Some Thoughts about Printmaking and Print Collaborations

Author(s): Garo Z. Antreasian

Source: Art Journal, Vol. 39, No. 3, Printmaking, the Collaborative Art (Spring, 1980), pp.
180-188
Published by: College Art Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/776351
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GaroZ. Antreasian
Some Thoughts about
Printmaking and
Print Collaborations

GaroZ.Antreasian is aprofessor in
the Department of Artat TheUni-
versity of NewMexico. I

Approximately two decadeshavepassed today were established.Thereafter,it and-white printmaking? Whyarethereso

since collaboration becamea household remainedfor individual artists,printers, fewmoving,genuinely repugnant, or truly
wordin printmaking. Duringthatperiod publishers,andentrepreneurs prints-qualitieseasyenoughto
to elevate, terrifying
we havebeenalternately beguiled,bewil- refine,extend,manipulate, or corruptthe findinpainting orphotography today? And
and
dered, finally benumbed by an extra- system,according to their particular talents what ever became of woodcuts and wood
ordinary avalanche of printedartembrac- andaspirations. engravings asvitalartforms?
ingeveryconceivable outlookand,depend- Theproliferation of theprintworldhas Returning to thethemeof collaboration,
ingon one'spointof view,brightening or been so fluid and so multifaceted that weaskwhyitisthatprintsmadebycollabo-
befouling everycornerof theland.Weare therehasscarcelybeentimetosortoutthe rationare mostlythe ones thatreceive
witnessto printsby sportsandfilmper- numerousramifications of its activityin attentiontoday.Or,fromanother approach,
of ourtime,bycomicstripartists anyreallycriticalsense.A greatdealhas whyareonlycertainartists
sonalities beingpublished
andby naffs,bytalentedandbytasteless beenwrittenaboutprintsandprintmaking,andwhyare theythe artistswhoseprints
illustrators,by decoratorsand by some mostof it complimentary. Themajority of arebeingwritten about? Whatarethebene-
unabashedromanticizers of an America thewriting,however,hasbeenof a jour- fitsof collaboration andwhataresomeof
thatneverwas.Inaddition tosuchpopular nalisticor documentary nature.In the the liabilities? Moreimportant, whatare
andtopicaltriviapeddledunderthename absenceof more criticalstudies,it has somecharacteristics of printsmadebycol-
of "originalprints,"we havealso been tendedto setthestandards bywhichprint- laboration in comparison withthoseinde-
astoundedby someof thefinestachieve- makingis measuredtoday.Thereis an pendently printed?
mentsin the historyof American print- inherentironyand somethingnaggingly We knowthatsincethe earliestprints
making made bymany of theleading artists worrisometo manyartistswho are seri- were made,theyhavebeenproducedin
of our time.Perhapsthe onlyelements ouslycommitted to makingprintsin this two basicallydifferent ways.In one, the
sharedbythesevastlydiffering outpouringsstateof affairs.Why,forexample,if print- artistconceivedanddrewthe imagethat
aretheuncommonly highquality of print- makingis such an enormousand vital wasprepared andprinted byanother indi-
ing and the factthat the majority of these is
activity, there such a lack of really sub- vidual or group of specialists.Often the
workswereexecuted inprofessional work- stantivescholarlywritingaboutit today? workproceededunderthe artist'sdirect
shopsthroughthecollaborative effortsof Whyis theresuch a notableabsenceof supervision; notso atothertimes.Nomatter;
artistsworkingcloselywithprinters.The enthusiasmamongour moreprominent magnificient printswereproducedin this
professionalassuranceand technical criticsin provokingissues aboutprint- waythatotherwisecouldnot havebeen
bravuraof these endeavorsfar exceed making? Manyartistsfeelthattheabsence created.In the otherpractice,the artist
printmaking achievements in thiscountry of such effort is not onlyalarmingly un- drew, prepared,and printedthe entire
during the firsthalfof the century and, of healthy,it is perhaps a dismaying indication workhimself,withor withoutassistance.
