Kristen Levesque
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Seven Congress Square
Portland, Maine 04101
(207) 775-6148 ext. 3223
klevesque@portlandmuseum.org
Release: April 15, 2008
Contemporary Prints at Portland Museum of Art
(Portland, Maine) During the past 50 years, printmaking has enjoyed a renaissance in the United States thanks, in large measure, to several important print workshops where artists and printers have an opportunity to experiment together. Some of these partnerships are on view in the exhibition, Contemporary Collaborations: Artist and Master Printer, at the Portland Museum of Art. This exhibition features 35 prints by 30 contemporary artists with Maine connections who have created significant prints in concert with technical specialists at professional fine art print presses. On view May 24 through August 10, 2008, Contemporary Collaborations is guest-curated by Maine print collector Bruce Brown.
Producing an edition of original fine art prints requires patience, skill, and an understanding of the chemistry of the medium. The process involves many behind-the-scenes efforts by both the artist and a highly skilled printer. Artists in Contemporary Collaborations have created prints at legendary workshops such as Tyler Graphics in Mount Kisco, New York; Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles California; and the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico as well as at smaller presses in places like Vinalhaven, Maine. Typically publishers invite leading painters and sculptors to create original prints knowing that these artists may have minimal printmaking experience. An invited artist works in close collaboration with a master printer beginning with a series of trial proofs until the artist's vision is arrived at with a "bon à tirer" (good to pull) print. Generally, the master printer completes the agreed upon number of prints in the edition to the artists' specifications.
Results from these collaborations vary widely in both their imagery and technique—ranging from etchings and lithographs to silk-screens and woodcuts. Works by Lesley Dill, Shannon Rankin, and Carl Haase also involve additional elements such as collage, thread, and sculptural relief. Richard Estes's Kentucky Fried Chicken and Yvonne Jacquette's Aerial View of 33rd Street depict views of New York from opposite vantage points; Jacquette flys over the city while Estes shows us the tops of buildings reflected in a parked car at ground level. Works by Astrid Bowlby, Anna Hepler, Alison Hildreth, Johnnie Ross, and David Row, have a quieter meditative presence with a focus on mark-making and painterly tonality. Jonathan Borofsky, David Driskell, Robert Indiana, and John Walker all address the human figure with powerful gestures and bold colors.
Museum Information
The Portland Museum of Art is located at Seven Congress Square in downtown Portland. The Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. Memorial Day through Columbus Day, the Museum is open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with I.D., $4 for youth ages 6 to 17, and children under 6 are free. The Museum is free on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Museum Cafe and Store. For more information, call (207) 775-6148. Web site www.portlandmuseum.org.