Works in Process: from Proof to Print

December 7, 2013 - April 5, 2014

Examining various printmaking techniques, this exhibition will underscore the often arduous process of creating graphic impressions.  Sketches, proofs, plates, and woodblocks will hang alongside finished works, illustrating a print’s evolution from start to completion. Spanning three centuries and two continents, Works in Process: from Proof to Print features master printmakers like Félix Bracquemond, Gustave Baumann, and Rembrandt van Rijn.

Curator of the show Nancy Burns states, “I wanted to do this exhibition because all too often I sense that visitors are either intimidated by prints, not understanding one technique from another, or they simply don’t appreciate the difficulty involved in making a single print, particularly color prints.  My goal was to try to represent each of the four main printmaking genres—intaglio, screenprinting, relief, and lithography—in such a way that any person could approach these prints and walk away with a basic appreciation of their manufacture.  I think prints often have a kind of polish or finish to them that conceals the difficulty involved in their making.  It’s easier to wrap one’s mind around the idea of a brush putting paint on a canvas than it is to visualize a varnished copper plate dipped into an acidic bath for an etching.  My hope is that novices to this kind of media will walk away with a greater appreciation for the printmaking craft while print connoisseurs will appreciate the opportunity to investigate the working methods of master printmakers.”

Gallery Talk

Works in Process: from Proof to Print with Curator, Nancy Burns
Thursday, Dec. 19th, 6pm
Take this tour of the exhibition with Nancy Burns, curator of the exhibition and learn fascinating details about how printmakers create their prints.

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