course, printmaking is far differentin thatprintmaking has reacheda newand Equallymagnificient workwascreatedin
scope and intention now than in earlier uninspiredplateau across which fresh thisway.Custom, habit,historical
evolution,
periods. illumination is urgently needed. andtechnical necessity aswell as personal
Whatis impressive is therelativelyshort In viewof the greatvolumeof print inclination andeconomicneedhavecon-
periodof time thatit took to establish production today,itis discouraging tofind tributedto bothapproaches, whetherwe
expertprinting skills and a custom of thatthe generalappearance of the work is considerseemingly simple Orientalwood-
collaboration wherepractically nonehad notablemoreforitssimilarities thanforits cuts or the most sophisticated printing
existedbefore.Whenby1966a publishing,differences.Oneasksto whatextentthe processesof today.As the technology of
and
marketing, journalistic apparatus had conventions of collaborative- practice are printingbecame more complex afterthe
becomesynchronized withthisnewactivity, contributing to this sameness.Whyis it eighteenthcentury,however,it became
the keycomponents of theprintworldof thatso littleworkis beingdonein black- increasingly necessary fortheartistto rely
180 ArtJournal
Fig.l Thomas Moran,
Solitude,
1869,
20/2xrl6".
lithograph.
JamesMcGuigan,
printer.TheNeiuYork
PublicLibrary.
Astor.
Lenoxand Tilden
Foundations,Prints
Division.

on the servicesof printingspecialiststo and duringthe nineteenthcenturytheir best, therewas only limiteddiscussion
producehis work.Thiswas particularlyrelationshipto the fine artswas not as betweentheartistandtheprinterandno
true for lithographyand it remainstrue closeas in Europe.Beginning as we understand
withlithog- real collaboration the
todayfor the manycomplicated printing raphy,we findthattheseparationbetween meaningof the word today.Whatwas
and photomechanical processesthatre- theprinterandtheartistwasuniversal by provided, wasprinting
quitesimply, service
quireextensiveequipmentandtechnical the timeof the CivilWar.Artistscommis- and littlemore.Smallwonder,then,that
masterv.It is for this reasonthatmost sionedto makeprints,be theyWinslow fewlithographs ofmajorconsequence were
collaborative worktodayoccursin litho- HomerorThomas Moran,wereadvised by createdduringthatearlyperiod.There
graphyand screen printing,and it is the shopforeman,whosesensitivity to an weresomesurprising exceptions,however,
particularlyinthoseareasthatthegreatest artist's waslimited
intentions bythepractices such as the Washingtonportraitsby
abusesof collaborative
practice,described of his particularworkshopand by his Rembrandt Peale,those few lithographs
below,seemto occur. understanding of thesimpletechnicaland thatThomasMorandrewwithhis own
Fromtheiroutsetthe printingartsof formalisticconventions employedin the hand(Fig.l), anda fewrarelithographs
thiscountrywerecommercially oriented, popularprintproduction of the time.At byThomas ColeandJ.FoxcroftCole.
Spring 1980 181
Fig.2 GeorgeBellows,
RiverFront,1923-24,
lithograph,
143/4x207/8". Bolton
printer.Albuquerque,
TheUniversity ofNew Fig.2
Mexico,ArtMuseum. Laterin the century,the preference of
American collectorsfor etchingsand the
Fig.3JamesMcNeill growing oftheEuropean
influence Peinture-
Whistler,Nocturne,1878, Gravure movement stimulated inthiscountry
63/4x10/s8.
lithotint, a brisk period of etchingactivity,with
Thomas Way, printer. Whistler's Englishetchingsintheforefront.
TheNewYork Public By emphasizingthe autographicand
Library,Astor,Lenox uniquelypersonalactof printing, Whistler
and Tilden Foundations,popularizedthe earlier preferenceof
PrintsDivision,S.P certainprintmakers fromRembrandt to
Avery Collection. to
Gauguin print their ownwork.1Simul-
taneouslyhe laidthecornerstone forone
of the prevailingideologiesof twentieth
centuryprintmaking-that of the artist's
beingdirectlyinvolved withthe printingof
hisownwork.JosephPennell wasprobably
thebestknown,if nottheloudest,advocate
of this viewpoint,whichhe proclaimed
equallyfor lithography and for etching.
