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National Art Education Association The Art of Creative Printmaking Author(s): Michael F. Andrews Source: Art Education, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Apr., 1964), pp. 23-25 Published by: National Art Education Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3190461 . Accessed: 16/06/2014 13:36 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Art Education. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 195.34.79.253 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 13:36:59 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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National Art Education Association

The Art of Creative PrintmakingAuthor(s): Michael F. AndrewsSource: Art Education, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Apr., 1964), pp. 23-25Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3190461 .

Accessed: 16/06/2014 13:36

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to ArtEducation.

http://www.jstor.org

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Page 2: The Art of Creative Printmaking

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Top-"Southwest Landscape", serigraph, 41/ x 111/4 inches, by Richard Romeo, grade 12, Miami Norland High. Bottom-String painting on collage, 5 x 12 inches by Sue Griffin, grade 10, Southwest Miami High.

Top-"Southwest Landscape", serigraph, 41/ x 111/4 inches, by Richard Romeo, grade 12, Miami Norland High. Bottom-String painting on collage, 5 x 12 inches by Sue Griffin, grade 10, Southwest Miami High.

values printmaking can offer to the study of art history. In this county at least, teachers are urged to parallel the study of significant work of the past and present with ongoing activities, and in most cases (particularly in painting) this works fairly well. In the field of graphic art design, despite the fact that there have been printmakers from Diirer to Picasso, and every period in between highlighted by such names as Rembrandt, Goya, and Daumier, not enough of this history is presented with slides, films, or the personal files of the teacher. For some reason, there seems to be a dearth of audio-visual material in this area, especially when we compare it to that which is available in painting, sculpture, and architecture.

As Paul Sachs has stated in his introduction to Modern Prints and Drawings. "Let us look at new as well as old aspects of art. Let us avoid the tire- some complaint that the times are out of joint. We may be surprised to find that art in modern times is realistic as well as abstract, traditional as well as experimental, conservative as well as radical." In one sense Dr. Sachs has come as close to describ- ing a good program of printmaking as one could desire.

values printmaking can offer to the study of art history. In this county at least, teachers are urged to parallel the study of significant work of the past and present with ongoing activities, and in most cases (particularly in painting) this works fairly well. In the field of graphic art design, despite the fact that there have been printmakers from Diirer to Picasso, and every period in between highlighted by such names as Rembrandt, Goya, and Daumier, not enough of this history is presented with slides, films, or the personal files of the teacher. For some reason, there seems to be a dearth of audio-visual material in this area, especially when we compare it to that which is available in painting, sculpture, and architecture.

As Paul Sachs has stated in his introduction to Modern Prints and Drawings. "Let us look at new as well as old aspects of art. Let us avoid the tire- some complaint that the times are out of joint. We may be surprised to find that art in modern times is realistic as well as abstract, traditional as well as experimental, conservative as well as radical." In one sense Dr. Sachs has come as close to describ- ing a good program of printmaking as one could desire.

THE ART OF CREATIVE PRINTMAKING*

MICHAEL F. ANDREWS

Michael F. Andrews is Dual Professor of Art and Education, Syracuse University, and is also an ex- hibiting sculptor.

The art of printmaking is as old as art itself, and yet only within the past decade or two has printmaking been recognized as a separate art, equal in importance and in creative potential to painting and sculpture. Originally, the artist used the printing process to make reproductions of his sketches. Although there are those who still consider the printing concept as merely an extension of drawing, printmaking is no longer a handmaiden; it is, instead, considered as one of the fine arts most peculiar and appropriate at our time. Printmaking today is a popular art accepted by millions of people throughout the United States. This fact is manifest not only in the increasing number of printmakers, collectors, and print clubs; but also

*Excerpts from Creative Printmaking by Michael F. Andrews. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.

THE ART OF CREATIVE PRINTMAKING*

MICHAEL F. ANDREWS

Michael F. Andrews is Dual Professor of Art and Education, Syracuse University, and is also an ex- hibiting sculptor.

