Articles
Neo Rauch: Blätterrausch II
David Zwirner presents a second suite in a series of lithographs by German artists Neo Rauch.
From the David Zwirner website: “Much like his paintings, Neo Rauch’s prints lure the viewer into symbolically layered narratives. His personal iconography includes human figures, animals, and hybrids engaged in mundane, arbitrary tasks—often in familiar but, ultimately, imaginary settings.
The second chapter of the artist’s previous online prints presentation by the same name, the selection featured here exemplifies many of Rauch’s recurring tropes: a small, perched figure carries a megaphone, a sleeping gentleman is overcast by ballerinas, and another character practices juggling in an indecipherable landscape. For Rauch, the medium of lithography, a major part of his artistic practice since 1993, serves as an equal ground for these whimsical pictorial worlds to be intimated, asserted, and wrestled from the realities of everyday life.
Ragnar Kjartansson: Repent and Fire
Luhring Augustine and i8 Gallery present two new portfolios by Ragnar Kjartansson: Repent and Fire.Made by the artist in collaboration with BORCH Editions in Copenhagen, these etchings and woodcuts mark Kjartansson's first foray into printmaking.
From Nov 19th to Dec 31st 2020.
Robert Rauschenberg Oral History Project
The Reminiscences of Larry Wright
The following oral history is the result of a recorded interview with SVA’s very own Silkscreen Master Printer Larry Wright conducted by Sara Sinclair and Christine Frohnert on May 13, 2015. In the interview Wright recounts his close working relationship and collaborative process with Robert Rauschenberg and offers a first hand account of Rauschenberg’s electrifying creative energy. This interview transcript is part of the Robert Rauschenberg Oral History Project presented by the Columbia Center for Oral History Research at Columbia University.
Print
A Brief History
A quick look back at why Printmaking techniques were first developed in the 15th century to disseminate ideas and how they gained in popularity for visual artists in the 19th century and beyond.
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
A must read scholarly essay by Walter Benjamin, published in 1936, questioning the authenticity, value, and politics of reproductions of unique art objects in the contemporary age of technological advancement and innovation. Benjamin sites the modern reproduction methods of engraving, etching, lithography, and photography, among others, as techniques for mass production.
Japanese Woodblock Prints as a Lens and Mirror for Modernity
Japanese Ukiyo-e prints were originally created as disposable consumer items, but today history recognizes these masterful works as a lens through which to view Japan’s path to modernization and development of a national culture.
By Sean P. McManamon
History of Lithography
First invented in 1798 by Alois Senefelder Lithography has since been propelled to greater popularity and range by many great advancements in technology - from the introduction of photographic processes, to the addition of the offset press, to the revolution of the lithographic plate. With these innovations Lithography’s modest beginnings have evolved into one of the largest printing industries in the United States.