iowa artists 2012: print Des Moines art Center

iowa artists 2012: print Des Moines art Center

Ena ajdimovski
arbE barEis
amanda barr
joshua dostEr
CathErinE drEiss
rEnEE mEyEr Ernst
alison FillEy
ChristophEr “ChuCk” ForsythE
robErt GlasGow
pEtEr GoChé
molliE Goldstrom
jon GourlEy
john hansEn
louisE kamEs
april katz
josEph lappiE
nanCy lindsay
thomas murphy
bill nEllans
shawn rEEd with wEt hair
sarah rodGErs
john siblik
raChEl sinGEl
Grant william thyE
riCk von holdt
iGnatius widiapradja
v. “skip” willits
iowa artists 2012: print

iowa artists 2012: print
oCtobEr 5, 2012 – january 13, 2013
this exhibition is dedicated to the memory of mauricio lasansky (1915– 2012).
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aCknowleDgeMents
jEFF FlEminG | dirECtor
iowa artists 2012: print continues the art Center’s involvement with
artists working and living within our own community and state. the art Center began this
commitment at its founding and still maintains the belief that qualitative art that contributes
to the dialogues surrounding the art of our time can be created anywhere. the art Center
believes the objects and conversations included in this exhibition should be acknowledged
and made available to broader audiences. this is the goal of the “iowa artists” series.
this year’s edition focuses on printmaking and its many incarnations. Curator of prints
and drawings, amy worthen, organized this expansive project, which includes 27 artists
from across iowa. in this project, worthen expands the definition of what is a print and
what constitutes printmaking. the results are sometimes humorous, often startling, but
always intriguing.
the funders for Iowa Artists 2012: Print are the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation,
which supports this publication; the peter h. & E. lucille Gaass kuyper Foundation;
kpmG llC; the des moines art Center print Club; and bank of the west. i acknowledge
and thank them all for their commitment to the art and artists of our state and, in turn, to their
various audiences.
Finally, i would like to congratulate and recognize the artists participating here.
thank you for enhancing our lives and the vibrancy of our state.
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iowa artists 2012: print
amy n. worthEn | Curator oF prints and drawinGs
one could say that “print” comes down to just a few things: image; matrix (block, plate,
stone, screen, and type); means of pressure (press, rubbing, stamping, and stenciling); ink;
and support (paper, fabric, and other surfaces). the fascination of working with these variable
elements, not to mention the characteristic visual appearance produced by print techniques,
and—especially—print’s indirectness, its surprises, its multiplicity, its accessibility, its potential
as a medium of communication, and its sense of community, are some of the most important
reasons why print has long attracted artists. For hundred of years, artists have made
woodblock prints, etchings and engravings, lithographs, screenprints, monotypes, typographic
works, and mixed-media prints, but today, many artists use aspects of printing to make art
without actually making prints. the methods and concepts of print have spread from traditional
print practitioners to practically everyone.
as curator of this year’s Iowa Artists exhibition, i decided to explore the various ways that
contemporary iowa artists are using print. i was sure that iowa’s artists were working with print
in ways that we could not even begin to imagine. last january, we invited artists currently
living and working in iowa to submit digital images of up to ten works created since 2008 that
in some fashion exploit the processes and concepts of print. artists were welcome to enter
works in traditional printmaking media—woodcuts, etchings, lithographs, screenprints—and
also typography; digital-based or digitally-printed; photo-based prints; installations; videos;
printed objects; printed fabric; and printing matrices; as well as anything else that seemed
appropriate to the theme. works could be editioned or unique. Each artist was also asked to
submit a statement of up to 200 words describing the role of print in his or her artistic practice.
ninety-eight artists entered the competitive selection process. since there was more fine
work submitted than i could possibly include, i had to make some difficult choices in order to
put together a coherent and exciting exhibition in the allotted space. although several of the
selected artists had shown in prior Iowa Artists exhibitions, the majority of entrants were new
discoveries for me. i tend to be attracted to well-executed works that teach me a new way of
looking at and thinking about the world. i selected the artists and their works that i did primarily
because their images appealed to me, and because something about their use of print amazed
me. i hope that visitors will find their images and their ways of using print to be as eye-opening
as i do. after i made the selections, i found that several thematic and visual threads ran
through the exhibition. these include music (shawn reed and grant william thye); trees
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and leaves (louise kames, Bill nellans, and V. “skip” willits); immigrants’ search for
personal identity and history (ena ajdimovski and renee Meyer ernst); the investigation
of the graphic language of print (Chuck Forsythe, robert glasgow, and april katz);
and even nostalgia related to memories of printing (amanda Barr and rick von Holdt).
Iowa Artists 2012: Print contains plenty of traditional prints: etchings, relief prints,
lithographs, screenprints, letterpress-printed broadsides, rubber stamped prints, and
rubbings. the same technique can vary greatly in appearance depending on the hand, graphic
calligraphy, and vision of the artist. For example, etchings by Mollie goldstrom, nancy
lindsay, and rachel singel reveal how lines and marks delicately bitten in metal can
express detailed information, texture, and atmosphere in very different ways. relief prints by
Catherine Dreiss and thomas Murphy derive their strength from marks boldly knifecut
and gouged in wood. Jon gourley’s screenprints intentionally have a flatness that only
screenprinting can deliver, and alison Filley’s words-into-patterns printed on a wall exploit
the screen as a highly portable printing tool.
but some of the works executed in “traditional” print media might surprise you. Consider
Grant william thye’s image of a violin, printed from a relief-cut violin; or v. “skip” willits’
photographs of words, rubber stamped on dead trees and leaves in a forest; or louise kames’
rubbings formed into illuminated columns, evoking a grove of trees; or alison Filley’s installation
of raffia flowers and words that are screenprinted directly on an art Center gallery wall. then,
there is peter goché’s shipping pallet and water stained wrapper with shipping label, which
he presents as found lithography; not to mention sarah rodgers’ monoprint made from
inked condoms. several of the works are functional: amanda barr uses rubber stamps to print
the underglazed designs on her ceramics and shawn reed computer-designs and offset-prints
the posters for his rock band, wet hair.
at one time, the role of the artist’s hand in the production of prints was thought to be of
paramount aesthetic value. the use of photography and mechanical means of image transfer
in prints were often viewed with suspicion. this exhibition includes silver gelatin photography,
digital photography, digital drawing and processing, and digital printing—techniques that
are enthusiastically embraced and creatively explored by arbe Bareis, Catherine dreiss,
renee meyer Ernst, april katz, bill nellans, shawn reed, and ignatius widiapradja.
Each artist told us something about the role of print in his or her work. some of the
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statements were very personal; others explained the artist’s engagement in processes
and techniques; and still others were cerebral and theoretical. several artists unabashedly
expressed passion for physical aspects of their medium. Catherine dreiss enjoys the smells
of the print studio. rick von holdt expressed his love for his presses and type, as well as his
sense of mission. thomas murphy wrote of a feeling that i, as an engraver, can personally
relate to: that the forethought and planning suited his character, and that he derived
satisfaction from the slow process of cutting the woodblock. “the creation of a block or plate
involves a relentlessly tedious process…creating a meditative atmosphere and a feeling of
immersion in one’s work that i have not experienced in other media.”
