TAG In-Gallery Talks: The Contemporary Print 2023

Written by Cathy Centeno Navarro, TAG Intern

In conjunction with the exhibition The Contemporary Print 2023  (January 23 – March 9) , The Art Galleries at Austin Community College hosted two TAG Tuesday sessions, which invited local printmakers and Austin art professionals to discuss the process and history of printmaking, the importance of artists collectives, and their personal accounts as artists. 

Below are recaptured descriptions of these TAG Tuesday sessions, which occurred on February 7 and February 21. 

February 7, 2023

What is Contemporary Print? with Annalise Gratovich

When it comes to the art of printmaking, Austin-based Printmaker Annalise Gratovich wishes to “show the dynamic world of contemporary printmaking” and highlight “the way people are breaking the rules” of conventional techniques. 

During her TAG Tuesday session on February 7th, Gratovich took the audience on a brief historical overview of printmaking, and how past techniques influence contemporary practices today. She states that what she loves about printmaking is the rule-breaking, but, Gratovich noted “in order to break [the rules], you have to understand the rules.” Gratovich then explains the three factors she believes influence contemporary printmaking and innovation in the art process:

1. Nature of technology: Anyone who works with tools, knows that technological advancements are made. Gratovich explained that there have been many technological leaps in the realm of printmaking, leading to widespread innovation in the field.
2. Where prints are made: Gratovich noted that prints are usually made in a communal print shop. She explains that these environments are very welcoming – encouraging artists to collaborate, problem-solve and facilitate experimentation in printmaking.
3. Publishing: Fine art print publishing also allows for innovation. By working with a publishing company, master printmakers can collaborate with artists who aren’t traditional printmakers. Together, they come up with unique ideas on how a printmaker can publish their work.

Printmaking, just by its [current] nature, is incredibly innovative, and experimental… It attracts people who like to think that way – push the boundaries and break the rules – Annalise Gratovich

Gratovich creates prints by hand, using wood, etching on metal, dyeing paper, and using manual printing presses, influenced by her love for artistic experimentation. As a self-publisher from Austin, Texas, she travels across the country as a visiting artist and speaker. She is also a member of the Board of Directors at PrintAustin and works in the Prints and Drawings Department at the Blanton Museum. To learn more about her practice, visit her website. 

 

 

 

 

February 21, 2023

The Importance of Artist Collectives with PrintAustin Co-founder Cathy Savage & Artist Talk with Texas-based Printmaker Peter Nickel

On the February 21 session, PrintAustin Co-founder Cathy Savage began by discussing the importance of artist collectives.  Savage noted that collectives like PrintAustin “are a great way to meet other people [and] share ideas.” She also comments on why artists need support and network, noting that “connections have great amplifying effects.” She states that part of what PrintAustin is doing is creating those opportunities for artists to create connections and communicate. From these first interactions through the collective, artists can get to know each other and possibly collaborate on a project in the future. For more information about PrintAustin, visit their website. 

Along with being the Co-founder of PrintAustin since 2014, Savage is also a printmaker. Fascinated by the printing process, she focuses mainly on printmaking and collages. Her work draws inspiration from many things, currently influenced by the scientific and mathematical fields. She uses different mediums and art processes, enjoying thinking in reverse, building various matrices, scraping, inking, and pulling inks.

Austin-based Lithographer Peter Nickel also participated in the February 21 session and spoke about his artwork Free Fall, which was on display in the The Contemporary Print exhibition. Nickel drew the audience in by stating that “the idea [of captivating] someone in” is what motivates his work. Realism, the accurate depiction of life in art, is very important to him, he hopes people look at his work and recognize what they are seeing. He also wants the audience to either identify or not identify with his work, his thought process being “you [don’t have to] identify with something, be repulsed, and still [draw] a connection somehow.”

Nickel then began talking about the details in his lithograph Free Fall. He explained that the theme is to portray the misuse and abuse of power, and the ripple of consequences that can occur. Elements from this work represent someone seeking power who in the end does not know how to use it. Additionally, the objects depicted in the artwork represent different tools that are used to gain control. For example, Nickel depicts a riding crop, a tool used by jockeys to control horses while riding. 

Nickel creates his artworks using the element of realism, inspired by nature itself, using his observational skills as an artist and capturing life. His work has been displayed in different exhibitions around Texas, sharing his artistic twist in juxtaposing different figurative and abstract styles. His art is meant to oppose and have a double meaning by using contrasting symbolisms from different themes. 

He ended his session by giving a word of advice to young artists. “To be a good artist,” he states, “you [must] be a good observer first. It’s more important you spend more time looking – really seeing what you’re looking at – before you ever pick up a pencil.”

TAG Tuesdays are free and open to the public. Each session varies by topic and invites various speakers to talk about their own artistic experiences or perspectives for artworks in TAG exhibitions. These sessions are held every other Tuesday in either TAG Gallery 2000 or Gallery 4000 from 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M