The art of printmaking is as old as art itself, and yet only within the past decade or two has printmaking been recognized as a separate art, equal in importance and in creative potential to painting and sculpture. Originally, the artist used the printing process to make reproductions of his sketches. Although there are those who still consider the printing concept as merely an extension of drawing, printmaking is no longer a handmaiden; it is, instead, considered as one of the fine arts most peculiar and appropriate at our time. Printmaking today is a popular art accepted by millions of people throughout the United States. This fact is manifest not only in the increasing number of printmakers, collectors, and print clubs; but also

*Excerpts from Creative Printmaking by Michael F. Andrews. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.

by the increasing amount of literature dealing with the subject, the inclusion of printmaking in the elementary and high school curricula, and the evident prominence of prints in local, regional, and national exhibitions.

Unfortunately, the necessity of complex me- chanical processes, combined with the false assump- tion that expensive and cumbersome equipment is needed, and a lack of knowledge of printmaking, has prevented adequate teaching of printmaking, especially at the elementary and secondary school levels. For these reasons, as well as others, the teacher has so often neglected to consider the com- plete range of possible experiences that the variety of printmaking techniques has to offer. Since aesthetic values are derived from these complex experiences, modifications which will provide the opportunity for such experiences to students of all levels would appear to be imperative. Fortunately,

"The Village," a dry point by Alvina Goldblatt, a col- lege student, was made by scratching into a sheet of plastic. Waterbase printer's ink, soft paper, and a wringer-type press were used to reproduce the image.

by the increasing amount of literature dealing with the subject, the inclusion of printmaking in the elementary and high school curricula, and the evident prominence of prints in local, regional, and national exhibitions.

Unfortunately, the necessity of complex me- chanical processes, combined with the false assump- tion that expensive and cumbersome equipment is needed, and a lack of knowledge of printmaking, has prevented adequate teaching of printmaking, especially at the elementary and secondary school levels. For these reasons, as well as others, the teacher has so often neglected to consider the com- plete range of possible experiences that the variety of printmaking techniques has to offer. Since aesthetic values are derived from these complex experiences, modifications which will provide the opportunity for such experiences to students of all levels would appear to be imperative. Fortunately,

"The Village," a dry point by Alvina Goldblatt, a col- lege student, was made by scratching into a sheet of plastic. Waterbase printer's ink, soft paper, and a wringer-type press were used to reproduce the image.

April 1964 April 1964

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Page 3: The Art of Creative Printmaking

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A sketchmaster paper glued to a sheet of smooth illustration board serves as the lithographic plate for this print by the author.

with the innovation of simple and concise tech-

niques and the use of inexpensive materials which lie within the capabilities of most venturesome

teachers, these more complex printmaking proc- esses are finding their way into all levels of education.

Planographic prints, for example, can now be made from a lithographic coated paper surface. The drawing is made with litho-crayons, pencils, and/or tusche. Once the drawing is complete, the

plate is desensitized with a plate solution, inked, and printed. The laborious task of graining, etch-

ing, and washing the cumbersome stone is dis-

pensed with. Only four basic steps are now required for the nonprofessional to experience making a

lithograph. An intaglio, too, can be executed by elementary

school children, using precoated aluminum etching plates. The plates are manufactured with a thin, acid-resistant coating which eliminates the neces-

sity of tediously grounding the plate. Images are

easily scratched directly onto the plate with a sharp instrument. The process is further simplified by the use of a solution of water and etching powder which is nonpoisonous and harmless to the hands.

Silkscreen printing, which has always been a

relatively complex process requiring a great amount of complicated equipment and demanding a com-

prehensive degree of technical knowledge and skill, has also undergone considerable modification. To introduce the principle of silkscreening, all one needs is a piece of coarse marquisette taped to a cardboard mat, finger paint, an oaktag stencil, and a piece of cardboard for the squeegee.