in printmaking, paper does not just “support” the image, but is an intrinsic part of it.
several of the artists talked about the papers and other supports upon which they print.
louise kames takes advantage of the long fibers and translucency of japanese papers to
make rubbings, formed and then illuminated. rachel singel uses handmade paper on which
she prints her etchings of natural objects. peter Goché uses found wrapping paper and
shipping labels. John Hansen prints on discarded braille paper.
many mentioned the advantages that printing offers an artist, such as proofing and the
opportunity to make revisions, as well as the possibility of layering of imagery and overlapping.
jon Gourley uses printing because of the potential consistency it offers. others spoke of being
able to make an extended body of work with the possibility of generating variations. thomas
murphy wrote, “as the entire process is mired in the embrace of repetition, i believe it is this
idea of the multiple that truly appeals to me.”
For some, multiplicity means that the work reaches a wider audience. and yet, printing
is the means by which Joshua Doster, John siblik, and ignatius widiapradja might start
to develop a unique painting or mixed media work. Joseph lappie feels that making his
work accessible to others is a moral imperative. “while not opposed to the unique object, i
personally choose to make art that is available and capable of being distributed to the richest
and poorest of us.” since the destination of his prints is important to him, the displaying of
one of lappie’s woodblocks without the corresponding impression brings up a question: is
an artist-made printing matrix just a means to the final product or is it a work in its own right?
several artists wrote that they make printed art to take advantage of or comment on
its communicative power. rick von holdt’s letterpress-printed broadsides announce or
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commemorate events, and the same time, celebrate the history of type. shawn reed makes
posters and cassette labels to promote his rock band and the music he composes. reed’s
printed art and music comprise a fully integrated artistic practice. jon Gourley exploits the
repeatability of screenprinting to explore mis-communication.
several artists in the exhibition understand that print is a language, and explore the
questions that issue raises. april katz wrote, “printmaking serves as technique and visual
language in my work. i embrace the full range of visual qualities available through print.”
Chuck Forsythe’s striking magnifications reveal the characteristic qualities of graphic marks
and processes. rick von holdt understands the underlying visual messages—apart from
the words themselves—that type styles convey.
bill nellans, whose strikingly minimalist digital photograph of a dried leaf and its shadow
is printed on canvas, recalls the obsessive care that went into great printing in traditional
photography. he talks about how digital photography has changed his medium. in Ena
ajdimovski‘s traditional silver gelatin photograph of school desks gouged by high school
students, the desk resembles a relief printing block ready for inking. as a refugee cut off from
home and history, she uses photography to seek connections and create new memories.
renee meyer Ernst, who digitally-collages photographs that she made both in her native korea
and in the u.s., layers images to give form to “otherwise formless memories from a life that
may have been, but never was.”
Forty or fifty years ago, print exhibitions in iowa might typically have featured beautifully
made etchings, engravings, woodcuts, lithographs, and screenprints. monotypes probably
would have been included, had anyone been making them. but would there have been
artists’ books and broadsides? perhaps. the inclusion of artists’ ephemera produced by
offset lithography, xerography, and mimeography would have been very edgy. Collaborativelyproduced
prints were viewed with suspicion. pure photography, albeit printed with light, was
iffy. Computer-generated or digitally-printed images were unknown. had anyone back then
even thought of making print-based installations? i doubt it.
but today, as the works in Iowa Artists 2012: Print clearly show, artists working in every
medium are making marvelous works in which some aspect of printing plays a role. the
changes in attitude toward print that we see manifested in the present exhibition are the result
of developments that occurred over the past 40 or 50 years in the larger art world. during
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the 1960s and ’70s, the blurring of boundaries between media accelerated when pop artists
including andy warhol and robert rauschenberg screenprinted their paintings. they drew
inspiration from the qualities of bad commercial printing and made art that commented on
the proliferation of printed images in the world. at the same time, performance art; the Fluxus
artists’ production of ephemera such as cheap artists’ books and postcards; Conceptual
artists reliance on printed documentation; and artists whose art focused on identity politics and
who made billboards and take-aways; all expanded the concept of what printed art could be.
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paradoxically, the changing nature of printed art owed much to the rise of collaborative
printing workshops such as universal limited art Editions, Gemini GEl, and Crown point
press. on one hand, the immense financial strength of galleries and publishers made
possible the printing of editions of complex prints and multiples. during the 1980s, tax
shelter laws helped fuel the explosion of print publishing by encouraging investors to invest
in the production of print editions for whose value they could receive tax deductions when
they donated them to museums (a practice disallowed by the internal revenue service in
1989). developments such as these tended to marginalize traditional artist-printmakers who
made their own prints. on the other hand, painters and sculptors who made prints in the
collaborative workshops began to understand that it was exciting to make prints, even
though they needed the assistance of trained master printers to produce their work. a dynamic
synergy between artists and printers arose in this collaborative environment. artists pushed
printers to invent new ways of printing and rethink the limits of the possible. print publishers,
galleries, and art fairs helped create a vast, knowledgeable, and adventurous audience
for prints.
during the 1970s and ’80s, semiotic art theory, which focused on language, helped make
artists aware of print as a visual language to be deconstructed and explored. in these years,
installation art became widely practiced, and photography finally emerged as a fully accepted
art form. in recent decades, artists have discovered the infinite possibilities of the computer for
image making and output.
all of the foregoing developments helped break down boundaries between prints and
other media, making possible the experimentation and the border crossing that we see today.
thought-provoking exhibitions such as the museum of modern art’s Printed Art: A View of Two
Decades (1980), Thinking Print: Books to Billboards (1996), and Printin’ and Print Out (2012),
as well as philadelphia’s recent watershed survey Philagrafika (2010), have showcased
many of these exciting developments and expanded our ideas about the nature of print.
it is essential to remember that all media and processes are just tools. the important
thing is what the artist does and says with them. today, “print” is a computer command.
matrices are pixels, paper is optional (saves trees), and artists post images on clouds.
the print is no longer only an image produced through pressure on paper. but as this lively
exhibition—filled with marvelous images, technical innovations, spirit-expanding installations,
and sly transgressions that all have something to do with print—demonstrates, it is still
mostly about image and matrix, means of pressure, ink, support, indirectness, surprise,
multiplicity, accessibility, community, and communication. as Iowa Artists 2012: Print clearly
shows, print—continually shape-shifting—flourishes.
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ena aJDiMoVski
urbandalE, iowa
this series began as a way for me to establish connections for myself. living as an immigrant
from a country torn by war, i did not grow up with objects from my family’s past. objects
like: toys, clothes, or letters. without those “connections,” stories have been forgotten and
understanding my history is a struggle.
