Printmaking is no 2D task
Artists in general, but especially printmakers love to awe the audience with their craft and problem-solving skills. When I talk with various people about art, I notice that printmaking is often overlooked and misunderstood as an easy art form because of it's humbling 2D results. In actuality, printmaking is very labor intensive and no 2D task!
Image above: Collagraph matrices made of cardboard, matte board, jeans, rice paper, twine and thread.
One aspect about printmaking that I adore is making the matrices. Matrices are rarely ever revealed but they are in of themselves a tactile work of art.
A collagraph matrix is a cost efficient way to create a matrix for printing. Not only do you get to dive into your recycling bin but you may use any organic material that you most likely can easily grasp from outside or in your kitchen. Glue it all together, then seal it with a matte medium and voila, you have an intaglio and relief-printing matrix!
Collagraph matrices tend to have a short life span but they are
so beautiful and filled with texture.
So, why not show them [collagraphs] in an exhibit? This tactile work of art should be acknowledged, felt and admired by everyone. Sadly, the visual arts tends to exclude the sightless population, even though the process of creating visual art is very hands on...
So printmakers, here's a radical idea, let's include the sightless within the visual arts by showing off our tactile art and allowing people to feel them.
Your thoughts?
-H