Daniel Curiel's Review of "Wayne Thiebaud: Prints in Process" at the CSULB University Art Museum

Wayne Thiebaud Review

WayneThiebaud is a painter and printmaker from the Pop Art era who takes objectsand ideas from popular culture, along with other known artists like Andy Warhol, and inverts them in hisown way.  Though Wayne Thiebaud andother Pop artists like Warhol were contemporaries, their work draws verydifferent visual experiences of often similar inspirations.  While Warhol sought to flatten objects withuniformity and a methodical detachment from his work, Thiebaud uses thickimpasto in his paintings as well as different layers in his printing to createa feeling of depth and personal touch.

One piece that illustrates this point isThiebaud’s Dark Cake from 1983.  Though many have believed otherwise,this work is actually a woodcut printed with water-based inks rather thantraditional oil-based.  This givesthe cake the appearance of a moist exterior, almost dripping down to theplate.  The cake’s layering ofcolor and use of color to frame the shadows and edges helps create a strongthree-dimensionality and a painterly feel.  In contrast, works by Warhol are often screen-printed usingflat plains of color layered in flattening way.  Warhol and his followers sought to take away the humanelement and create a detachment between themselves and their works.   His workshop was even named “TheFactory.”

Anotherwork that highlights this difference is in how the two artists dealt with theiconic character of Mickey Mouse in their works.  While Thiebaud painted Mickey Mouse’s head onto one of hissignature cakes with a thick impasto, Warhol made prints of Mickey Mouse with acool detachment.  Thiebaud’s use ofthe Mickey character is not surprising since he had worked previously withDisney in production, but his painting depicts Mickey in a more personalizedway, traditional to the character. Warhol rendered Mickey in a flatter way, using blacks and greys to createa colder, unfeeling character. Though he often said his work did not have meaning, the piece can beread as showing the coldness of the fame “industry” and how the characteritself does not hold any physical substance, it is only an image on the surfaceof the canvas.   

This exhibition will continue at the University Art Museum until 5/29/16

Daniel Curiel's Review of a Presentation by Henry Klein

 

HenryKlein Presentation Synopsis

            Henry Klein is a printmaker and artdealer who represents many printmakers from Eastern Europe.  He is also a very good story teller and Ifound it quite interesting listening to him discuss printmaking during theturbulence of Eastern Europe and how their approach is different to that seenin America or Western Europe. 

Jiri Anderle etching

            Inlistening to Klein discuss art and his experiences, it is clear he has had a uniqueand more worldly perspective.  He was inthe Czech Republic setting up a show during the time of the Velvet Revolution.The show had to be put off for a year due to these events. When Kleinparticipated in previous Biennials, he noted that the winners were always fromthe Czech Republic. He attributes this to the fact that many Eastern Europeans readbooks, and the illustration of books was taken very seriously.  Czech printmakers would use theseillustrations and their training from such projects to create large pieces thathad an immense amount of detail throughout.

            Ialso really enjoyed seeing the collection of “funny money” prints by Oldrich Kulhanic. The fact thatKlein has one of if not the only full set of these prints was quiteimpressive.  I liked the fact that theprints themselves were so ornately illustrated, and that they all had their ownsubtle criticism …the more you looked and the more Henry Klein explained, themore appeared. 

Oldrich Kulhanic lithographs

There were also other excellent contemporaryprints.  Ingrid Ledent is a Belgium printmakerKlein represents with a more modern style. She uses her own body as a measurement of time and does many printsbased around her own body. 

print by Ingrid Ledent

           Myown personal favorite was titled TheParable of Noah by the Russian artist Nikolai Batakov. He spent ayear printing this large work full of detail. This work is the style I find intriguing which shows how much detail andshading is really possible with the medium of etching.

            Iwould say the event was more than inspiring. Not only did it leave me wanting to immediately go incise lines into myplate, but it contrasted sharply to the feeling of tedium I get when I listento presentations about graphic design. I would say that seeing these prints andwhat was possible as possibly the straw that broke the camel’s back and made medecide to switch fields of study.  

More information on these artists can be found at Henry Klein's website: www.kleinprint.net

           

A Day With Master Printer Dirk Hagner

posted by Nancy Young

In October 2011, I had the opportunity to attenda workshop at the Irvine Fine Arts Center with master printer, Dirk Hagner, whoteaches at Saddleback College. Dirk allowed me to photograph as he printed the final layer of a reductionwoodcut, registering the block for printing, mounting a print and hand rubbing his prints.