His sometimespenetrating,sometimes Fig.3
narrow,butalwayscrustyopinionsdomi- Bellowsaswellas thatof theirfriends, with this shop, locatedin NewYork,wasthe
natedthinking andteaching inprintmakingthe exceptionof Pennell,who,becauseof principalcenterforprofessionally printed
formorethanthirtyyears. personalexperience,was highlybiased lithographs in thiscountry.
Although George
Duringthis livelyperiodof American againstmost professionallithographers.Millerwas a masterlithographer in every
etching,a fewartistsalsobecameinterested Accordingto Pennell,"Theprofessionalsenseof theword,his specialskillwasin
in lithography.AlbertSternerandGeorge lithographer as a ruleknowsnothing
about crayonstone Hisrelationship
printing. with
Bellowsweresufficiently intrigued to pur- the artof etchingandcan'tbe taught;
he artistswassupportive andmainlyadvisory
chasetheirownpresses,and,alongwith usuallyhashismethod-theshopmethod ratherthancollaborative, andheadvocated
JohnSloanandPennell,theyexperimented-and bythathe standsor falls-and the classically and
simple dependable technical
more or less independently with mixed artistdoes too, if he dependson the approaches thatwouldassurea predictable
Fig.4 StanleyWilliam of the'30s,Stanley W.Hayter's Atelier17,
Hayter,Tarantella,
1943, duringWorldWarII,introduced American
engraving andsoft artiststo a radicallydifferentconceptof
groundetching, printmaking activity,one thatfunctioned
21"1/16x13. NewYork, on informally organized groupinteraction
TheMuseumofModern andfreelysharedexperience. Then,after
Art,Edward MM the war,Picasso'sstaggering outpouring
Warburg Fund of lithographsfromtheMourlot workshop
revealedtoAmerican printmakers thetotally
unexpected in lithography
possibilities that
couldbe achieved bya majormoderartist
in close collaboration withhighlyexperi-
encedprofessional printers. Bothtypesof
workshopactivity havehada pronounced
effectonourattitudesandourachievements
in printmakingeversince.
AtAtelier17, artistsfromthiscountry
andfromabroadcommingled inanatmos-
phereof commonendeavor. Concentration
centeredon intaglioandreliefprocesses.
Rol3llCOe c\f Ulnirt?n'e
nA,,t;n*t
er;nrt0;,nl
Fig.5 PabloPicasso,
EightNudes,1946,
lithograph,
125/8x173/8".Mourlot
29, onlystate.NewYork,
TheMuseumofModern
Art,CurtValentin
Bequest. Fig.5
his individualknowledge,expertise,and work and withina very shorttime so quality wasandstillis thesoleobjective of
fortuitousdecision-making during the the
grasping potentiality of the medium ULAE (Fig.6), Tamarind's aims were much
workprocess.Unforeseen occurrences of thathe transformed boththeappearancebroaderin scope.Itsprograms beganby
foul biting,burntgrounds,and mishaps of lithography and our attitudesaboutit reestablishing in thiscountry theforgotten
withtheburinwereoftenviewedaspositive (Fig.5). Suchan achievement is all the know-howof lithography and continued
aspects of the unknown and unpremedi- more remarkable when we realize that by trainingthe first
group of professionally
tatedphenomena of thecreative
act.5 Picasso'screativeimpulsesandinstinctive qualifiedAmerican lithographic printers.
