How might an artist depict his experiences in the Vietnam War? How might another incorporate stamps of Spock from Star Trek into his work? The answers to these questions (and more) are on display as a part of the Elizabethtown College’s new art exhibit: “Print-Making an Impression.”
Located at both the Hess Gallery in Zug Memorial Hall and the Lyet Gallery in Leffler Chapel, “Print-Making an Impression” features an incredible number of unique art prints from a variety of artists. Professor of art and director of the College’s galleries Mr. Milton D. Friedly put together the display, having sought to represent as many distinct printmaking perspectives as possible. He has been working since March to reach out to contacts and collect pieces for the exhibition. The pieces on display come directly from artists, as well as from the College collection, loans and Friedly’s personal collection.
So, what is printmaking? Printmaking is an artistic process in which prints are created by transferring ink from a matrix onto a piece of paper or other material. Through this process, the matrix can be used multiple times to make identical or nearly identical prints. An artist will create their own matrix out of a material like wood, stone, or metal plates and use it to make a limited number of ‘original’ prints. The majority of the prints in the showcase are original prints.
No one print is alike, as the exhibit draws pieces from a variety of historical and contemporary artists from different backgrounds who each use distinctive methods of printmaking. The exhibit features everything from a print of a cookie recipe to a photorealistic print of a beer sign. It includes pieces like woodcuts, monoprints, lithographs, serigraphs, polymer plates, clay prints, viscosity prints and more.
Many pieces displayed were made by artists considered trailblazers in their various artistic disciplines. For instance, Desire, a fascinating piece on display at the Hess Gallery, was printed by Dan Welden, who pioneered the solarplate method of printmaking. Also on display in the Hess Gallery is an earthy-toned clay monoprint by Mitch Lyons, who developed his own method of clay printmaking and travelled all over the world teaching clay print workshops. There are also prints by world-renowned artists like Ando Hiroshige and Françoise Gilot. The exhibit additionally features more locally sourced works, including some pieces by current and former faculty members. Well I Stepped Into an Avalanche is a watercolor, oil and stencil monoprint on display at the Lyet by associate professor of art at Elizabethtown Dr. Kristi L. Arnold.
As enticing as these print descriptions are, one simply must visit the exhibit itself and partake in the many wonderful pieces on display. While the exhibit was originally intended to run until the end of the semester, it will instead be on display through Feb.11, 2021, giving students, faculty and staff plenty of time to stop by and admire the breathtaking display. Students residing off campus are welcome to tour the exhibit digitally as well through the Office of Marketing and Communications.
