Géricult to Gauguin, to 30Sept, Oamaru

Géricult to Gauguin: Printmaking in France 1820-1900,
a Te Papa touring exhibition is open at Forrester Gallery in Oamaru
and includes work by Géricult, Gauguin, Manet, Pissarro, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Forrester Gallery exhibitions curator Alice Lake-Hammond said
the exhibition illustrated the revival of printmaking that occurred in France
in the second half of the 19th century
and highlighted the rediscovery of printmaking as a medium for creative expression.

"Géricult to Gauguin illustrates an exciting time for the medium of printmaking
between the years 1820-1900," Ms Lake-Hammond said.

"Before this period, printmaking was not considered an art form but rather a means of communication.
It wasn't until the 18th century that art prints began to be considered as originals
and not until the 19th century, with the invention of steam-powered printing presses,
that artists began to embrace the more traditional printing techniques,
such as etching, woodcuts and lithographs, and produce limited edition works."

In addition to the French masters, the Forrester Gallery will be showing a selection of prints
from the Gallery's permanent collection, demonstrating the continued use of printmaking
for creative expression and fine art in Otago.

Prints have been selected for display from the gallery's permanent collection
to demonstrate its continued popularity as a means of artistic expression.
These include work by artists such as Graham Sydney, Barry Cleavin, and John Mitchell.

"It has been a pleasure to delve into our own collection
to select an equally as inspiring group of works from the Otago region,
which hold their own quite comfortably alongside the masters."

Géricult to Gauguin: Printmaking in France 1820-1900 opens in the Basement Gallery
while Impressions of Otago: Prints from the Forrester Collection
will be on display in the Side Gallery from September 1.

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