OVERVIEW
Introduction
This lower-division course has been written to introduce novice students to the practice of screen-printing.
Screen-printing has been used for a wide range of purposes – from fine art to poster making. Some artists have used screen printing in addition to other art-making processes, as can be seen in the example Retroactive I (1964) to left. This is an artwork that has blended processes to include screen printing in order that the artist can include a specific type of image in his art. In this painting, the artist wants to use an image that not only looks like but actually is a mass-media image to address the changes that occurred in the connection between politics and the media with this particular president (JFK). While this is an artwork that we would consider to be within the fine art category, it successfully exemplifies how an artist might use screen-printing in a more expanded way. The majority of examples shown on this site are some of the different types of recent screen-prints that are connected to political issues. They are included to show the range of uses that this form of art can apply to.
This course has three main learning objectives:
1) to learn the creative processes of screen-printing in order to develop the skills needed to produce prints, leading up to the creation of an edition;
2) to learn how to use these screen-printing skills to create several types of prints for use in different contexts (for example from galleries to protests);
3) to develop and complete a self-directed creative project using screen printing.
Students in this course will be exposed to examples of artists and artworks along with this range of print types as they define a project and intent of their own. Students are free to choose the nature of their project, and all choices will be respected and supported. The practical skills of screen-printing will be introduced to students via demonstrations, followed by individual practice. It is an important part of this course that students who complete it leave with skills that are valuable to them going forward. There are several tools that students in this course will become competent in using that will produce the skills students need to make prints, including software, composition, colour theory, in addition to the manual processes of screen prep and printing. Learning to critique art, or in a context of creativity is a very valuable addition to students’ critical thinking that students develop throughout their courses at Saint Mary’s.
You might be surprised to learn that the poster to the right – “Freedom to Breathe” was produced by the U.S. Department of Public Health, Education and Welfare in 1969.
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Outline & Format
This course demands a lot of student engagement in practical skill acquisition – this section will outline the semester for you.
Materials
Materials and their uses in the discipline of screen-printing are very specific and must be used and taken care of carefully. This guide will help you.
Grading
Understanding grading is an important feature of any course, but as many students are not familiar with art courses, this section particularly – so please pay careful attention to this section of the syllabus.
Schedule
You need to carefully study our course schedule so that you understand what the expectations are for this course, and know when deadlines are coming up. Make sure that you note important dates in your own calendar.