the immediacy of a light-based image that collapses space allows for the most accurate
portrayal of this visual experience. these intimate photographs capture the mere but elaborate
details that create the space i have shared and used the most throughout high school.
Commemoration was my response to the historical impressions that were left by former
students and to the markings that my own hands have embedded within the space, as well
as markings that are evident in worn out cabinets, or cuts on tables. this process has helped
me connect with the students and has conveyed a new understanding in my sense of time.
preserving this important stage in my life reminds me that, in order to move forward, we must
take a few steps back. this series shows that we all have a responsibility to commemorate,
to build connections, and to give memories a place in the world.
Untitled 2012
silvEr GElatin print
3 x 4 1/2 inChEs (7.6 x 11.4 Cm.)
CollECtion oF daniEl wEiss
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arBe J. Bareis
CEdar rapids, iowa
imagination is the most important tool for an artist to rely upon, the subconscious mind
providing a fruitful playground for speculation, debate, and fantasy. the “transfiguration”
series is a metamorphosis of void that transforms thoughtful inspiration into physical form,
something that often seems to be elusive in the initial stages. like the fantastical scenes in
the paintings of hieronymus bosch, the active mind provides an endless source of speculation
and debate on fundamental truths about the universe and the questions of perceived realities,
spirituality, and human nature.
in physical structure, my work starts out as oil on clay board. the work metamorphoses
into digital form where it is manipulated and digitally painted using a variety of digital
applications, and then digitally printed on archival paper using inkjet pigment.
the Mind is a labyrinth 2012
arChival ink jEt print on papEr
19 x 13 inChEs (48.3 x 33 Cm.)
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aManDa Barr
amEs, iowa
Creating work with my hands is the most satisfying feeling in the world. using the clay as a
canvas, i work to blur the line between functionality and fine art; i create pieces that can hang
on your wall or live in your cabinet to be used daily. i enjoy bringing inspiration, creativity and
individuality into everyday life.
my work is inspired by my background in literature, thematically as well as being a source
for much of my text and my love of vintage illustrations. i frequently juxtapose imagery and
text in ways that can range from humorous to whimsical to slightly macabre.
my printing technique developed out of spending time rubber-stamping collages with
my grandmother when i was young; those memories inspired me to translate that particular
graphic print quality to clay. i first developed this technique as a way to utilize many rubber
stamps and linocuts i already had, as well as find a method for transferring text to the ceramic
medium. it took several years and many different mediums before i was able to achieve
the desired look, but now that i have refined my method my printed surfaces have become
my trademark.
Damask bowl 2012
porCElain with undErGlazE printinG
4 x 4 x 3 1/2 inChEs (10.2 x 10.2 x 8.9 Cm.)
lace bowl 2011
porCElain with undErGlazE printinG
6 x 6 x 5 inChEs (15.2 x 15.2 x 12.7 Cm.)
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JosHUa Doster
iowa City, iowa
my visual practice walks a fine line between painting and printmaking. i create formal series
that use reproductive processes to create skeletal structures of repeated forms. printmaking
serves as a way to create repeated complex forms as a starting point. instead of gesso i use
silkscreen or wood block or even hand-executed reproductive means. it is at this point each
piece takes on its own unique form and direction.
present Day 062 2012
woodbloCk, spray paint, GraphitE, ink on papEr
35 x 24 inChEs (88.9 x 61 Cm.)
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CatHerine Dreiss
dEs moinEs, iowa
i am a practitioner of what New York Times art critic michael kimmelman calls the
“Cinderella art” — printmaking. i make prints: that is my role as an artist.
why do i choose printmaking over other forms of expression? the oft-asked question
makes me defensive: isn’t printmaking good enough? perhaps it is what makes printmaking
the “Cinderella art”: the relative affordability, the easy companionship with both politics and
commerce, the fact that they often exist in multiples, their adaptability to new technologies,
their alliance with craft, and their ephemeral paper-based character. these are the things that
make me happy to be a printmaker. i also love the sensual physicality of the process, from
the smells of the inks to the blisters from rolling up a large plate.
For the past twenty years, i have been working almost exclusively with woodcuts that are
based on patterns and images from art history. aside from their large scale, my prints may
seem to conform to the long tradition of woodcuts. in fact, they begin as highly manipulated
computer images. only after they are transferred to wood does the process follow the timeand
labor-intensive path that would be recognized by a traditional woodcut artist. i am deeply
interested in the cyclical nature of ideals of spirituality and rationality in western art history,
particularly as expressed in sculpture and portraiture.
the learned woman 2009
woodbloCk print on papEr
36 x 24 inChEs (91.4 x 61 Cm.)
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enee Meyer ernst
davEnport, iowa
the printed object has always played an integral role in my life as an artist. in limbo between
two very different cultures—i was adopted from korea and raised in the united states—i have
endlessly struggled with concepts of belonging and personal identity. the act of creating and
imprinting visual memoirs on paper is therefore a therapeutic process, allowing me to give form
to the otherwise ambiguous nature of my being.
after returning to korea, meeting a foster mother, and undergoing a failed biological
parent search, the uniqueness and complexity of my situation has become apparent to me
in both exciting and nerve-racking ways. these digital collages are composed of numerous
textures and images, most of which are photographs i’ve taken from the united states
and korea.
the combination of elements in each collage represents the synthesis — as well as the
dissection — of experiences and emotions i’ve had throughout my adoption journey. the
pieces are a celebration of culture, discovery, and gain, as much as they are about loss,
confusion, and desire. most of all, these prints are physical evidence of otherwise formless
memories from a life that may have been, but never was.
analog 2012
diGital CollaGE on papEr
20 x 20 inChEs (50.8 x 50.8 Cm.)
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alison Filley
iowa City, iowa
since the origins of hollywood and the
motion picture industry in the early twentieth
century, america has been fascinated with
celebrities and the culture that surrounds
them. in recent years, society has become
obsessed with these figures and their
photos and their lives find their way into
various media outlets and everyday
conversations. this multiplicity of their
image is especially evident in print media
as their pictures flood magazines, tabloids,
and newspapers. particular attention is
focused on young female starlets and
they often serve as standards of beauty,
youth, fame, and wealth. my work and
my research focus on these cultural roles
and on transforming and interpreting their
printed image.
Contemporary printmaking practices
allow me to replicate and augment the
prepackaged commodity that is their image.
by combining screenprint and digital print
media with contemporary craft supplies
such as glitter, flocking, and spray paint, a
larger than life altered image of the celebrity
and the culture that surrounds them is
created. the work results in traditional twodimensional
prints, sculptural objects, as
well as installation work.
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superficial 2012
sCrEEnprint on wall, synthEtiC raFFia
114 x 216 inChEs (289.6 x 548.8 Cm.)
(dEtail shown at lEFt)
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CHristopHer “CHUCk” ForsytHe
iowa City, iowa
residing in a space between historical print
traditions, the book trades and contemporary
graphic design, i embrace craftsmanship
and artistic formalism while pursuing the
development of a unique visual style and new
methods of working. perception has been
a long standing theme running throughout
my body of work: how we perceive images