He marks his block outside of the printing area anduses this to register the layers. For each color he does a tracing and lines upeach layer using the same marks.

Pine is good for its grain -- pick your wood based on the effect your wood  can contribute to the work. Plywood can even be OK, it just depending on the thickness of theveneer. Hardwood best for precise lines.. Fruit wood, if you canafford it is hard enough and has very even grain though harder to workwith, and it does not come in larger sizes. Poplar is good. White pineis available at Home Depot. Select based on the location ofthe knots. Bass wood, which is similar to Shina is easy to carve. Lemon wood isavailable at McClain’s only in small pieces. Dirk does not usually like to print using apress since wood blocks tend to bow so he usually hand rubs his prints.

Portraiture is his personal way to pay tribute to his subject. Music as well as Philosophy inspires. Drawings are bsed on photos, then transferred to the block using carbonpaper. He then covers the drawing with Min Vac, a non water based wood stainwhich dries quickly so he can see the contrast when he carves. He doesn't use awater based wash as it warps the wood.

 

Inks :: Graphic Chemicals – oil based blockprint black, or Caligo. Mixes all his colors, only the black does is straight outof the can. He prefers colors thin to allow the other colors to come through so tothin the ink he uses Flash Oil #4, and reconditions it throughout the da keepingextra cans on hand to store any colors mixed. Best not to ink in to thenon printing area – if any gets ink in there wipe it off.

 

Paper: Japanese Mulberry rice paper, it needs tohave some sizing and long fibers. Japanese Mulberry is much thinner than BFKReeves -  you need a thinner paper to print by hand; even so you must rub the paper hardso the paper also needs to be strong.

Howto tell if there is enough ink on the block, there will be a sheen – and by how it prints.

 

When rubbing be sure to give it “all you have”, the paperis strong. Note – if you use Teflon it will make your paper shiny. It usuallytakes three prints each time to get a good print.

 

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Plans all color layers before beginning cutting

 Use a heavy item to hold down the paper so itwon’t slip while rubbing.  Rub with the grain

You will see the color come through

Continue to check for any sand grains which could cause thepaper to tear.

Printing: Dirk's editions are usually 15, so he printsat least 20.

 He uses many undercolors which makes the final layer of black, pop. He uses a 4” Takech medium brayer, inking from variousdirections and only inking the area to be printed. Using the registration sticks,he places the paper on the inked block.

Hand rub the print with circular motionsas well as straight up and down, using a custom baren that looks kind of like aa 1-1/2” diameter doorknob. You can also hand rub using a wooden spoon.

Stick registration: Marks on the back of thepaper and matches this mark up and makes a corresponding mark on a stick. Alsomarks the block.

Registering a large piece.

Make a stick/bar. Line up the top ofpaper, center mark (though no mark on paper/notched out stick), so clips a stickon paper using binder clips. Keep stick on for entire process.

 

Rolls paper faceout and lines up stick to bar, then rolls down – keeps from lifting andlaying down.
Prints final black layer, then removes clip

He brought out another reduction – a smaller print that will have onemore layer for shirt and not quite black.

Tools for carving: Dirk uses varioussizes of “U” gouges 1-1/2, 3, 6 mm. He starts with the smallest first, then followsup with larger

Inking the block for the final layer

rubbing rubbing rubbing - can see the wood grain through the mulberry paper

 

In some works he cuts the board indifferent parts, inks then puts back together using a plywood base to fit/lockin the pieces.

Plan your wood purchase. You can usebbq brushes to bring out the grain of the wood, enhance the grain.

Even large prints are hand rubbed, but are initially run through a press to set.

The wood grain of the  plate is utilized as part of the print.

Mounting a print

 

Wet mounts can be reversed(and is archival):

* Uses Henkle wallpaper paste, Metylnstandard:

 2 cups water

5 tsp Henkle

let sit so becomes jelly like – leaveovernight.  (Check, you may need to addmore Henkle.)

It can be stored.

 

Tearing the Japanese paper – difficultsince fibers are long. Determine size, wet the paper using a brush – then tearusing a straight edge or the edge of a table.

 

Mounting

Uses gaterboard or plywood – very lightbut very stable.

Prep: using paper tape, tapes paper togaterboard. Moisten/sprayor if smaller BFK.

Smaller works – print face down ontable, glue apply to back of print with glue applicator. Once you start, don’tmove the pice. BFK line up and place over print using shower crubber to smoothon. Paper tape BFK with print on to board so won’t buckle.

