Saunders and Cliplis Reading

1. I think that the medium of letterpress is appealing to artists who could otherwise create print images digitally is the feeling that results in the creation itself. Making something by hand is completely different from having something made by others. It results in a more personal product that an artist can claim as their own and show off to the world. Setting type is a difficult process but very rewarding at the same time. For me, my very first print project involved text, which was very daunting for me. However, the final result was beautiful and I can claim that I did it all by hand.

2. For me, the letter and text sections of the reading showed me that there is so much you can do with text than I had ever realized before. I knew about size and font because those are the standard things to change, however the use of bold and punctuation is what threw me for a loop. I have grown up in a grammatically correct world in which punctuation is           always used in the correct form and bold is always used to make a statement. However, these articles showed me               that type can be used in much more creative ways.

3. The fact that letterpress has stretched back to Yohannes Gutenburg and even earlier amazes me. I always think of type as a modern art form but reading about Gutenburg has put it more in perspective for me. I think that people have two views of letterpress. Either it’s that it’s extremely old and outdated, or that it’s a work of art that needs to be preserved. I feel that since it has been around for such a long time, it should be preserved, but perhaps a modern take should be used to update it and use it in the modern world.

Second Project: Completed

Here is my finished second project. It may seem simple but the meaning has depth and to me, it conveys my message. 

I know that it is hard to tell from this image, but the trees are in a the same silvery-grey color as in the last project so as to continue the motif of something that is there, but slowly fading away. The sun rays are in a transparent gold color so as to not totally block out the trees, but still be a prominent image that represents the hope that things will turn out okay. The title is: “Darkness must pass, a new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.”

Artist’s Statement

In life, there is no guarantee that we will see tomorrow. As bleak as that may seem, there is also a beauty that comes with it. It means that all life is precious because one day it will be gone forever. Each individual life is precious because it is unique unto itself; it can never be recreated again. In my series, I want to focus on the concept that each life has a meaning and even when it’s gone, there is still something that is left behind that can be celebrated. Even though death is always considered as sad, it can have a silver lining to it: it gives us the chance to celebrate the life that was lived and the possibility for something greater.

Heretic Studios

Upon researching artists, I have come across Heretic Studios. This illustration, design and experimental screen printing based studio consists of Luke Frost, Jon Rundall and Therese Vandling, who founded the studio in 2005. Working both with elements of collage and drawing, their work creates exotically hyperreal visuals. Not only do they work with drawing and printing, they also blend their work with light and sound to create visually stunning installations.

What I find interesting about them is the fact that they still use the traditional processes of screen printing, the same ones that we use in our printmaking shop, while also modernizing it in a way.

Here you can see the traditional set-up, however it is a little modified. While everything else seems to be the same, there appears to be an arm clamp attached to the squeegee. My guess is that this is used to apply the same amount of pressure evenly across the screen for a more uniform print. It also probably expedites the process a bit.

Another aspect that I find interesting is that they also do installations. Recently, Heretic has collaborated with Sonic Boom in the project, Animorphia, an experimental piece in print, light and sound which was displayed at the Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia.

This is interesting to me because it shows how creative you can really get with screen printing. This shows that screen printing doesn’t just have to be two-dimensional prints on paper anymore. It can be combined in new creative ways that still celebrate the beauty that is screen printing.

Second Project Check-in

For my second project, I want to continue the theme of finding the silver lining in things. To do that, I chose to use another image of some trees in a grey halftone, like my first project, so that there is some continuity between the two pieces. I chose to overlay the halftone with very translucent sun rays so that the idea of brightness is enforced even further. Instead of using words directly in my piece, I am going to incorporate them into some other aspect, such as the title, so that they’re there but not interfering with the piece itself. “Darkness must pass, a new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.”

Nicholas Saunders

In my endeavor to find more screen print artists, I have come across Nicholas Saunders. Since there is not an overabundance about him, it was kind of hard to decipher his reasoning behind doing his work. All that is know is that he is an “exceptionally talented screen printer and illustrator” who loves creating fun and bold prints for all ages. His platforms include editorial, publishing, branding and film, which I suppose is a big deal for a screen printer. What I like about his work is the implied simplicity of it all. I mean, I know it must take forever to create a single piece, but it sure looks like it was effortless. What I like most, however, is his storytelling. In a series entitled, “A Fox’s Tail”, he tells the story of a little fox that goes on many adventures and has different experiences. I like it because it is very appeasing to the eyes, and quite frankly, it’s just adorable. I love seeing meaning in work and not just drawing something because it “looks pretty”. The fox and all other creatures and images involved aren’t necessarily drawn realistically, but that’s works in this case. It gives it a child-like feel to it that reinforces the wondrous journey of the little fox. I am tempted to experiment on my own with this concept of an animal that goes on a journey. It just seems fun to me. Also, I noticed that all of the prints in this series are 5 layer prints with very basic, bright colors. I am trained in the “classic arts” I suppose so this is not really what I’m used to, but I am surprisingly pleased with this work and would probably hang them in a child’s bedroom one day.

