New Zealand Printmakers: May 2011

28 May 2011

Wallace Arts Trust Award 2011

The James Wallace Arts Trust Award 2011
are given for contemporary NZ painting, sculpture, drawing, video and unique photography,

with the aim of encouraging the visual arts in New Zealand

and to reward those producing outstanding work with residencies and educational grants.
With approx $165,000 in prizes up for grabs, with 8 awards, it is definitely worth a look...

Applications close 11 August 2011.

The Wallace Arts Trust Entry Form states the following criteria:

Eligibility:
Entrants must be New Zealand Citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand.
Entry:
Applicants may submit one entry only in the Wallace Art Awards.
Media:
Entries are invited from the disciplines of painting,

unique photography (digital and traditional), mixed media, drawing,

video (submitted on DVD) and sculpture in different media including assemblages.

Specifically excluded are performance, sound
and other new media art works (ie digital prints).
Originality:
The Applicant must guarantee the work is a one-off original and not of an edition,

and that it was executed by the Applicant in the 12-month period prior to 11th August 2011.
Entries must not have been exhibited in a public exhibition.
(see the website for more details)

Emma McLellan, Chimera Series XII
Screenprint & paint on panel, 20x20cm

Note:

Although they specifically 'exclude' anything that could be editioned,

many of you printmakers are making 'unique' prints that are not editioned,
and/or working with 'mixed media' and assemblage.

I know of printmakers who have previously been accepted
for the Wallace Arts Trust Awards with print works,

so don't be deterred by it's criteria omitting to mention printmaking -
I encourage you to consider entering your 'unique prints'!

27 May 2011

In Box Exhibition, Auckland

There is a very interesting exhibition called IN BOX

on at Seed Gallery in Newmarket (Auckland)

from now until 11 June 2011

Tracey Black, Brittle But Not Broken, 2011
Drypoint Engraving

Seed Gallery invited seven contemporary printmakers to each create a ‘signature’ print measuring 35x50cm in their chosen medium and in a strictly limited edition of 20.

Aroha Lewin, Mrs Tiki, 2011
Screenprint

The exhibition will feature original prints by

John Pusateri, Annie Sandano, Janna van Hasselt,

Richard Freestone,Tracey Black, Rebecca Thomson and Aroha Lewin.

John Pusateri, Dead Blue Roller, 2011
Lithograph

It brings together a diverse range of works by artists working across the disciplines

of woodcut, screen print, etching, drypoint, collagraph and lithography.

Janna Van Hasselt, Patchiness, 2011
Lithograph and Screenprint

Select three prints for a very special price of $750

and it will come in a custom made, reusable acid and lignin free box.

A perfect little set with which to start an art collection

or an excellent value opportunity to select a range of gifts for friends.

Rebecca Thomson, Very Good, 2011

Collagraph

The IN BOX offer is available for a limited time and only through Seed Gallery.

At the conclusion of the show, individual works will range in price from $300 - $600 each.

Richard Freestone, British Overseas Airways Corporation, 2011
Screenprint

I really like this idea!!!

If you go see the show let me know what you think...

23 May 2011

Sheyne Tuffery exhibition: The Ancient Mariners

Sheyne Tuffery’s latest exhibition The Ancient Mariners is on now

at Papakura Art Gallery from 14 May to 11 June

in congunction with the Pacific Arts Summit 2011.

It is a response to recently becoming a Matai (Samoan chief).

He said being given the title made him look at Polynesian history afresh,

particularly the “incredible sea-faring of our Ancestors”.

“Being an artist, my imagination began visualising

(like a trailer of new movie) images of that time.

My new work is an artist’s depiction of Island life

when the Polynesians were searching of new lands to start new cultures

2000 years before the first missionaries began to even think about coming down here.”

Based in Petone, Sheyne Tuffery is a multi-media visual artist

who works primarily in mixed media, painting, moving image and printmaking.

He is perhaps best known for the dynamic style of his prints and woodcuts,

who uses his work to create and represent his own cultural context and sense of belonging.

Woodcut Workshop at Lakehouse, 12 June

The LakeHouse in Takapuna is offering this one day printmaking workshop:

Woodcut One Day Workshop (DSW10)

Design and cut your own wood block, then experiment with a variety of ways of printing

to produce an edition of 10 prints over the course of the day.

Sunday 12 June, 10am-4pm
Being tutored by Denice Symons, only 3-5 students, cost $130 (all materials supplied)

If you are interested, see LakeHouse's website to enquire about booking.

15 May 2011

Collecting Limited Edition Prints

Many art-lovers collect original prints because of their affordability

and also because various print techniques have a distinctive and engaging visual language.

For example, the highly graphic quality of a woodcut,

the subtle embossing of a deeply-etched line within an etching,

the tonal range of a lithograph, or the deep velvety blacks of a mezzotint.

Stanley Palmer, Punakaiki II, 2010
Screenprint on linen, framed, 95x143cm, edition of 30.

I've adapted this advice from Solander Gallery's list of tips for collecting prints.

