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 WHAT IS AN ORIGINAL PRINT?
If a print is identified as "original," it means that the artist has personally conceived the image, created the master plates, and executed the entire printing process. These prints are original works of art that are created in small quantities, typically between 25 to 200 impressions in what is called an "edition." Such prints are signed and dated by the artist, and each print in the edition is given a number. Every number of an edition is worth the same value. The number sequence does not necessarily reflect the order of printing; therefore, number 3/100 is worth the same price as number 99/100.
Lithograph
Invented in the late 1700s, lithography is based on the principle that grease and water do not mix. The artist draws or paints with a greasy substance on a fine-grained limestone or aluminum plate. The surface is then chemically treated, sponged with water, and inked. The greasy image drawn on the stone accepts the oil-based lithographic ink while the untouched areas moistened with water resist the ink. The inked image is transferred from stone or plate to the paper by the pressure of the lithographic press.
Serigraph (Silkscreen)
Serigraphs are created through a process known as screenprinting. It is a versatile printing method based on the stencil principle. A fine woven polyester or silk fabric is tightly stretched and attached to a frame. A stencil is created on the fabric by applying a “blockout” (glue, paper, hand-cut film, or photosensitive emulsion) to all areas that are not to be printed. Ink is then squeegeed across the entire screen forcing ink to pass through the open areas of the stencil onto the paper. Individual screens are produced for each color of the print.
Monotypes/Monoprints
Monotypes and Monoprints are two names for prints that have an edition of one. Typically the artist draws or brushes ink or oil paint onto a smooth surface such as Plexiglas or metal. A unique print is then achieved when dampened paper is placed over the printing surface, and both are run through a press, the image is transferred from plate to paper. Monoprints differ slightly from monotypes in that monoprints may also incorporate another printing process such as etching or lithography, therefore part of the image remains constant from one print to the next.
Intaglio
Intaglio is from an Italian word meaning "to engrave" or "to cut into." In intaglio printing , the ink is picked up from incised or acid-etched lines and textured areas below the surface of a zinc or copper plate. The depressions are inked and the raised surfaces wiped clean. The image is transferred from the plate when a dampened sheet of paper is forced into the depressed areas by extreme pressure from the etching press. Many effects can be achieved with intaglio printing from crisp, precise lines to velvety black fields. Engravings, drypoints, mezzotints, etchings, aquatints, and collographs are all intaglio prints.
- Engravings are prints from metal plates in which the artist has engraved the lines into the plate with a tool called a burin. The incised lines are inked and printed with heavy pressure. Clarity of line is characteristic of this process.
- Drypoint prints are characterized by soft, velvety lines which result from scratching a drawing directly on the plate with a steel point.
- Mezzotint (mezzo = half + tinta = tone) mezzotints have soft tonalities ranging from gray to black. This quality is achieved by way of a serrated tool called a rocker that is rocked back and forth across the plate’s surface creating many small indentations and raised burrs. When inked it will print solid black. The areas to be white or gray in the print are rubbed down on the plate so as not to take ink.
- Etchings are prints where lines and tonal gradations are the result of a chemical process the metal plate goes through prior to printing. The plate is covered with an acid-resisting ground, then worked with an etching needle to create an intaglio image. The exposed metal is eaten away in an acid bath, creating depressed lines that are later inked for printing. Photographic images can also be transferred and etched into the metal plate.
- Aquatints combine a special resist technique and chemical etching to create values ranging from light to dark. The plate is first dusted with an acid-resisting powder called rosin, heated to glue consistency, and then put into the acid bath which etches around each rosin particle.
- Collographs are made when a variety of objects, such as string, lace, or crumpled tissue, are glued onto cardboard, varnished and then treated as an intaglio print.
Woodcut
Woodcuts are characterized by bold dark and light contrasts. They are produced by cutting away everything on the surface of the woodblock that is not to be printed, leaving raised areas of the block that are then covered with ink. Paper is placed over the block, and then both are either run through the press, or the back of the paper is rubbed by hand to transfer the ink from the block to the paper.
Textile Techniques and Origins
Polish Tapestry
Green Landscape, Poland, 1998
Piotr Grabowski
The Polish tradition of tapestry weaving reaches back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The tapestry Green Landscape was created by highly skilled artists who belong to a weaver’s guild located near Warsaw, Poland.
The wool in this tapestry is dyed, carded and spun by hand. Long yarns of linen flax are threaded through the loom to create the warp, the base of the weaving. Threads of dyed wool are interwoven through the warp to create the weft. They are then compressed with a comb-like tool. This method allows the weavers to faithfully and with great patience recreate the artist's vision with a painterly quality in a woven medium. This tapestry is the design of contemporary Polish artist, Piotr Grabowski.
Santa Rosa Applique
Wedding Festival
Colombia, South America
The women of Santa Rosa, who create these appliqued textiles, live and work in a small mining village that is perched precariously in the Andes overlooking the sprawling city of Bogota.
The vision of life depicted in the appliques is a joyous one. Colorful scenes often portray rural village life that the women remember from their childhood homes. The appliques are examples of South American Folk Art; they are simple, honest portrayals of everyday life as depicted by artisans who have no formal training, but a sophisticated sense of design. The Wedding Festival illustrates the celebration of a wedding in a local village.
