Exhibition: BIG INK–Large-scale Printmaking

Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery presents:

BIG INK–Large-scale Printmaking
Tuesday, October 9 through Friday, November 9, 2018

Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery
1 Armory St Bld 28,  Springfield, MA 01102

BIG INK is an organized network of creative thinkers focused on promoting the art of large-scale woodblock printing. The program was started in 2012 by directors Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet as a way to spread their passion for the medium with other artists and the general public. BIG INK works by establishing a temporary print shop on site at partnership organizations, most often at museums, universities, art centers, studios, and galleries. Artists are selected, either by personal invitation or through a call-for-entry process, to attend these events and print original woodblocks at least 24” x 36” in dimension. Since the program’s inception, hundreds of artists have participated in BIG INK events across the country. https://www.bigink.org/

Curator’s Notes:
Over the summer I participated in a special large-scale woodblock printing workshop facilitated by BIG INK at Zea Mays in Florence, MA.

BIG INK, based in New Hampshire and led by directors Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet, is an organized network of creative thinkers focused on promoting the art of large-scale woodblock printing. The program was started in 2012 as a way to spread their passion for the medium with other artists and the general public.

In preparation for the workshop, I spent two months conceiving of an image and carving that image into the surface of a sheet of birch wood. The goal is to leave some areas of the wood to carry no ink, while the surface of the wood left behind will carry ink of characters or an image.

Once an image has been carved into the surface of the woodblock, it is covered with ink by rolling over the surface with a roller or brayer, leaving ink upon the flat surface but not in the non-printing areas. Once the woodblock is “inked,” paper is placed on top of the woodblock and pressed under pressure through two rollers to create a print.

BIG INK works by establishing a temporary print shop on site at partnership organizations, most often at museums, universities, art centers, studios, and galleries. Artists are selected, either by personal invitation or through a call-for-entry process, to attend these events and print original woodblocks at least 24” x 36” in dimension.

I curated this exhibition of woodblock prints from hundreds of prints created by artists all across the country who attended a BIG INK large-scale printing workshop over the past several years. These artist proof (AP) prints represent a wide variety of subject matter including abstract designs, fantasy, portraits, and landscapes.

Special thanks to Lyell Castonguay, Carand Burnet, Dean Robert Dickerman, Interim Dean Rick Greco, Dept Chair Francie Riddle, and work-study students: Janvi Patel, Victoria Takorian-Griffin, Alena Conrad, and Margaryta Mkrtchian.

Sondra Peron, Gallery Coordinator, Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery
October 2018

This exhibition is supported in part by the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery
1 Armory St Bld 28,  Springfield, MA 01102
Phone: 413-755-5258