Hayter'sencouragement of open and workingmethodscompelleda brilliant Simultaneously, Tamarind initiateda series
freelyshared from
arising
experimentation, but traditionally intransigent group of of studiesto the
analyze as-yet unfamiliar
a firm knowledgeof processand craft, mastercraftsmen tofindtechnical solutions andintricateaspectsof collaboration and
rapidlypermeated printmaking education outsideroutineandcustomary practice. professional shoppracticein anAmerican
afterthe war, and it continues,though Thisintensiveand sustainedcollabo- setting(Fig.7). Forthepasttwenty years,
considerably modified,as an ideological ration stimulatedMourlot'sprintersto thesestudiesandtrainingprograms, first
foundationfor muchof the teachingin achieveresultstheymightneverhavecon- inLosAngelesandsince1970atTamarind
schoolstoday. ceived(noreventolerated), butevenmore Institute,The University of NewMexico,
Howdifferent thiswasfromtheloosely surprising is thattheyalloweditto happen haveprovidedandcontinueto providea
managed,enthusiastic, but mainlydirec- in spiteof themselves! Picasso's subsequentsuperbly well-trained cadreof lithography
tionless graphicarts programsof the highlypublicized collaborations in ceram- specialists fortheentirecountry. Theprog-
FederalWorksProgress Administrationin ics,linoleumprints,etchings, andaquatintsof theseprogramsare by nowextended
the 1930s,fromthefewessentially service- focusedadditional attention on thepoten- throughapproximately tengenerations of
orientedprofessional and
printshops, from tialities of concentrated collaborative certifiedmaster printers who are either
thetechnically limited
andartistically print- endeavorwithhighlyskilledprofessional managing, printing,teaching,or creating
makingcoursestaughtin theartschools artisans. their own printsin the majorityof the
andcollegesatthattime.Itis trulydifficult The beginningof thatsort of intense leading lithography workshopsin this
to assess the contributionsof the print- professional collaboration occurred in this countryandalsosomeabroad. Theunder-
makingteachersof the '30s and '40s countryat Tatyana Grossman's Universal lying ideologyof this specialgroupof
beyondtheirmainlyparochial butearnest LimitedArtEditionsworkshopin 1957 individualscan be summarized by the
andablecraftsmanship. and in at
1960 JuneWayne's Tamarind remark made in 1968 by one of its mem-
Picasso'sachievements atMourlot's at- Lithography It is
Workshop. interesting bers, to Irwin Hollander: "The fact that I am
elierarosefroma different kindof work- realizethatbothULAE andTamarind fo- not producingmyownart,frommyown
shopconditionthanthatwhichexistedat cusedon lithography andthatbothwere imagery,meansthatwhenI haveanartist
Atelier17.Herewasoneofthegreatartists modeledon Europeanatelierpractice. in the shop,I livethroughthatartist.I'm
of theperiodwithonlymarginal previous Whereasthe publication andtheprinting obligated to themediumandI wanthimto
in
experience lithography, beginning his of works having the highest possible artistic do thebest he canforthemedium, andto
184 ArtJournal
Fig.6 JasperJohns,
Decoy,1971,color
lithograph,
417/16x295/8".
NeuYork,TheMuseum
ofModernArt,Giftof
Celeste
Bartos.

Fig.7Jacques Lipchitz,
TheBullandtheCondor,
1962,colorlithograph,
303/ x22/2 ".
SoriniandHollander,
printers.
Albuquerque,
ofNew
TheUniversity Fig.6
Mexico,ArtMuseum,
Tamarind Collection.

Fig.8 RoyLichtenstein, Fig.7

EntablatureII,1976, the merestoutlineof an idea,themaster
screen,lithograph with printercameupwithanendproductthat
and
collagedfoils, was astonishingin its vigor,assurance,
embossing, 29%/4x45". and its breadthof resource.Whatthe
TylerandHutcheson, masterprinterhadto offerwasnotprint-
printers.Printedand makingin theoldsense:itwasprintmaking
published byTyler asmetamorphosis, anditwasirresistible."7
Graphics, Ltd.,? 1976, Thissubtleshiftingof functions in the
theartist. collaborativerelationshipmoved the focus
of achievement awayfromthe artistand
towardsthe printer,whose role in the
Fig.8 overallprocessbecamelikethatofaglam-
helphimthebestI can."6 processes,like the outlook
experimental orousalchemist,one whosewizardry no
Gradually,as printsbecamebigger, of Hayter themeth- onecouldunderstand,
in the'50s,stimulated butwhoseachieve-
more complex,and more spectacular, odologyof printmaking beyondits char- mentswereacknowledged byall.
