At the intersection of creativity and technical skill lies printmaking. For centuries, printmakers have created visually attractive, even evocative, artwork. At its most basic level, printmaking involves the creation of a matrix (wood block, litho stone, etching plate, etc.), inking that matrix, and then transferring that ink onto paper.
Students in the Winter Term course “Cut, Press, Print” explored the art of this magical ink transfer process by creating relief works, gelli prints, linoleum plates, E-Z-Cut blocks, and serigraphy (screen printing). Upper School Arts Teacher Brooke Williams shared, “Essential to printmaking is the production of multiples and repetition. The printmaking techniques were learned through demonstrations, hands-on studio time, and slide lectures, all designed to tie the history of printmaking in with the hands-on learning.”
With a focus on fine art printmaking, students started Winter Term learning standard and dry-point etching techniques. They used those for block printing and focusing on a specific style, such as changing the rotation of the image to create multiple variations. They also discovered printmaking with stencils, which emulates the idea of screenprinting. Williams urged the students to develop a symbol for themselves. “Symbols are different than logos. Symbols can represent multiple facets of a person,” she said. “Teens can sometimes struggle with creating images for themselves, so we focused on botanicals. They are a great resource as they are organic shapes and often contain patterns that can be used in various ways,” Williams added.
As students progressed, they found tremendous success making gelli prints using photos and stamps. Other students made LEGO prints, which detail a symmetrical design run through a press.
“Printmaking to this depth is not in the Upper School Art curriculum. I wanted to do this class as most students can succeed with it somewhere,” explained Williams. “Many students come in with different art backgrounds, which works for everyone. They encountered trial and error and found joy in connecting with organic images and materials, cranking the printing press, spray painting stencil logos, and even creating images connected to their favorite sports.”
Jim Williamson ’27 said, “I’ve always really liked taking art classes and thought it would be cool to experiment with paint and ink. I liked working on a spray painting stencil and varied colors in two layers.” Diya Patel ’27 liked learning about printmaking and making the same image repeatedly in different layers and colors. “I’m not really an artist and decided to try something new. I like the repetitive art of making repeated images. Spray painting is challenging because it spreads into areas you don’t want it to go.”
The course culminated with an Upper School Gallery Walk in Lower Messing Gallery in partnership with the Installation Art exhibition.
Excellent work creating art, Rams!