paired with text, how we interpret masses
of information, and how we observe our
surroundings are all subjects of investigation.
in practice, i give these inquisitions form
exclusively through the medium of print. i
consider my prints to be visual poems. through
different printing techniques, handmade paper,
overlapping layers, and bold color i try to
capture one aspect of a subject, however brief,
and then build an extended discourse on the
topic through a body of work.
print offers me the ability to work
in precisely controlled ways unlike other
mediums. images contained on plates can
be proofed and revised in multiple colors and
layers until it is shaped into my exact intention.
prints are also lightweight, easily transportable,
and of course are frequently editioned in
multiples. this physicality and multiplicity
allows my prints to reach, and hopefully
effect, a wider audience than other genres of
artistic expression.
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Magnification 2012
sEriGraph on handmadE papEr
12 3/4 x 21 3/4 inChEs (32.4 x 55.2 Cm.)
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oBert glasgow
iowa City, iowa
the “aerials” series resides in the realm
of cultural fiction. surface and subsurface
migrations, penetrations and traversings
describe the flow of beings from both past
and future. Evidences of conflict, avoidance,
and isolation, as well as commonalities
of purpose and direction are visible. the
discovery of these movements encompasses
archeological, geological, spectrographic,
theoretical, and other more advanced
detective methodologies. Early written
language cues sometimes offer insights as
to the configurations of panoramic migratory
flow and detailed habitation sites alike. the
cultural metaphors develop naturally from
the innate properties of print: transference,
indirection, layering, delay, and migration.
aerials: ways through yaw 2009
rEliEF ink (woodCut monoprint) and GraphitE
on natsumE papEr
25 x 39 inChEs (63.5 x 99.1 Cm.)
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peter goCHé
amEs, iowa
at iowa state university, i coordinate and teach design studios exploring architecture and
art in relation to culture, landscapes and fabrication. For the last decade i have produced
art installations and cultural assemblies specific to spatial practices. as a studio artist, my
understanding and sensibilities stem from my studies in anthropology and formal training as
an architect.
i maintain a visual practice concentrating on the making of marks and their host markers.
Pallet Print is part of an extended body of work focused on the production of nuance within
the genre of sculpture and printmaking. it is a combined production using packaging material
(brown paper) as a canvas for a set of related marks accumulated over time. the composition
consists of gravity-pressed lithography and water stains in the context of a set of logistical
markings (print and label). most recently, the drawing has been placed onto its original host
carriage—a pallet.
pallet print 2012
papEr, wood and lithoGraphy
45 x 48 inChEs (114.3 x 121.9 Cm.)
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Mollie golDstroM
iowa City, iowa
Central to my work is our interaction with, and (mis)observations of the natural world and
natural systems, the confusion of fiction with science; the ideal versus the real. to me, the
spaces and gaps between the world as it exists as opposed to how we perceive it provide a
glimpse into the very nature of the human condition.
borrowing specific and obscure instances in human and natural history, as well as
themes from science, literature, and myth, i strive to reproduce these mutable realities as
narrative etchings and drawings, which combine visual clarity and readability with a high
density of minute linear detail. the synthesis of numerous, seemingly disparate topics is made
visual through the laborious processes of drawing and intaglio. i act as both translator and
moderator between complexly layered histories and the audience.
‘if i miss, i miss but a little Vii’ 2012
intaGlio with hand-ColorinG on papEr
22 x 22 inChEs (55.9 x 55.9 Cm.)
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Jon goUrley
johnston, iowa
the focus of my work is failed communication. i am interested in the multiplicity of language
and the subsequent disconnect between individuals. i use a decontextualized iconography to
layer meanings within the work and defamiliarize both myself and the viewer with our modes of
communication. with these icons, i restage my personal experiences with miscommunication.
i am interested in the interactive nature of visual language. For instance, an eye chart is not just
a series of forms, but a template that directs an evaluative performance.
printmaking is central to my practice for a couple of reasons. First, and most important,
print is the language employed for visual communications in our environment. therefore, it can
blur the boundary between the art object and the familiar object of mundane communication
(i.e., a billboard or poster). through print, i am able to speak about communication in the forms
that are often utilized to communicate. second, combinations of repeated symbols are a key
component of my work. i am creating an iconography as a means of investigating language.
the flexibility of screenprinting allows me to recombine and reconfigure these icons across
work with a consistency that non-print processes would lack.
pillow talkier 2011
monoprint
5 3/4 x 10 inChEs (14.6 x 25.4 Cm.)
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layered exchange 2012
sCrEEnprint on two layErEd shEEts oF sEkishu papEr
diptyCh, EaCh panEl 25 1/2 x 22 inChEs (64.8 x 55.9 Cm.)
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JoHn Hansen
iowa City, iowa
i represent my world through waste. waste is
matter of perspective, or i should say i do not
like to waste anything. i am not attempting
to go green or recycle; however, i was raised
with the adage, “waste not, want not.” many
aspects of how i utilize materials reflect the
simplicity that my parents raised me with.
Compared to today’s standards my parents
were raised well below the poverty line. value
and worth came from a hard day’s work
and all that you could scrape together. the
thought of throwing anything away, that you
worked so hard for, was foolishness.
it is only now that i realize what a
profound influence my upbringing has had
on my work. waste has caught up to my
parents; actually, it is more that time has
wasted away their health and my mother’s
life. my fear is that i will waste all that i
have been given. mortality and its limited
nature push me to preserve my world and
aspirations with the art-making process. i
suppose it is a naïve notion, to assume that
i have any control or power of preservation.
at the least, i will continue trying not to
waste anything.
“siloglyph” series: Vernal 2011
stEnCil on braillE papEr
36 x 48 inChEs (91.4 x 121.9 Cm.)
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loUise kaMes
dubuquE, iowa
my studio practice includes prints and drawings of organic imagery, roots and leaves arranged
in an iconic manner as well as installations honoring personal history.
in august 2010, i created the site-specific installation, Sacred Grove, for the voices from
the warehouse vi exhibit in dubuque, iowa. this installation referenced the history and physical
space of a former window-manufacturing site in the historic mill working district in dubuque.
the empty second floor warehouse at 1000 jackson street evokes an ancient ordered grove
of trees. massive 13" wide northern yellow pine pillars suggest trees placed at regular intervals.
these are, in fact, tree trunks, planed by carpenters in the last century.
the print installation, Sacred Grove exhibits life-size paper reproductions of pillars. they
reference the natural source of the building materials and the commercial activity of the
warehouse. the natural grain texture along with scars from years of drills, nails, staple guns,
etc., was transferred to soft, fibrous paper by rubbing it with water-soluble wax crayons.
here, centuries of natural history evidenced by the pillar’s wood grain are joined with the trace
marks of recent industry and human labor. rubbings with earth tone pigments echo tree
colors. the forms are closely placed in a natural, organic arrangement mimicking the original
grove. Each column is internally illuminated with a battery-operated light fixture. the interior
space suggests a natural forest yet presents a ghostly presentation of paper columns in a
neutral gallery environment.
sacred grove 2010
watEr-solublE wax pastEls on masa papEr, wirE, liGhtinG
dimEnsions variablE
34