some masterprinters'functionsandatti- acteristically confines Thedominance
nineteenth-century ofanindividual
is essen-
tudesshiftedfromthesimple,straightfor-(Fig.8). tial to the collaborativeprocess.Thisis
ward,andaltruistic expressed In this context,JohnRussellsees the one of the intriguingaspectsthat give
selflessness
byHollander to a morecomplexandcata- masterprinteras servingtheartistin the flavor,definition, andpublicidentity to a
lyticrole.Thisroleis best
perhaps epito- sameway as a recordingengineer serves workshop and itsoutput.Atvarious times,
mizedby the masterprinterKenTyler, the instrumentalist: "Heshowedtheartist artists,printers,workshopdirectors,or
whosecunningandcalculated utilization how to do thingsthe artisthad never individualpublishershavebeenthe gal-
of present-day
technologicalmaterialsand dreamed waspossible.Giveninsomecases vanizingforces behindsuccessfulprint
Spring1980 185
Fig.9 Robert projects. greatermodestyandrestraintthanTyler
Rauschenberg, Tampa At Hayter'sworkshopand also at butwithno lessskillfultechnical authority
ClayPiece4, 1972, Mourlot'sduringPicasso'stenure,the and dedicationto excellence(Fig.11).
silkscreen
ceramicdecal artistsdominatedtheirsurroundings by JudithSolodkin,HermanShark,Maurice
and silkscreen
lacquer theirtoweringpersonalities; theirimagi- Sanchez,andothersareamonga younger
decal,91/2x17x1'/2. nation,creativeenergy,andsheersenseof generationof talentedprinterswhohave
Tampa,University of purposeprovidedthe dynamicsfor the successfullyreturnedto the conceptof
SouthFlorida, groupactivity inwhichtheywereengaged. highlypersonalizedserviceprovidedby
Graphicstudio Collection.Certainlythe same can be said for independent smallpresses,a servicewhich
Grossmanand Wayne,whose legendary in the'60swasconsidered bothinefficient
Fig.10 Elainede directionof theirworkshopsperhapsat anduneconomical.
Kooning, Jardin du timesovershadowed, butatthesametime As some printers'functionstook on
Luxembourg I, 1977, neverceasedto stimulate, theproduction ever-greater dimensionsin the collabo-
colorlithograph, of prints.DonaldSaff,at thenowdefunct rativeeffort,manyartistsbecamedisen-
30x22".Albuquerque, Graphicstudio, of SouthFlorida, chantedbecausetheyrealizedthatthey
University
TheUniversity ofNew andClintonAdams,atTamarind Institute, had less and less involvementwiththeir
Mexico, Tamarind aretwoothershopdirectors whoseleader- own creativeprocess.Othersadopteda
Collection. shiphashaddirectinfluence ontheunique detachedaloofnessto theirwork,andstill
ambienceoftheirshopsandonthespecial otherartistswereperfectly happyto leave Fig.10
outcomeof work(Figs.9,10). Bycom- the mostcrucialcreativedecisionsto an finishedprint.Then,too, theinterplay of
parison,it is interesting
to notetherelative ever-accommodating masterprinter.The personalitiesand the meshingof skills
anonymity of some of the greatprinters growing realizationthat the special betweenthe artistand the printerare
today: Robert Blackburn,Zugmundtambience of a workshop andthesensitivityuntestedexperiencesrequiringmutual
Priede,andDonnSteward, allformerlyat of its personnelwereof enormouscon- accommodation. Ideallysuchexperiences
ULAE; JohnSommersandSteveBritkoat sequenceto one'sworkcontributed greatly are gainedthroughsustainedand long-
Tamarind; Charles Ringness, TheoWujcik, to the breakupof old alliancesand the termcontact,or,asis moreoftenthecase,
PaulClinton,andJulioJuristo,whowere formationof new ones betweenartists, throughintensiveshort-term exposurein
atGraphicstudio. SergeLozingot printers,andpublishers
Similarly, inthelate'60s,as whichtheentireresources oftheworkshop
and the currenttechnicalstaffat Gemini manyartistssoughtmore balancedcir- maybe required. Neitherconditionis eco-
G.E.L.maintain anextremely lowvisability cumstances inwhichto controlthedestiny nomically feasibleunlessthestatureofthe
in comparison withthehighpublicprofile of theirprojects. artistcanassuresufficient
financial
return
of theirpredecessor, KenTyler,whocon- Ittakesa longtimeformostuninitiatedon the speculation. Consequently,an in-
tinuesto be the centerof focus in the artiststo becomefamiliar withthenuances creasingamountof collaborative shop
collaborative undertaken
enterprises athis of theinterplay betweenprocessandresult practiceentailsquick,fairlysimple,and
presentworkshopin Bedford,NewYork. in printmaking. Somehavedifficultyin straight-forwardapproaches. Crayon
LikeTyler,JackLemonandJeanMilant responding to thespecialappearance and drawing andautographicbrushlithography
are publishersand workshopdirectors, tactilityof printedsurfaces;otherscan't are heavilyused, as are the impersonal
and,in addition, theyaregalleryoperators get used to the "feel"of the materials; cut-stenciland photographic techniques
of Landfall PressandCirrusEditionsre- most have difficultyin translating their of serigraphy.