Amish Quilt
Bear’s Paw
Maryann Schmucker, Wisconsin, 1999
This pattern is known by several different names. In Philadelphia, where there was a large Quaker population, the pattern was called the Hand of Friendship. On Long Island, where duck farming was an important occupation, it was called Duck's Foot in the Mud. In Ohio and Wisconsin, where bears were common, the inspiration for the pattern is said to have come from frontier days when bear tracks were found in the snow or mud of wooded farmland. The pattern looks complex because of its jagged edges but the shapes make construction quite simple. Triangles forming the bear's toes are sewn together to form squares. The squares are connected to a larger square and rectangles form the connecting cross pieces.
Peruvian Arpillera( ar-pee-yair-a )
Sierra
Maker unknown, Peru. c. 1980
Arpillera, a Spanish word meaning "sackcloth," is a unique Peruvian folk handicraft in which flour sacks serve as the backing for small appliqued textiles. The arpillera originated in Chile as a vehicle for political expression and in recent years has spread to Peru.
For the most part, arpilleras are made by women who live in the barrios of Lima. Many of the scenes depict the creator’s memories of their days living in the countryside and their everyday experiences.
It takes the Peruvian women more than three days to hand stitch the bright bits of cloth that create these three-dimensional textiles.
Quilt
Log Cabin, Dark and Light
Maker unknown, Massachusettes. c. 1880.
Log Cabin quilts are named for their method of construction. To begin the design, a central square, often in red to symbolize a glowing chimney, is sewn onto a larger block of fabric. A narrow strip, or “log”, is then pieced to the edge of the center square. Subsequent strips are added, each perpendicular to the previous strip until the center square is entirely bordered by logs. Additional strips are added until the block reaches the size desired – generally anywhere between 12 to 14 inches. These blocks are pieced together and the backing added.
Because the individual piecing of the logs is strong enough to hold the layers of the quilt together, Log Cabin bedcovers are rarely quilted. Instead, most are tufted: several lengths of thread or yarn are pulled through the backing and top at regular intervals and then the protruding threads are knotted on the surface of the quilt.
Using contrasting light and dark fabrics, the quiltmaker can create many variations of the Log Cabin design. In light-and-dark variations, each block is divided into two triangular sections; one section is executed in dark fabric, the other in light fabric. By manipulating the final placement of the individual blocks, the quiltmaker can create dramatic visual effects.
Shyrdak Rug
Wool felt applique
Kyrghyz Republic, Central Asia
Shyrdaks are handmade rugs from the Kyrghystan region of the former Soviet Union. The process has been handed down from mother to daughter through the generations. Each rug has its own special pattern reflecting the tribes and families of the women who produce them. Because only one or two rugs can be completed each year, they are considered prized possessions.
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Dying the wool
The rougher wool from the fall shearing is picked clean by hand. It is washed with soap, then rinsed first in warm water, then in cold. The damp wool fiber is put into a dye bath for fifteen minutes it is then warmed and left to sit for forty-five minutes. Depending on the type of dye, components such as soda ash, salt or vinegar may be added. The mixture is stirred often, for even dying. The wool is then spread out on clean paper or canvas to dry.
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Felting
The dry, dyed wool is first combed and cleaned, then spread out evenly on a canvas base. The base sheet is approximately one foot wider and two feet longer than the intended felt. The initial layer of wool is three or four times thicker than the finished felt will be. It is centered on the base sheet, with plenty of room left over on all sides. Hot soapy water is liberally applied to the wool, then rolled tightly with the base sheet. It is tied with rope in three or four places, and the wool and base sheet are rolled back and forth across the palms of the hands for forty or fifty minutes, starting the process of kneading. During this process, the roll is opened several times and more soapy water is applied. After the initial kneading, the wool begins to hold together as felt. The roll is unwound, and then is turned over exposing the opposite surface of the wool. More soapy water is applied, and the kneading process is started all over again.
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Cutting the pattern and stitching
The Shyrdak is typified by strongly stylized natural shapes, arranged in such a way that the outline of one becomes the outline of the next. There is usually no objective ground or background. This jigsaw effect is accomplished by laying two felt pieces, of the same size but different colors, out evenly one on top of the other on a flat area. A chalk drawing of a special Kyrghz pattern is drawn on the upper surfaces of the top felt piece. A very sharp knife is used to cut along the chalk, through both pieces of felt at the same time. The felt pieces are then separated leaving a green ‘inner’ piece, which fits into the red outer piece and a red inner piece which fits into a green outer piece, just like a jigsaw puzzle. The various parts of the Shyrdak are arranged and stitched together, and then sewn into a thicker felt backing. The stitching is usually done with hand produced yarn made of goat or camel hair for added strength.
Although the final stitching of the Shyrdak is the most time consuming part, it is also the part that gives the Shyrdak maker the most joy. A tremendous amount of care is taken to make each stitch perfect, and in some families, quilting is common. Sometimes the name of a special granddaughter or a special date will be stitched or quilted into the design.
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