april katz
amEs, iowa
printmaking serves as technique and visual language in my work. i embrace the full range of
visual qualities available through print, from hand-drawn, tonal lithographs to graphic carved
reliefs, combined with the documentary nature of photographic, digital print elements. the
expanding print territory continues to encourage deeper exploration.
my work examines the role that language plays in forming identity. i incorporate yiddish to
symbolize my heritage. as with genomics, gematria, the jewish mystical system that assigns
letters numerical correspondence, seems to derive hidden meaning about human experience.
my prints reference our biological foundation and cultural and environmental roots. these fuse
with letterforms in images that include unexpected juxtapositions, transparent overlays, and
shifts in space to convey a sense of time’s passage and personal and social memory.
the installation, Her Days: Page by Page extends my examination of language through
digital enlargements of calendar drawings, printed on 4 foot x 3 foot mylar and enhanced with
drawing. Each print represents one of the days of the month of april (the month in which my
mother passed away) taken from her datebook entries. we piece together words: the details
that make up a life, to form an understanding of the whole.
Daled: an opening 2010
lithoGraph, rEliEF, diGital piGmEntEd print, ChinE Collé on papEr
20 x 15 inChEs (50.8 x 38.1 Cm.)
36

JosepH lappie
davEnport, iowa
multiplicity is imperative to the integrity of my work. artist’s books often build on a strong
history of dissemination of information. in order to fully appreciate such an art piece, being
art itself not merely a container, one must interact in as intimate style as possible. this occurs
through tactility, time, and individual interaction. while not opposed to the unique object, i
personally choose to make art that is available and capable of being distributed to the richest
and poorest of us. Even my installation work provides several cheaper print alternatives that
“say” the same thing. my art is not meant for one particular economic class, but instead for
anyone interested enough to devote their time to the content.
i strive to provide multiple points of access (visual, textual, textural, sound) that allows for
different types of viewers to become engaged in different ways. much of the work i do rotates
around death, sexuality, relationships, faith and proximity. my intention is to lay the skeletal
groundwork of experience and let the individual augment that thought with their personal
narrative. this should not be mistaken as a lack or lax of control in communication, but instead
something i would call a “soft” collaboration.
Hair suit Holding 2012
rEliEF matrix
4 x 6 1/2 inChEs (10.2 x 16.5 Cm.)
38
39

