This past Saturday, March 26 we had the pleasure of hosting a Photogravure workshop taught by Tucson artist Karen Hymer! The weekend began with a lecture by Karen on Friday night – she talked about the history of photogravure and the evolution of her artwork as she continues to use the process.
Seven students joined us for the workshop and got hands-on experience making photopolymer plates from their images, then pulling prints from the plates. Karen taught the process using Solarplates, which are steel plates coated with a light-sensitive polymer emulsion. When exposed, the polymer hardens; the unexposed polymer washes away in water, leaving an “etched” plate ready for inking after the plate has dried in the sun. Ink is then applied to the plate and wiped from the highlight areas. Finally, paper is laid on top of the plate and both are run through an etching press.
We are forever grateful to our friends at Cattletrack Arts Compound and Santo Press for lending us their etching press – we could not have done this workshop without their help!
Karen demonstrates the “development” of the Solarplate in water
Exposed and developed plates harden in the sun
Karen demonstrates inking the plate
Participant Shari Trennert prepares to run her plate through the press
Shari has made a print from a “test strip” plate to check her exposure before committing to a full plate
Jean-Charles Chapuis, Cyd Peroni, Tom Moore, and Gina DeGideo hard at work inking their plates
Chris Palmer and Karen compare a test print with another print of the same image to check for contrast and density
Gina uses a cotton swab to fine-tune her ink application
Cyd lays a sheet of fine-art water color paper over her inked plate before running it through the press
Participants enjoy letting their creativity run free and working in a community environment
Participants let their finished prints dry before taking them home
Big thanks to everyone that joined us for the opening reception and InFocus pre-reception of William W. Fuller’s The City! The exhibition will be on view through February 27, and you can stop in to purchase your copy of The City any day Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-6pm.
We are beginning to offer a wider variety of classes and workshops at Art Intersection. One of the topics we have started giving workshops in is Book Arts. Last night we offered our first workshop in bookmaking using recycled materials. The participants went home with 4 different books and directions on how to make them at home.
Journalist, Lynn Trimble was there with her daughter Jennifer. Read her blog post about the evening.
Look forward to several more workshops on bookmaking coming soon!
We finally broke in the awesome sink in the classroom preparing screens in our first silk-screen class Photo Silk-Screening 101. Elise Deringer, exhibiting artist in our current exhibition, ALL ART ARIZONA 2012, was the instructor. Participants learned several methods for creating imagery using the screening method. The most popular technique was using an original or borrowed photographic image. Other fun imagery included drawing with a wax pencil and using contact paper to mask areas of the screen out. Everyone was printing on paper, fabric and even wood.
For those of you familiar with the older method of preparing the screen for the image using messy light sensitive liquid emulsion, you’ll be happy to know we are using a new emulsion material that comes pre-coated on a sheet and is extremely easy to use. Visit our facebook page for more images!
Hundreds of people turned out for the opening reception of All Art Arizona on Saturday evening, June 2nd. There were many opportunities for the public to engage with the artists and for connections to be made within the community. One artist, Lynn Thomson, was exhibiting her iphoneography abstract images for the first time in a gallery setting. She enjoyed the interaction with her audience and the feedback they provided. She was impressed at the opening with the way the variety of work came together and flowed through the space.
Overall, the opening for All Art Arizona was a huge success. The event was a wonderful beginning of a 2 month-long celebration of all forms of art, and an important cultural milestone for Gilbert and the East Valley Community.
The curatorial staff selected 76 works from over 300 that were submitted. It was a difficult process in that we not only wanted to open this exhibition to a wider range of visual media than usually exhibited, but we also wanted to include the largest possible range of levels of experience from student artists to accomplished masters in one exhibition. The gallery features a multitude of different mediums from, painting to drawing, fibers, mixed media, photography, and sculpture.
All Art Arizona is a testament to Art Intersection’s commitment to being a truly professional exhibition space of the highest order while at the same time creating opportunities for artists of all experience levels to be able to complete their artistic process which includes the final stage of bringing their work before a public audience.
Now showing through July 28, 2012, Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-6pm. Free and open to the public. For more pictures of the opening visit our Facebook.
Emerge
Gilbert High School
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
May through August, we celebrate the diversity of creative individuals by showcasing work from the community during our Art & Community block of programming.
In our May exhibition we present the work of emerging talent ranging from high school to undergraduate students. Through a jury process, Art Intersection selected a variety of work from the photography programs at these three institutions.
We are dedicated to supporting students in their educational pursuits of self-expression through arts and congratulate each student for their unique vision and dedication to their craft.
Martha Casanave was in town last weekend to give an albumen workshop. There were loads of eggs cracked and silver nitrate stains on everyone’s hands! Everyone got some beautiful images.
Martha also was here for a book signing of her latest book, Explorations Along an Imaginary Coastline.
On Sunday, a group of workshop attendees, members and staff sat down in the east gallery to share a meal with Martha.
For more information on Martha and her work visit her website. To see pictures from the workshop and dinner see our Facebook Page.
