Global Implications: Southern Graphics Council Conference 2009


	Printmaking on Clay Demonstrator: Thomas Lucas Location: Columbia College, A+D Printshop, 623 South Wabash Ave, 2nd floor Date: Thursday, March 26 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm and 2 - 3:30 pm Utilizing printmaking techniques such as monoprint, lithography, relief and screenprint, Thomas Lucas will demonstrate the process of transferring images to a leather-hard clay surface. Much different than ceramic decals which are commercially manufactured and applied to already fired and glazed ceramics, this method uses printmaking directly on to clay before it is put into the kiln for bisque firing.

	Single Sheet Artist's Book Demonstrator: Joseph Lappie Location: Columbia College, Center for Book and Paper Arts, 1104 S. Wabash Avenue, 2nd floor Date: Thursday, March 26 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm and 2 - 3:30 pm This demonstration shows how an artist can create a simple and effective artist’s book utilizing only one piece of paper. Through strategic placement, one easy cut and some folding we can turn a single sheet into an 8-page book incorporating both image and text. While the official demonstration uses a Vandercook proof press, polymer plates and lead type to create a two color artist’s book there will be discussion in regards to the other methods one can use to create the style of book including relief printing, laser printing, or drawing.

	Perfect Registration: Innovations In 4-color Intaglio Demonstrator: Indrani Gall Location: Columbia College, A+D Printshop, 623 South Wabash, 2nd floor Date: Thursday, March 26 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm and 2 - 3:30 pm This demonstration will give hands on instructions of a new system of easy and accurate registration for 4-color and multi-plate color photopolymer processes. The demonstration will focus on how the rapid progress of research in the field of non-toxic printmaking has created innovations in finding solutions to problems existing in traditional processes. The demonstration will include basics of preparation of digital files using Photoshop, creating digital halftone files, finding the correct dot structure, printing transparencies, details of registration process, plate lamination, exposing, developing and printing the 4-color print. Alongside the 4-color process other innovative color registration processes will also be demonstrated.

	The Global Gravure: Making Multiple Plate Digital Photogravures for Orphans In Ethiopia Demonstrator: Robert Brown Location: Columbia College, Anchor Graphics, 623 South Wabash Ave, 2nd floor Date: Thursday, March 26 Time: 2 - 3:30 pm and 4 - 5:30 pm Robert Brown will demonstrate a multiple plate traditional gravure from digital positives using images drawn by children at an orphanage in Ethiopia. The drawings were obtained through a relationship with the Artists for Charity orphanage developed by a student, who is herself an Ethiopian orphan. We will be addressing the process in a traditional methodology with the exception of the positive transparency that will be made digitally. The images that we print will be sold to raise money for the organization.

	Western Hand-Papermaking for Printers Demonstrators: Gretchen Schermerhorn and Beth Parthum Location: Columbia College, Center for Book and Paper Arts, 1104 South Wabash, 2nd floor Date: Thursday, March 26 Time: 2 - 3:30 pm and 4 - 5:30 pm Gretchen and Beth will show Western style papermaking. They will provide a precise beater log and step by step instructions, hand out for DIYs as well as the on site demonstration. In addition, Gretchen will show an experimental technique which uses specific handmade paper for printers as a part of artistic expression.

	The Democratic Print: High Speed Offset Art Demonstrator: Todd Rau Location: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Offset Printshop, 280 South Columbus Drive, 2nd floor Date: Friday, March 27 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm and 2 - 3:30 pm Working in collaboration with artist Doug Huston, Todd Rau will create a digital plate for high speed offset printing. He will discuss the criteria for choosing and preparing images and technical considerations in working in this medium. Within the time of the demonstration, a finished set of offset prints will be printed.

	Chine Collé Demonstrators: Emily York and Brian Shure Location: Columbia College, Anchor Graphics, 623 South Wabash Ave, 2nd floor Date: Friday, March 27 Time: Noon -1:30 pm and 2 - 3:30 pm Crown Point Press master printer Emily York and Brian Shure, a Crown Point master printer now teahing at the Rhode Island School of Design, will discuss and demonstrate the art of chine collé for intaglio printing. Chine collé is the process of simultaneously printing on and mounting a thin sheet of paper onto a sturdier backing sheet. The chine collé process yields a wonderfully delicate and seductive impression, as the thin paper on which the image is printed is much more receptive than rag printing paper. The demonstration will show the approach to chine collé used for etchings at Crown Point Press. Shure describes this technique in his book Magical Secrets about Chine Collé, newly released at the 2009 Southern Graphics Council Conference. The demonstration will take you through every step of the chine collé process, beginning with the preparation of wheat starch paste. York and Shure will give direction for using thin Japanese papers, such as Gampi, as well as silk. With just a few simple tools you can take this refined method of chine collé back to your own studio to create your own stunning chine collé prints.

	Flocked + Foiled: Global Patterns Demonstrator: Virginia Myers Location: Columbia College, A+D Printshop, 623 South Wabash, 2nd floor Date: Friday, March 27 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm and 2 - 3:30 pm Flocked + Foiled will demonstrate commercial applications of flocking and foil stamping used in a fine art context. The industrial macro process will be distilled for the hand-printed micro process. The demonstration will utilize the use of these processes with an array of patterns taken from around the world and allow the audience to construct samples to take away with them. We will be demonstrating a variety of techniques using flocking and foil stamping techniques. We will explore how they interact with screen-printing, toner washes and engraving applications. Flocking achieved through adhering a material onto another; in this case, we will silkscreen an acrylic medium and then coat it with glass beads and/or rayon fibers. The same application is used for foil stamping, though instead of fibers, foil is heat transferred to the acrylic medium. The foil will also adhere to toner that has been heat set onto paper. Foil Stamping creates an entirely new color palette to be incorporated into and combined with the traditional disciplines of printmaking. Flocking allows for a low relief to be formed upon the surface of a print as well as a dialogue to take place regarding materials and metaphors as almost any material can be used to flock. Conference Attendees will have the option to observe and create their own print. Professor Myers will also be showing a portfolio of original editioned foiled prints.

	Screen Printing with Pulp Demonstrator: Jen Thomas Location: Columbia College, Center for Book and Paper Arts, 1104 South Wabash, 2nd floor Date: Friday, March 27 Time: 2 -3:30 pm and 4 - 5:30 pm Pulp printing is a beautiful hybrid of papermaking and screen printing; an easy way of printing detailed imagery into the paper itself during the papermaking process. In this demo we will be forming basic sheets of cotton paper, burning an image onto a silkscreen, and then spraying pigmented, finely-beaten cotton pulp through the silkscreen onto the cotton sheets. Once the paper is pressed and dried, the image and paper are one. Your edition is then limited only by the amount of pulp you have on hand. Each finished sheet can then be combined with other printmaking methods such as letterpress, etching, or silkscreen.

	Backyard Litho Demonstrator: Jon Lee Location: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Printmedia Shop, 280 South Columbus Drive, 2nd floor Date: Friday, March 27 Time: 2 - 3:30 pm and 4 - 5:30 pm Make your own hand-coated positive litho plates using a regular aluminum litho plate as well as the prepared backside of a plate or even a stone. A simple silkscreen emulsion coating turns it into a positive working plate. Different methods of exposire will be discussed. It is possible to add drawing to the plate after exposure without counter etching. In addition, I will address using traditional lithographic drawing materials with waterless lithography, including improvised plate preparation methods, again on a recycled regular aluminum plate. The drawing can be processed as normal, however, after washing off the gum, silicon is applied and cured. Thereafter, waterless processing continues as normal.