nanCy linDsay
anamosa, iowa
my etchings are derived from direct contact with nature. light, pattern, color, and texture,
combined with memory and imagination, are the driving forces in my work. i strive to create
images that invite the viewer into their own sense of memory and place.
Midwest Horizon 2008
EtChinG on papEr
1 x 10 inChEs (2.5 x 25.4 Cm.)
40
41

tHoMas MUrpHy
dEs moinEs, iowa
For me, printmaking appeals in a holistic way, from its challenges and its rewards. the
planning stages of a print can require a great deal of forethought and puzzle-like problem
solving in terms of layering, positive/negative space, and color which very much plays on
my analytical personality. after this thought-heavy work, the creation of a block or plate
involves a relentlessly tedious process that totally inverts this mindset, creating a meditative
atmosphere and a feeling of immersion in one’s work that i have not experienced in other
media. the result of this entire endeavor is the ability to print multiple versions of the same
basic image: refining color, registration, and orientation in the pursuit of satisfaction. as the
entire process is mired in the embrace of repetition, i believe it is this idea of the multiple
that truly appeals to me. i have found that the more i work in this medium, the more i am
drawn to the incorporation of this repetition into my images, hoping to create a visual
rhythm that draws the viewer into the scene.
Flame 2011
rEliEF print on papEr
33 1/2 x 12 1/2 inChEs (85.1 x 31.8 Cm.)
42

