Just Press Print

"Just Press Print," an exhibition showcasing the collaboration of artists and educators from the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK, will be on view April 25-May 6 in the ASU School of Art's Gallery 100 in Tempe Center. A reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. April 26.

"Just Press Print" was curated by research fellow Paul Laidler and features artists from CFPR Editions, a publishing studio of the centre led by Laidler. With digital prints, these contemporary makers explore the artistic, historical and industrial significance of creative print practices, processes and technologies.

The title of the exhibition was chosen to highlight the significant elements for the creation of the digital print that are often overlooked: “the relationship and conversation between artist and publisher/master printer, the iterations that are necessary to achieve the final print and the need for archiving and recording the process,” Laidler said. It also depicts the new trends in digital technology and the possible impact they may have on present standards and practices in printmaking.

Through disciplines such as photography, printmaking, illustration and sculpture, participating artists use technologies such as inkjet, UV, 3-D printing, and laser cutting to examine their influence on traditional and contemporary printmaking.

"Just Press Print" is closing the circle that started with Laidler's visit 17 years ago to New York's Metropolitan Museum to view a print exhibition by an American artist, which was the inspiration for the development of the exhibition.

"The significance of revealing the contributing factors involved in creating a printed artwork provides an educational component for the exhibition, but the narrative can also be enlightening and surprising in offering insights into the true nature of creative endeavors," he said.

Participating artists include Carolyn Bunt, Arthur Buxton, Gordon Cheung, Paul Coldwell, Stanley Donwood, Richard Falle, Paul Laidler, Sebastian Schramm, Andrew Super and Roy Voss.

“'Just Press Print' explores and expands the traditions of print collaboration by extending the perspective into newer technology," said ASU printmaking professor emeritus John Risseeuw, who was a research fellow at CFPR in 2008 and was instrumental in bringing the exhibit to ASU. “Collaboration has always been an important part of printmaking's history. Collaborative art production, through the relationship between artists, master printers, and publishers, has thoroughly examined and discussed before. The exhibition builds on this history by featuring new artwork that specifically depends on digital processes."