We suggest you should consider the following when collecting limited edition original prints:

Buy prints you love to look at, that personally resonates with you in some way.
Research the artist you are considering, including their reputation, awards received, institutional acquisitions, tertiary art training and the frequency of solo exhibitions. Also consider emerging artists or new graduates who may not yet have built a reputation but who show promise in their work - they may become the 'stars of tomorrow'.
Decide what criteria or parameters you will use for selecting what to collect. You may be interested in collecting a specific medium, era, region, style, theme, conceptual viewpoint, or perhaps 'diversity' is important?
If you are planning to display or on-sell your collection, you might also want to consider practicalities such as it's size, colours, hanging requirements and its resale value, to determine whether it will suit the purpose of your collection.
Consider the specific print medium, print works that have been conceived and executed in . (Beware: Some art retailers will sell 'prints' that are actually paintings that have been photographed and commercially offset printed - they may have an edition number but they are 'reproductions', not true limited edition art prints). If the artist primarily works in another medium such as painting or sculpture, look for print works that are consistent with their overall style but where the artist has extended their creative expression through the chosen print medium (for example the graphic qualities of a woodcut, the line quality of lithography, or the texture of a collagraph).
Be aware of the edition size of the work you are considering - "Less is more".
If possible, ask to see any other prints held from the same edition so you can compare subtle differences between individual prints before making your choice. There will often be slight differences due to the hand made nature of inking and printing from the original plate or block.
Check the condition of the print. Look for stains or brown spots ('foxing' due to water damage), signs of insect damage), holes, tears or creases in the paper, dog-eared corners, etc. Some blemishes may be outside the matted visible area but may affect resale value.

If any of you have any questions OR more tips for selecting prints

then please add your comments below or email NZ Printmakers

14 May 2011

Interview: Esther Hansen

Who are you?
Esther Hansen
Print and Paint Teacher at Pukekohe High School for the last 11 years.
2006 MFA graduate (1st Class Honours) Whitecliffe College of Art and Design.
I am an artist and secondary school art teacher, MFA supervisor, and writer.

Specialising and dabbling in; printmaking, drawing, installation,

early photographic techniques, painting, and art review & critique.

What are you working on now?
At the moment I have revived my interest in drypoint etching.

I am currently working on a series of hand-coloured drypoint etching

for a group show in July called ‘To Mend The World’ at the Temple Gallery in Dunedin.

The exhibition coincides with an Art and Theology conference of the same name.

The imagery is taken from family and personal photography and found imagery.

This series is made up of silhouette shapes of women from various time periods

used as 'windows' into difference scenes.

I have been composing digital drawings that I turn into dry points.

My work is also influenced by Marianne Hirsch's theory of post-memory

in relation to my mother’s survival of internment in Indonesia during WW2

and the death of my Danish father in 2008.

My work is about mending the world for my parent’s generation and the ones to come.

Esther Hansen, Mum With Gun, 2010
Digital Drawing

Why Printmaking?

My passion for printmaking has grown out of Star course at MIT that I took part in

when I was in Form 6 (Year 12), where we learnt about zinc plate etching and aqua tinting.

From that moment I was hooked and did art papers while at Waikato University.

I’ve done a steady stream of evening classes and summer schools since then.

Esther Hansen, Anne In The Blossoms, 2010
Drypoint etching, hand-coloured.

What is your favourite thing(s) about printmaking?

What I love most about printmaking is the rhythmic / meditative repetition of the process
and the magical 'ahhhh' moment of looking at a print when it comes off the press.
I also enjoy working friends and students on weekends for workshops by being in the same space,
sharing ideas, getting feedback it makes the whole processes richer.

Esther Hansen, Thursday, 2010
Drypoint Etching

What or who influences subject matter?

My faith as a Christian has influenced my subject matter.

I’m spending my life trying to work out what it means to be a follower of Christ
and by extension this comes through in my approach to making art.
The Chrysalis Seed Trust and csartspace have been really helpful in providing opportunities
to network and view the art work of other artists who are exploring their faith.
This also opened the door for me to a global community of artists

through organisations like CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts) in the USA.

Esther Hansen, Why Should I Whistle, 2010
Drypoint etching, hand-coloured.

Can you offer one small piece of printing advice to share with other NZ Printmakers?

"Learn from the best"

Printmaking in New Zealand has a strong community base.

It involves people who are passionate about a raft of print processes
and willing to share their time and talent are helping new people learn all the time.
My journey in print has been about relationships, in doing courses and workshops
I have met the most interesting artists, not elite or pretentious but the best, most honest artists.
I took a summer school course at Tarawhiti Polytechnic in 2001 with Carole Shepherd.

Her encouragement inspired me to do my Masters of Fine Art.
I did evening classes with Elizabeth Serjeant at Artstation in Auckland for a number of years

and I am so grateful for her knowledge, skill, and sense of humour.
Recently I have done a course at Solander Gallery in Wellington with Graham Hall.

His teaching on drypoint etching techniques has radically influenced my way

of making marks on the plate. He is a fantastic Printmaking teacher.

I am grateful to Allie Eagle for her imput and encouragement through the csartspace website.

I was deeply honoured when Paulette & Vincent at Solander Gallery gave me an opportunity

to show my prints as part of their Christmas show called RED last year.

I am thankful for the mentoring I have received and continue to receive,
and hope I can spark a life-long love for print in just a few of the students I teach every year.