Withinthe last fewyears,
Moreimportant,
spectively. theyaremaster ideasbecauseofworkprocedures thatare drawings ongrainedMylar arebeingmore
printerswho providecollaborative assis- often indirectand interrupted by many frequently employed.Itbecomesunneces-
tance and directionfor the artist,with stages betweenthe firsttouch and the saryfortheartistevento see theprinting
186 ArtJournal
Fig.11 Robert whoseprofessional experienceandwork
Cottingham.BlackGirl habitsin the mediumare highlyreliable
1978.colorlithograph, (thoseof a surprisingnumberof artistsby
17/16 X175/16". Fig.11 now havebecomeso), and (3) whose
JackLemon, printer. matrix; theentireprocessing ofthedrawing increasingabundanceof worksthathas projectedworkis reasonably predictable,
(courtesl'
LandfallPress, is donephotomechanically. Thisdistancing been printedto look more like those henceconduciveto bothshopandmar-
Inc..Chicago) of theartistfurtherandfurther fromdirect mediums. ketingobjectives.In suchcases,manyof
involvement in thework,whilejustifiable Today,theveryhighcostof workshop the extra costs are passed on to the
forcertainconcepts,ultimately desensitizes operationcrampsproduction andproject consumer,a practiceevermoredifficult to
him to the inherentaestheticof printed schedules.Individual are
jobs programedsustainintoday's economy andina market-
art: the outcomeof his imagebecomes to startandfinishwithminimum delayand placealreadyhighlysaturated withprints
littlemorethantheexpression of theprint- with little margin for adequatetrial bya relatively smallnumberof glamorous
er's own taste and skill, or worse,an proofingor creativealteration. Thereis artists.
outrightfacsimileof work the artist practically noincentive
incommercial shop Anotherphenomenonof the market-
normally doesin othermediums. Thepro- practicefortheencouragement of projects placeis theapparently enormous demand
liferationof suchworktodayis alarming whoseevolution fromconception to com- forpopularized printsproduced byhighly
in its magnitude. Furthermore, becauseof pletionmightbe whollyunpredictable- capableillustrators. Muchof thistypeof
thecomplexity of theprocessesemployed as was oftenthe case at Hayter's atelier workis relativelyeasyto printandnottoo
andthequestionable contextsof theirad- and was most certainlythe case with costlyto produce,hehcesomeshopsrely
vertising,printsmadeinthiswaycontinue Picassoat Mourlot's.Similarly, veryfew on a certainamountof this profitable
to blurthe distinctions betweenoriginal projectsareundertaken inwhichtheprint work to provideincomewithwhichto
and reproductive art.In manycasesthe evolvesasa directoutgrowth oftheprocess financemorechallenging projects.Never-
appearanceand sociologicalfunctionof itself,an approachin whichthe risksof theless,thetediumof cranking outreams
such artare not muchdifferent fromthe processandintentioncanbe so tenuous of predictablemerchandisehas disen-
conventionalizedand depersonalizedthateverything mightbe lostif thewrong chantedmanydedicatedprinters,driving
banalityof nineteenth-century chromo- optionwerechosen.Evensuchtheoreti- someintopremature retirementandothers
lithography. callyenormousrisksas these couldbe to the teachingof printmaking andto the
Another matterthattendsto encourage reducedbythe splendidly highcaliberof production of theirownart.