Bill nellans
dEs moinEs, iowa
as a photographer, the study and construction or execution of the print has been the focal
point of my entire life. From the very beginning, in the darkroom there was the choice of paper,
developer, the contrast filter used in the enlarger, whether to air dry or ferrotype. why, even
the choice of exposure and development to obtain the desired detail in shadows and
highlights. these all were carefully thought out to create the perfect print—exactly what i
envisioned as an artist.
in today’s world, with the digital camera, computer, and archival pigment ink printers,
the process has changed but the goal is to see it, capture it, and share it remains the same.
with all of the endless possibilities, it is the esthetic and the message that matters most.
leaves_0001 novEmbEr 27, 2010
diGital photoGraphy printEd on Canvas
12 x 12 inChEs (30.5 x 30.5 Cm.)
44
45

sHawn reeD
witH wet Hair (sHawn reeD, JUstin tHye anD ryan garBes)
iowa City, iowa
my experience as an active gallery artist, silkscreen printer, illustrator, touring musician, and
independent record label owner has provided me with a unique perspective with regard to
printmaking and its uses as a do-it-yourself commercial medium. Collage, drawing, and
silkscreen are the base of much of my work. i also work extensively with color reduction
woodblock, book arts, and a variety of sculptural mediums. i have recently been using collage,
photography, drawing, and digital methods to create limited edition printed artist books,
collaborative silkscreen prints, and collaborative film projects.
in 2005, i began night-people records, an independent record label that focuses on
limited edition releases with a special emphasis on vinyl and cassettes. i curate the music for
each project, illustrate and design the album artwork, then individually print and package each
record release. all of the artwork is silkscreened and focuses on an evolving visual aesthetic
that helps create a distinct identity for the label. night-people records is an extension of my
artistic practice and due to its growing success and recognition, has become my primary
source of income. night-people has been a way for me to disseminate my visual print aesthetic
all around the world.
spill into atmosphere 2012
mass-produCEd oFFsEt print on papEr
32 x 20 inChEs (81.3 x 50.8 Cm.)
46

saraH roDgers
iowa City, iowa
iowa has such a wonderful tradition of being full of talented printmakers, both historically and
presently, that it is difficult not to be influenced by it. i have been a member of the printmaking
world for the last four years and having just finished my bachelor of Fine arts degree in
december, i find that my devotion to it has not abated.
my own prints utilize the traditional look and feel of printmaking, using unique or unusual
creation methods. being able to create as many images as i can bear to stand and print has
helped me make decisions about how my work will look. i love to use the repetition of images
to create a new overall image for the viewer and printmaking lends itself perfectly to that desire.
the beauty of printmaking, i’ve learned, is that it is something any person may obtain access
to. it has allowed me to create both painterly and traditional styled prints while knowing i can
make as many of them as i choose and share them with the world.
excess ii 2011
monoprint on papEr
50 x 38 inChEs (127 x 96.5 Cm.)
48

JoHn siBlik
FayEttE, iowa
my work references relationships: starting with the individual and moving out in concentric
rings effectively creating a community. as a whole, the work addresses the processes of
community, environment, emergence, and historical narrative; a variety of “acts” surface and
are conveyed as “blueprints” through images, words, and expressions. many of my drawings
are worked up as monotypes, then, reworked with other printmaking processes and more
drawing and painting. by using an indirect method, i set the stage for emergence and chance
and am granted a position of intimacy and peripheral disinterest simultaneously.
ultimately, i consider printmaking as relational to my overarching artistic practice.
i find it gratifying to overlay processes of community, starting with systems and functions as
one might see matrices within prints; then, introduce unconditioned aspects such as
reframed narrative.
ooh 2011
lithoGraph, sCrEEnprint, and paint on papEr
11 x 14 inChEs (27.9 x 35.6 Cm.)
CollECtion oF Elissa and andrEw wEnthE
50
51

aCHel singel
iowa City, iowa
i make etchings of the natural objects i find on handmade paper. i bind their remnants
into artist’s books. i enjoy the relationship between these processes and how they intertwine.
andy Goldsworthy, an artist i look to, invests immense patience and time into realizing
his vision. while there are setbacks along the way, he moves forward, finding a way to
compromise with his materials and celebrate a subtle and ephemeral instant. this too is
my hope.
Fishnest 2011
intaGlio on papEr
12 x 16 inChEs (30.5 x 40.6 Cm.)
52
53

grant williaM tHye
Grundy CEntEr, iowa
…my work is an eclectic mix, consisting of paintings, wood-block prints, etchings, and
drawings. i continually look for interesting connections that happen between the different areas
of life.
i have begun using wooden musical instruments during my printing process. a musical
instrument exists to create artwork. so, i have decided to use the musical instrument, not as
was originally intended, but to create artwork nonetheless. i use the wooden instruments,
as the woodblock itself, to pull a series of prints. this creates two new pieces of art: the
series of prints on paper, and also the instrument/woodblock itself, which can be displayed
or re-strung and played once again. i have completed a violin, guitar and i am currently working
on a cello.
Untitled 2008
violin/woodbloCk
20 x 16 inChEs
Untitled 2008
woodbloCk print on papEr
20 x 16 inChEs (50.8 x 40.6 Cm.)
54

