Outline
Printing has a very long, complex history. Blocks have been used to make prints ranging from unique monoprints, to books for around 1250 years (The world’s oldest book is in fact a block-printed manuscript from around 868AD). Many other ways of printing have been invented since the use of the block. All printing uses the same basic principle: one inked surface is laid onto a non-inked surface and in some way, pressure is applied to transfer the ink. Hand-printing has been used to make both delicate, intricate prints and hastily made flyers for political demonstrations; the applications of printing processes within the arenas of political dissent and the rarified world of fine art are equally valid if contrasting in intent. Artists, of course, may use any media they desire to make their work, while activists use what they can to quickly, succinctly communicate their point. Artist-activists have adopted this latter strategy in their work, bringing engagement with the social-political arena into the clean well-lit gallery space.
What this history offers students of this class is an enormous array of possibilities in terms of their own printing. Students taking this class will be able to infuse their work with the issues they feel concerned about and access the flexibility of this form directly.
Format
Screen-printing includes several complexities, and therefore, students will be given direct instruction in the rudiments of the process. Initially, students will make prints of their own, in order to understand the flexibility and limits of the processes they learn. While developing printing skills, students will be meeting (online) with both myself and other students. Along with this practical work, students will be given regular introductions to the uses artists have made of both printing and text in order to create an opinionated stance upon a topic or issue – this will help them create prints that are much more substantial than they may otherwise be. Students will be expected to read and do research related to the historical reference material and will provide evidence of such in Moodle forum discussions.
Working in any print studio demands a good level of organization and cleanliness, as I will explain to students. For students in this course, this will mean that you need to identify where in your home you can make prints. The ink is non-toxic and can wipe clean but if on a white table, it may leave a stain depending on how long the ink sits there. If you can use a table that you do not have to set up every time you want to print, please do so. However, if that is not possible for you, that will not prevent you from making excellent work, it’s just a little more inconvenient. As printing can be a time-intensive practice, students will need to plan their time effectively in order to have prints made and dry before classes. Each session will begin with a discussion of either assigned reading or of student’s research. We will go over printing methods aimed at helping students solve current problems and sophisticate their work. All students will use a journal to log their interests, draw, make field notes (described above), and further develop their ideas. the sketchbook is required and students will be graded upon their use of these sketchbooks. I will talk more about the sketchbook, and how we adapt it to line usage on the first day of class.
Process
In many disciplines, researchers use field notes as a way of collecting raw information that is then compiled, collated, processed to produce meaningful data. Students in this class will be instructed in this process and will engage in it directly, on (virtual) site. Students will use this information to create and populate a journal online that will house both images and text. This journal will give them the opportunity to store notes and points of reference that they will be able to access and update anywhere, on any device (phone, tablet, computer). Use of this type of journal will be demonstrated to students. Students may use the journal to reflect upon their experiences as they develop the range of skills they will build over the semester. The journal will become a valuable tool that can be used in tandem with a traditional paper sketchbook if they wish. This is an important detail in the course as some students cannot draw and fear that their grade will be lower by default. There is no requirement for drawing skills in this course.
Therefore, studying in this class will require students to develop both visual and textual ideas relating to the uses of screen-printing within art (generally speaking) and in particular, socially-engaged art. There is an enormous array of effects possible within screen-printing, ranging from subtle textures that rely upon a very high level of precision and exactitude to visual distortions and hand-drawn images and text. Students will have instruction in these techniques and have the opportunity to use these types of imagery within their own forms of expression. At the end of the course, students will have produced several personal prints, along with a print edition that is the result of their personal project. A print edition is a set of prints that are identical.