thesepracticesis demandfromthecom- printingexpertiseavailable today.Sucha In retrospect,were we to returnto
mercialmarketplace, whichforsometime procedure,however,is costlyand time- 1960,we mightbe surprisedto findthat
hasassignedto printstheroleofsurrogate consuming.It is regrettablethat the quite separatefrom its well-publicized
paintingsand drawings.So long as the majority of worksaremadebyplaying the educationalgoals, there were equally
buyingpublicis beguiledby the notion safeodds.Theprinterhaslearnedbysad importantsociologicalobjectivesunder-
that it is purchasingless expensivebut experienceto providemostlythe safest lyingthe Tamarind conceptthattoo few
equally"original" worksby thehandsof proceduresandto witholdtheriskierbut have recognized.The reallychallenging
our popularmasters-worksthatlook potentiallymore excitingpossibilities. premiseof the entireplanwas thatthe
like the paintingsof drawingsof those Thus, publishersand printerstry to economicpotentialfor manyAmerican
samemasters-therewillbe lessandless minimizenegativefactorsby commis- artistsmightbe improved by stimulating
concernfor the intrinsicproperties of a sioningagainandagainonlythoseblue- theformation ofa comprehensive network
print.Insteadof those specialqualities chipartists(1) whosemarketpriceswill of printenterprises-fromprintwork-
thatcanprovideprintswithdistinctivenesssupportas muchextratimeandexpense shops and master printersto print
from paintingand drawing,we findan as is necessaryto producethework,(2) publishers,dealers,andcollectors-and

Spring1980 187
this systemwouldat the sametimepave neglectedactivities of artistswhoprintand entiresetofmaterials,prepared to
exactly
thewayfora flourishing of greatprints.It publishtheirownwork.Theintellectual suithis needs,bymyownhandswhich,
wasvisualized thatsucha network would ideasandtechnical abilitiesof suchartists beingthehandsofanartistandanexpert
createadditionaljobs wherenone had have changed,broadened,and grown lithographer, couldanddidforhimwhat
previouslyexisted for a multitudeof considerablyin everyprintarea since no mereprintercouldcomeanywhere
supportpersonnel,from curatorsand 1960,wheninterestin theirworkshifted neardoing.Hesaidto me... 'Icouldn't
paperspecialiststo mediaspecialists and to collaborative endeavor. Inaddition, the practicelithographyif it weren'tforyou.
middlemen. Allof thosethingsandmore ranksof artistswhoprinttheirownwork Three-quartersoftheprintsI madebefore
havecome to pass duringthe pasttwo have multipliedconsiderablywith the youcameon-thesceneI wouldn't want
decades, though of course not by presenceof newer,younger,and less anyonetosee-now.'
Tamarind's initiativealone. Howironic familiarfaces.Surelythe veryindepen- 4 Pennell,"Lithography," 468,470.
thattodaywe arewitnessto thetowering denceof theirworking methodis providing 5 GrahamReynolds, TheEngravings of
successas well as to the incrediblecor- anoutcomequitedifferent fromthatofthe S.W Hayter,exh.cat.,London, Victoria
ruptionof thosefineobjectives. collaborating artists,andthatdifference, andAlbert Museum, 1967,2. Withrefer-
Alongtheway,during thosetwodecades, at the veryleast,is worthyof broadex- enceto Hayter, Reynolds says,"Bythe
somenotionsaboutprintmaking wereby- posureandcriticalattention wherenone partialabandonment ofthewilltheburin
passedandothersoverlooked; stillothers nowexists. onthecopperplate becomes in hishanda
werediscounted, andin myviewshould Also,we needtodaythespiritedsearch sortof ouija-board, drawing to thelight
be reexamined. Amongthemwasthesim- fortheunknown andunexpected thatwas ideasandformswhichotherwise might
plistictruismthat"thebestartistsmake presentin intaglioand reliefprintingin notbecome apparent totheartist."