iCk Von HolDt
minburn, iowa
i have chosen the medium of traditional
letterpress printing because of my love of
both classic and antique typefaces. using the
variety of typefaces and materials that i have
collected provides a constant education and
pleasure for me. there are lots of limitations
imposed by this medium which forces me to
be flexible. i am constantly experimenting
and learning new things with each new
item i print.
i absolutely love the fact that none of
my presses are motorized and that i have to
hand-ink and crank or pull each impression
by hand. this is truly slow and laborious but
it gives me immense satisfaction that i am
following a five-hundred year old tradition as
closely as i can. speed is not a factor for me.
i strive for a pleasing layout and image.
to me, my work is all about the type.
i have lots of antique and classic faces and
i consider it my mission to print with them so
that they can see the light of day once again
and be appreciated by others.
56
ten letterpress
prints on paper
letterpress printing
printers’ Hall 2009
7 x 5 inChEs (17.8 x 12.7 Cm.)
Farm Fresh printing
in Minburn ia 2009
12 x 8 inChEs (30.5 x 20.3 Cm.)
raccoon Forks Farm produced
in Dallas County iowa 2009
12 x 7 inChEs (30.5 x 17.8 Cm.)
Hamilton wood type
& printing Museum 2009
19 x 13 inChEs (48.3 x 33 Cm.)
sixteenth annual Midwest and
great northern printer’s Fair 2009
24 x 14 inChEs (61 x 35.6 Cm.)
Commit random acts of gardening 2010
14 x 11 inChEs (35.6 x 27.9 Cm.)
raccoon Forks Farm
redfield, iowa 2010
17 3/4 x 10 inChEs (45.1 x 25.4 Cm.)
old threshers reunion
Mt. pleasant, ia 2011 2011
23 x 8 3/4 inChEs (58.4 x 22.2 Cm.)
i love it when you talk
Dirt to Me! 2012 (Front CovEr)
20 x 16 inChEs (50.8 x 40.6 Cm.)
Des Moines iowa Food Coop 2012
20 x 16 inChEs (50.8 x 40.6 Cm.)

ignatiUs wiDiapraDJa
dEs moinEs, iowa
the role of print and printing in my
visual practice is two-fold. First, the
digital process replaces the traditional
art making process of doing multiple
studies and sketches. it allows me to
expediently explore a number of complex
compositional structures, to try different
images, to digitally manipulate them,
including combining multiple images to
create one image, and to merge numerous
images seamlessly to create complex
pictorial structures.
second, the finished digital print is
the preliminary stage of my painting. i print
the finished black-and-white print on to
a primed canvas. this print’s function is
similar to underpainting in grisaille. i then
apply acrylic paint on top of it using a
number of different painting techniques
such as glazing thin layers of paint and,
for more precise details, applying
numerous small brush strokes in a crosshatching
technique commonly used in
egg tempera painting.
entanglement 2011
diGital print on papEr
24 x 36 inChEs (61 x 91.4 Cm.)
58
59

V. skip willits
CamanChE, iowa
i have an old stamping kit. i have biodegradable ink for the pad. i go out into the woods and
find still standing dead trees with no bark that have been weathered smooth and bleached by
the sun. on these trees i print words and sometimes phrases that appeal to me. i try not to
print any demands, just words that strike a chord in me. also in my practice, i like to stamp
on old wrapping paper i find in the streets.
stamp print on tree photo 3 2011
photoGraph
8 1/2 x 11 inChEs (21.6 x 27.9 Cm.)
stamp print on leaf 2012
photoGraph
11 x 8 1/2 inChEs (27.9 x 21.6 Cm.)
60

this catalogue is published in conjunction with
iowa artists 2012: print
blank one and print Galleries
des moines art Center
october 5, 2012– january 13, 2013
orGanizEd by amy n. worthen, Curator of prints and drawings
with the assistance of sydney royal, assistant registrar / Curatorial assistant
installation dEsiGn jay Ewart, Chief preparator
this is the 63rd in the des moines art Center’s series of Iowa Artists exhibitions.
the juried exhibition was open to all artists living and working in iowa. ninety-eight
artists submitted entries. twenty-seven artists were selected to participate and they
are represented by a total of 40 print and print-based works.
this exhibition is sponsored by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation,
which supports this publication; the peter h. & E. lucille Gaass kuyper Foundation;
kpmG llC; the des moines art Center print Club; and bank of the west.
print club Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation
des moines art Center
4700 Grand avenue | des moines, iowa 50312-2099 | 515.277.4405
www.desmoinesartcenter.org
© des moines art Center 2012 | all rights reserved
isbn 978-1-879003-65-1
library oF ConGrEss Control numbEr 2012948743
Editor stephanie l. riva
CataloGuE dEsiGn and Exhibition GraphiCs Connie wilson
printEr shapco, minneapolis, minnesota
photoGraphy Courtesy of the artists
dimEnsions are given in inches and centimeters. height precedes width.
typoGraphy this book is set in a combination of Clarendon and helvetica neue. Clarendon is
an English slab-serif typeface that was created in England by robert besley in 1845. its thick
slab serifs made it a popular type for letterpress broadsides and advertising. Clarendon holds
the distinction of being the first registered typeface in history. a much more recent typeface,
helvetica neue, is a 1983 reworking and expansion of the classic helvetica family, designed in
1957 by max miedinger with Edüard hoffmann in 1957 in münchenstein, switzerland.
entirelyunexpected
Front CovEr rick von holdt, I Love It When You Talk Dirt To Me!, 2012
insidE Front and baCk CovErs Christopher “Chuck” Forsythe, Magnification, 2012