However, in spite of modifications, a definition of the process of printmaking is essential if we are to establish some kind of standard by which we can guarantee asthetic printing experiences. Print-

making has too often been defined as a relatively complicated process in which ink or paint is spread upon a prepared surface, which in turn transfers an impression upon another surface by means of applied pressure. Unfortunately, printmaking thus defined makes reference only to the mechanics of reproduction. The principle of printmaking, how- ever, has an even greater advantage then the mere reproduction of numerous prints from a single impression. Its greatest value lies in its function as a creative communications medium. Creative print- making is thus actually comprised of two entirely different but inseparable disciplines. There is the aesthetic experience on the one hand, and the tech- nical approach to artistic production on the other. These are integrated for the express purpose of communicating vital experiences. It takes both to produce a great work of art.

But there is a fundamental difference between the two. The first, the aesthetic, is the perpetuation of a harmonious relationship with one's environ- ment-the struggle to be oneself, to seek basic truths, to objectify the innermost thoughts and feelings-in other words, to be creative. This in- volves the process of creative participation. Each individual must experience, in accordance with his intrinsic nature, the framing of purpose and the significance of expressing his own insights and interpretations. The creative process cannot be taught; it can be experienced only by means of self-participation. Since true values lie in a whole- hearted enlistment of the self in doing, there is relatively little that we as teachers can do in regard to this self-centered experience. If the student,

A collographic plate which may result in a relief print, or which can be matted and used as an in- teresting collage.

ART Education 24

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Page 4: The Art of Creative Printmaking

A serigraph by a six-year-old made with a cardboard frame, marquisette, crayon block-out, finger paint and a cardboard squeegee-and a combination of imagination and self-determination.

however, is left to himself without guidance, he is

likely to remain at a low level of asthetic develop- ment, and the resultant prints will be incoherent and diffuse. Many more prints have been referred to as hackneyed because they said nothing than because they had something but did not know how to say it.

If we are concerned with permitting each stu- dent to find expression and the fulfillment of his own potentialties, we must stimulate his conscious- ness toward a structuring of reality by providing favorable conditions for the manifestation of his creative spirit. We must create an atmosphere in which the student can remain free, affording him the opportunity to experiment and to explore and to experience that which is unique and real, know-

ing that all sincere expression is worthy of respect. The second component of creative printmaking

is the technique through which ideas find expres- sion. By itself technique is no more art than gram- mar and rhetoric are literature. But matters of

technique, especially those which include the

investigation of everything that enters into the realization of creative ideas, are undoubtedly im-

portant. Technical dexterity represents the means of giving visual form to intellectual and emotional

interpretations. Anyone who has experienced the creative process cannot help but recognize his ideas in artistic forms. Students who have a richness of

experience and a desire to express themselves must, of necessity, have the proper tools and technical skills to do so. Technical efficiency is the funda-

mental that underwrites the quality of all great art. It is important, however, that techniques be taught relative to the student's interest and at his level of

development. Technical achievement in its true form is significantly a positive process. But when one's desire for creative expression is dominated by imposed disintegrative techniques, practiced in iso- lation, expressions remain inane and the technical

process is a negative one. There can be no general formula for the produc-

tion of good art. Technical knowledge, which can- not be integrated, usually restricts the progress of creative thought and action. They must be born out of the need for self-expression. When properly developed, technical proficiency provides the stu- dent with a thesis upon which more personal inter-

pretations can be expressed, and permits him to enter into a whole new range of creative situations from which he was previously excluded. Technical

proficiency does not ignore the personal equation. Its primary consequences, as a matter of fact, are found in the expression of personal strength and

integrity. Essential to the production of a good print are

ideas stimulated by personal experiences and an

appropriate technique to express them. Finding this integral balance between symbolic expression and disciplined craftsmanship is the everlasting obligation of every teacher during any printmaking project.

A black on white cliche verre photogram produced by scratching through a thick layer of India ink which had been applied to a sheet of plexiglas and left to dry thoroughly. The plexiglas was placed over a sheet of photographic paper, exposed for a few seconds to light, and printed.

ALs *^'' -^ s

April 1964 25

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