thebestprints"(certainly no quarrel with the '50s and in lithography and screen 6 MaryWelshBaskett, American Graphic
that). It followedthatsuch artistswere printing in the'60s.Andthatspiritis most Workshops: 1968, exh.cat.,Cincinnati
usuallypaintersorsculptors, fortheycon- likelyto comefromyoungandrelatively ArtMuseum 1968.
fronteddirectlythe ideasof "high"art unknownartists.Regrettably, thereis too 7 JohnRussell,"AConnoisseur's Guideto
unfettered bythetechnical triviathatseemed little opportunitytoday for promising the FineArtof PrintCollecting," Neu
to ensnarethe"complete" printmaker. So talentsto haveaccess to workshopre- YorkTimes, June22,1979,ii i.
longas paintersandsculptorscouldcol- sourcesand,whendesirable, to theprint-
laboratewithbrilliant printing artisans,as ingexpertisethatwouldallow"hands-on"
hadbeenthecaseinEurope, therewasthe concentrated experimentation at littleor
that
potential great works could beachieved. no costto theartist.Theacknowledgment
Unquestionably thatoccurredandcontin- andaccommodation ofcreative risk,faulty
ues to occur,withtrulyspectacular prints premise,andevenperhaps ultimate failure
being createdby some of our leading must be encouragedin printmaking if
artists.Equally truebutseldomacknowl- progressis to occur.In orderforthatto
edgedis the factthatreamsof less than happenthereis a crucialneedto separate
mediocreworkshavealsobeenproduced seriousendeavorfromthatwhichis cur-
byequallyimportant artistswhohavelittle rentlyoverglamorized and commercially
or no seriousinterestor commitment to oriented. End
theartof theprint.Oftensuchprintshave
beenglamorized byexotictechnical manipu- Notes
lation,butin theirwaywereno betterand 1 Pat Gilmour,TheMechanized Image,
maybea bit worsethanthe technically exh.cat.,[London], ArtsCouncil ofGreat
overadorned but none the less sincere Britain,1978,10. Referring to Whistler,
worksof someprofessional printmakers. Pat Gilmour hassaid, "Under the'artfor
Weare also awareof the tendencyin art'ssake'banner, heboosted uniqueness
manycollaborations for the artistto be bysuchdevicesas manipulating surface
nudgedeverfurtherawayfromthedirect inkonhisetching platessoastoconfound
creativemanipulation anddecision-making mechanical ideasofregularity andidenti-
of his workprocess.We knowthatthe cality.Hemadea watchword outofspon-
anguish,as well as the luxury,of failure taneity andintuition."
can seldombe accommodated withinthe 2JosephPennell,"Lithography," Print
pressurizedatmosphereof high-volume CollectorsQuarterly, ii, 1912, 468.
printpublishing. Consequently, muchwork Pennellwenton to say,"Totheprofes-
produced under these circumstances sionallithographer, theprintsmustlook
displaysa suave,safe, and impersonal justliketheartist'sdrawing, andall be
patinaof faultlessprintingthatveilsthe alike.The factthatthe artistseesthe
underlying vacuityof thework.Certainly, glimmer of newgracein hisworkas he
identicalcharacteristics may be found as prints-thegermof an ideaas he goes
well in the artof manyprintmakers who on-a newschemeofcolorasheexperi-
printtheirownwork;an absenceof sub- ments-is tobesuppressed, andthepro-
stanceor commitment is by no means fessionallithographer suppresses it; he
unique to work done collaboratively. has beentrainedto believethatlitho-
Nor do we meanto implythatbeinga graphs oughttobeaslikeastwopeas."
"complete"printmaker is perferableto 3 BoltonBrown, "Prints andtheirMakers,"
makingprintscollaboratively. Rather, what Prints,i, Nov. 1930,22. Brownwas not
is neededis a shift of focus,to bring modestin acknowledging hisrelationship
criticalattentiononce againto the sadly to Bellows. Hesaid,"Ifurnished himhis
188 ArtJournal