Printmaking is... Intimate

The medium of printmaking spans a wide variety of techniques, styles, and aesthetics.With a long, international history, the milestones of the history of printmaking can be traced from ancient China, through the Dutch Renaissance and 1950s America to the present day. The versatile techniques offered by the centuries-old practice of printmaking are adapted to a wide variety of needs, enabling artists to capture an endless variety of scenes and subjects. Aesthetically, printmaking encompasses the clean chiaroscuro of etching, the soft gradient of aquatint, the lively lines of lithographs, and the bold colors of silkscreens.

Printmaking is a diverse and exciting medium. This series of exhibitions, featuring works of art from the Wichita Art Museum collection, explores the endless variety of creative efforts that fall under the category of printmaking.

This second installment, Printmaking is Intimate, explores artists' use of varied print techniques to create works of art that explore personal subjects. Intimate in scale or in subject matter, these prints demonstrate a wide variety of artistic vision and process. Though printmaking was utilized for very practical purposes in its early history--marking goods, printing books, and distributing scientific information--artistry and expression soon were intertwined with the medium. The process of printing ink on paper may seem straightforward. But, in the hands of these artists, prints are engaged in the expression of intimacy. The ideas or emotions, environments or allies captured in ink on paper demonstrate the poignant possibilities of printmaking.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website