galleries with over 100 works by more than 60 artists, making something akin to a drawing extravaganza! Linder's work can also be seen in Back to the Drawing Board at Arin Contemporary Art in Laguna Beach, California from November 22nd, 2009 through January 25th, 2010.

Current Keyholder Artist in Residence Rachel Beach's sculptures are part of the exhibition Unnaming of Parts at Blackston in New York. The exhibition opened on November 22, 2009 and runs through January 10th, 2010.

Jean Shin's piece And we (pause) is included in the exhibition Contemporary Outlook: Seeing Songs, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The exhibition runs through February 21st, 2010.

Michael Schall has a brand new series of drawings that are being published in the next two issues of McSweeneys, the literay journal edited by Dave Eggers. Keep your eyes out for McSweeney's 32 (cover by Robyn O'Neil) and the upcoming Better of McSweeney's, Volume 2, which is due out this winter.

Former Special Editions artist Carlos Motta's work can be seen in the exhibition Avant Guide to NYC: Discovering Absence, at apexart in New York. The show runs through December 19th, 2009. Motta was also recently inteviewed by Merve Unsal, and you can read the whole interview here. Motta talks about his new work and reflects on the current state of democracy here and abroad. 

  

More artist updates to follow! Also Printshop artists- please send us any information about shows, projects, and awards. We want to hear all about what you are doing!

Printmaking Supply Resource Guide, New York City (and beyond)

A frequent question we get from artists, class students, and the general public is where to source printmaking materials and services. While we hope this guide will help those in the New York area, please feel free to let us know your recommendations and who your favorite suppliers are.

General art supplies: 
New York Central Art Supply is the best source for paper, and where we buy almost all the paper for our prints. The paper department is located on the second floor. The store carries general art supplies and a lot of specialty items--if you don't see it, ask, and chances are they have it hidden away. Printmaking supplies are in the basement and there are lots of silkscreen and etching inks, modifiers, tools, and some plates as well. The Printshop buys the bulk of  all our materials from New York Central. 

Utrecht and Pearl Paint are also general art supply stores that carry some printmaking supplies. They are good in a pinch, but in general do not have the best selection. 

Guerra Paint and Pigment is the place we go to for pigments, dispersion, glitters, interference, and metallic powders. 

Also, your local hardware store can be your best friend for all manner of materials: cheesecloth, gloves, plate polish, solvents, etc.  

Specialty Printmaking Supplies
General:
Renaissance Graphics is where we get almost all of our supplies for projects and classes. They specialize in printmaking supplies and equipment for intaglio, screenprinting, and lithography. We recommend them for small orders of ferric chloride (acid for the etchers), as well as silkscreen photo emulsion,  felt blankets, etching grounds, and tools. Another similarly comprehensive source is Graphic Chemical and Ink. 

Rostow and Jung are the makers of Akua Kolor and Intaglio waterbased inks, which we use predominantly for our non-toxic classes, especially monotype.

Hiromi Paper is an importer of Japanese paper located in California. They work directly with papermills in Japan, so if the type of paper you want exists then they most likely will carry it. McClain's, located in Oregon, is mail-order only and is our source for everything related to relief printing and moku hanga, or Japanese waterbased woodblock. 

Silkscreen: 
Victory Factory is where we buy most of our screens, but they also sell all of the chemicals and tools needed for screenprinting. We find that they have the best prices for screens, but you definitely need to plan ahead as they're mail order only.

Standard Screen Supply is the only retail store in the city we know of that is devoted to carrying everything you need relating to screenprinting. We recommend them for screen restretching, squeegees, and scoop coaters, but they also sell all kinds of emulsion, and inks, and screens.

Just to toot our own horn, the Lower East Side Printshop makes transparency films and shoots screens at a flat rate of $50 each. We can turn screens around in a day to two and we'll even print for you for an additional cost.  Contact us to learn more.

For inks, we use TW Graphics 5000 and 5500 series, which is waterbased screenprinting ink. THe ink is generally sold in pints and gallons. You can find them at New York Central and other supply stores or you can also order from them directly. We recommend Speedball Acrylic screenprinting inks for beginners, which are easily and readily available from Renaissance. 

Etching: 
Copper plates can be bought from CG Metals or Polished Metals, both of which are recommended for larger plate orders. Shipping can add a considerable amount to the cost, so if you do order from them make it worth your while and order at least a full sheet or more. CG can cut the plates down for you as well. Dave, our UPS man, has a special gleam in his eyes on the days when he delivers our copper order.

We recommend ordering from Renaissance for smaller plate orders or for when you don't feel like dropping a couple hundred on a large amount of copper.

Steelfacing for copper plates is available from the Printshop as a contract printing service, and helps maintain the integrity of plates that need editioning or have delicate platework. The maximum plate size is up to 24" x 36" and the rate is $0.25 per square inch ($25 minimum charge). 

Photopolymer plates (aka solar plates) can be bought from Boxcar Press or Hampton Editions. Hampton Editions also sells halftone/aquatint screens, and if you are short of time Boxcar will be happy to make custom plates as well.

Prefer continuous tone photographic etchings? We recommend Lothar Osterburg Studio, an artist and printer whose studio is in Brooklyn.

Digital Printing
The Printshop offers professional archival inkjet printing from our Epson Stylus Pro 7800, typically $50 per print. The maximum width we print is 24" and the length for continuous images is unlimited. Digital prints are available using a range of papers, and can be combined with many printmaking techniques. 

If you need a wider or larger print, we recommend Ribouli Digital (formerly Pamplemousse Press) or Laumont, both in New York City.

Printing Presses
For maintaining, moving, or purchasing pre-owned etching, lithography, and letter presses Perry Tymeson of Suitcase Press, NJ is an excellent resource. He also gives workshops on press care and maintenance at Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.

Some sources for new printing presses include Takach, Conrad, and Griffin, as well as AWT for screenprinting vacuum tables. 

T-shirt printing is something we get many inquiries about. While we don't print t-shirts ourselves, we do recommend Kayrock Screenprinting in Brooklyn.

Interested in bookbinding or letterpress? The best place is the Center for Book Arts, which has an open workshop, bindery, letterpress studio, and classes. Talas, now located in Brooklyn, operates a retail and online store selling everything needed for bookbinders and conservators, and also offers archival storage and presentation boxes for artwork.