First Project: Completed

Here is my first project. It has a lot sentimental value to me because of what it represents. To me, it represents new growth and life that has come from something bad. Recently, my grandfather passed away. Although it’s very hard for me to process, I have to believe that he is in a better place. That’s why I chose to include a cardinal, because when I went home to Ohio for the funeral, and went back to his house, I looked out of the window and saw a red cardinal perched on the tree outside. I’m not sure why but it made me think of him and how he’s watching over me now. I chose to include the butterfly because my grandmother passed away when I was little and my dad always told me to think of her when I saw a butterfly. Now I can only hope that they are together. The grass represents the new life that can grow, even after someone or something has passed on. The quote that I included is part of a larger one but I chose this part because I felt that it embodied what I was trying to say.

Artist’s Statement:

In life, there is no guarantee that we will see tomorrow. As bleak as that may seem, there is also a beauty that comes with it. It means that all life is precious because one day it will be gone forever. Each individual life is precious because it is unique unto itself; it can never be recreated again. In my series, I want to focus on the concept that each life has a meaning and even when it’s gone, there is still something that is left behind that can be celebrated. Even though death is always considered as sad, it can have a silver lining to it: it gives us the chance to celebrate the life that was lived.

Fourth Reading Response

To a screen printer, it is important to know about a variety of stencil-making processes because this is one way to remember and celebrate the past. It is estimated that humans have been using stencils since 30,000 BC. The Chinese developed stencils to mass produce religious images while the Japanese used stencils for decorating interiors, ceramics and fabrics. As far as American folk art goes, stencilwork is now considered a crutial element. However, as time went on and art became more popular, people demanded stencilwork at a much faster rate, causing handmade stencils to be replaced by commercially made ones. This increased production and profit greatly, however, the special handmade quality was lost. Nowadays, this process of making art is referred to as screenprinting, aptly named after the process in which stencils were applied to silk screens and then printed with. While stencils are mostly made digitally now, there are still some elements of old which are still used today. It is important to remember where it all began so that we can preserve that wonderful piece of history.

First Project Check-in

For my first project, I used recent events to fuel my work. Originally, I had intended to continue my work from last semester, which focused on identity and what makes a person who they are. However, the sudden, unexpected deaths of my grandpa and one of my friends within two weeks left me thinking of nothing else. It shocked me tremendously that one’s life could end that quickly and without warning. In all honesty, I had never experienced death like that before and it left me completely numb. Only a week has passed since, and yet it feels so remote and detached, like it happened a lifetime ago. I think that this is because I still can’t fully process what happened without reliving everything again and feeling the loss of them in its entirety. I guess it’s a coping mechanism of the brain: distancing oneself from immense pain.

So, I think I have found a way to kind of deal with this loss while not completely losing myself in the process. I want to focus on the silver lining in all of this (if there even is one at all) by depicting images that are broken, but can be reborn. To represent this, I chose a tree that has died, but I am overlaying it with new life. It becomes a home to a bird and a butterfly, and it has new grass growing where the roots once were. To me, it shows the different aspects of life: death, but also new life. Death is never easy, and I don’t think that I will be able to ease this pain for a long time, however I think by doing this I will be more at peace with myself and it will allow me to honor their memories.

Drive By Press

Drive By Press is a group of artists and designers who come together to make art. In 2005, Gregory Nanney and Joseph Velasquez came together to create this “art project”. Since then, they have added Steven Prohira, Kate Fire, and Wes Ulfig to this wonderful collaboration. They began as a mobile print studio to spread the love and process of screen printing to schools in the Mid West. Originally intending to reach only 13 schools, they have now visited over 200 Colleges and Universities! They travel around to schools, music festivals and Universities to showcase their unique screen printed t-shirts. They now hold the record of largest print collection in the country.

What makes them so unique is that not only do they utilize the ancient art of wood cuts and screen prints to create awesome t-shirts, they do it mobile too! They are able to travel around the country, make art, and inspire others, all at the same time. If that’s not living the “Artist Dream”, I don’t know what is.

What I find so intriguing about them is their excellent command of wood cuts. Personally, I love wood cuts. Being able to carve a design into wood and then print it to make a picture is fascinating to me. It is hard to do however because it’s not just drawing, it’s actually carving into solid wood. That in and of itself is a feat worthy of praise. Even still, they manage to take a wood cut and print on a t-shirt with it! As I found last semester, printing of any kind on a t-shirt is extremely tricky.

Screen Print Artist: FAILE

FAILE is an artist collaboration between Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. They are based in Brooklyn and have been collaborating since 1999. They met in when they were young in Arizona and began their friendship. After splitting up by going to different schools, the two reconnected in 1999, along with filmmaker Aiko Nakagawa. The three helped bring art to life as they distributed their screen prints and paintings on the city streets by the techniques of wheatpasting (flyposting) and stenciling. Nakagawa eventually left to gain success on her own, leaving McNeil and Miller to create FAILE.

FAILE is known for its wide ranging multimedia practice that is recognizable for its “fragmented style of appropriation and collage”. The two main techniques that are central to their style are painting and printmaking, however they have adapted to the changing times and have branched out from mass culture-driven iconography to more unique techniques. These include using wooden boxes and window pallets, traditional canvases, prints, sculptures, stencils, installations, and even prayer wheels. They use found visual imagery and then alter them in a way that showcases what they want. For instance, in recent exhibitions, they have emphasized audience participation, critiques on consumerism, incorporation of religious media, architecture, and even site-specific research.

The impact that they have had on our culture is astounding. From starting as street artists who vied for the attention of passerby, they have grown into renowned artists who truly make an impact in this world. They have work in many fine galleries, but true to their roots, they also keep the “street style” embedded in their work by using the same techniques that they started with.