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Printmaking: Here/Now

Michael Oppenheimer

Presented by Santa Cruz County Bank Arts Collaborative and Printmakers at the Tannery

Opening August 17, Printmaking: Here/Now explores new and old methodology in the art of printmaking. Over 80 works on display represent a diversity of printmaking techniques by eighteen member artists of PATT — Printmakers at the Tannery — including silkscreen, etching, collograph, monotype, chine collé, photopolymer etching, photogravure, linocut, collage and woodcut printing.

Printmaker and instructor Jane Gregorius partnered with Janis O’Driscoll, printmaker and Santa Cruz public librarian to create this show at the invitation of Mary Anne Carson, Senior Vice President and Director of the Arts Collaborative at Santa Cruz County Bank. Gregorius states, “The works on display in this exhibition represent the unique versatility of this medium. Artists have been challenged by the difficulties of making prints for centuries, yet have loved the surprising, sometimes accidental results. There are so many ways to make a print, and Janis and I wanted to include as many as possible. Fortunately, there are 18 of us so we’re able to show almost every aspect of the printmaking world.”

Commenting on the subject matter for this exhibition, Carson states, “In our twelfth year of producing art exhibitions, we are excited to debut our first show dedicated solely to printmaking. The exhibition offers an educational opportunity for the public to experience a broad spectrum of printmaking techniques, mastered by a talented collective of local artists.”

Participating artists reflect on their work and processes:

In her series, The Life Cycle of the Sunflower, participating artist Hedwig Heerschop explains, “she strives to achieve drawing the viewer into the ‘cycle of life’ to a deeper understanding of how all living things are tied together.”

Artist Andrée LeBourveau states, “Serigraphy, also known as screen-printing, is so enjoyable to me as a medium since it is very process oriented, requiring attention to detail as well as its graphic quality. I work from my photographs to create transparencies that I expose to my screens. I directly hand paint emulsion on the screen as a block leaving only open the areas I want to print.”

Artist Bob Rocco expresses, “Artists sometime spend extraordinary amounts of time working on an art piece. It is almost a requirement that you enjoy the process, something that is particularly critical in fine art printmaking. For me, process is a useful distraction, so I’m less likely to worry about the outcome. My particular interest is in experimental methods in printmaking, wherein I try to express my particular feeling about the subject, translating it to a specific time and place.”

Artist Frank Trueba states, “Printing, as a medium, satisfies my analytical side with its adherence to technical requirements, whether that be the carving of the wood, the construction of a printing screen, or the planning that goes into designing the piece. Yet, at the same time it satisfies my artistic side with the creativity of subject matter and the ability to experiment with variations in color and design.”

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Curated by Joan Blackmer, Printmaking: Here/Now is on display at all five Santa Cruz County Bank branches through January 15, 2016. An opening reception will be held at the Bank’s downtown Santa Cruz office, 720 Front Street, on Wednesday, September 30, 2105 from 5:30-7pm.

Exhibition Locations & Hours

Santa Cruz County Bank
Aptos – 7775 Soquel Drive
Capitola – 819 Bay Avenue
Santa Cruz – 720 Front Street
Scotts Valley – 4604 Scotts Valley Drive
Watsonville – 595 Auto Center Drive

Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. • Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. excluding holidays

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