BFK on gator board is dry

1)  relax paper by squirting with water andywater based ink preset with Krylong

2)  roll it up using a roller

3)  apply glue over all

4)  roll over using brush (wallpaper brush)

5)  glue top

6)  newsprint over – smooth with showerscrubber

7)  wipe excess glue away from paper

Ideas: mounting old photos – archivallyon linen

 

Can reverse mounting by spraying withwater and peeling off.

 

When can’t be typeset must be reliefetching

Printed from back

When asked how to price art?  He said it's really really hard – gallery usually takes50%. You can try to figure your price by the hour – it can be a full time job tojust promote yourself.











Visit Master Printer Dirk Hagner's website here:  http://www.dirkhagnerstudio.com/

California Printmakers 1950-2000 at the Laguna Art Museum

posted by Nancy Young

California Printmakers 1950-2000 is now showing (February 22 - May 31, 2015) at the Laguna Art Museum and proclaims to include “mostof the leading California artists of the second half of the twentieth century”,and it does include artists such as Wayne Thiebaud , David Hockney, RichardDiebenkorn, John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman and Ed Rusha, who though all paintersare not all printmakers. The title card states that “printmaking flourished thanksto the establishment of workshops where artists could benefit from thetechnical know-how and inventiveness of expert printers. The most notable wereTamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles, founded in 1960; Crown PointPress in San Francisco, founded in 1962; Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles foundedin 1966; and Cirrus Editions, also in Los Angeles, founded in 1970.”

I am not sure how the works were selected but it seems they are from the Laguna Art Museum’s permanent collectionaugmented by some local private collections. The show claims to be a history of“outstanding” works by California printmakers of the period. The artistsrepresented included well known painters Wayne Thiebud, Richard Diebenkorn, EdRuscha, Bruce Nauman, John Baldessari, but with a title as broad as “CaliforniaPrintmakers 1950-2000” the list of printmakers included was somewhat limited. The title touted 50 years of California Printmakers, but the show included many who were famous painters, omitting many outstanding printmakers from 1950-2000. Though it was nice to find items from the artists in the show for sale when when exiting through the gift shop.

The show is well presented and the inclusion of a glossaryof printmaking terms enhances the experience for those unfamiliar with thedifferent printmaking processes: what is an edition, what are stages and whatare print shops. The show also attempts to educate viewers on the various types ofprintmaking and terminology by providing a glossary for use in the gallery. An observation was that those shown to be published by a press, Tamarind, CrownPoint, Gemini G.E.L., the entire edition wasnot printed by the artist, but by the master printers of that print shop.

My two favorite pieces were actually by those that were made by actual printmakers: Egon Schiele,a formidable, life size wood cut by Dirk Hagner and Dazzlea delicate hand colored drypoint by Beth Van Hosen.

I had the opportunity to see a show at the Norton Simon in2012, Proof: The Rise of Printmaking inSouthern California at the Norton Simon which was a much more comprehensiveshow so think a more apt subtitle for this show might be “proof-lite”.

 

 

Egon Schiele, 2004

Dirk Hagner(b. 1953)

Woodcut, from the edition of 15

 

Rabbit, 1986

Ed Ruscha (b.1937)

Lithograph, from the editionof 30, printed and published by the Tamarind Institute, Albuqurque

Museum purchase

Untitled #5 (Stones), 1988

William Brice(1921-2008)

Etching and aquatint, from theedition of 25

Museum (gift of Peter Norton)

Untitled, 1972

Bruce Nauman (b.1941)

Drypoint, from the edition of25, printed and published by Cirrus Editions, Los Angeles

Museum (gift of Ed Moses and Family)

Cone, 1995

Wayne Thiebaud(b. 1920)

Etching, from the edition of40, printed and pubslished by Crown Point Press, San Francisco, 2011)

Museum (gift of Rich andAriane MacDonald)

Dazzle, 1985 (detail)

Beth Van Hoesen(1926-2010)

Drypoint with roulette,hand-colored in watercolor, from the edition of 35)

Museum (gift of the E. MarkAdams and Beth Van Hoesen Adams Trust)

 

Palm Road, 1965

Wayne Thiebaud(b. 1920)

Soft –ground etching, secondstate, artist’s proof

Museum (promised gift of theartis

The Laguna Art Museum is located at 307 Cliff Dr, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(949) 494-8971

Open: Monday-Tuesday, Friday-Sunday: 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Thursday: 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Closed Wednesday