New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts
1 Queens Wharf, Wellington
16-27 May, 2012 – Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 daily
Opening celebration: Tuesday, 16 May, 17:00-19:00 pm, with remarks by Marty Vreede
Notes from our Selectors
In this selection of printmaking, members of the Central Print Council were invited to submit works in two categories: In the Frame, for more traditional framed prints, and Boundless, where the print could explore possibilities of format beyond the frame. Many printmakers chose to submit work for both arenas, which is a testament to their willingness to participate in the diversity of practice that constitutes contemporary print.
It is one of the strengths and paradoxes of printmaking that it is both rich in tradition and yet always looking for new ways to engage with imagery, materials and processes. Some printmakers are quick to see opportunities in new technologies and some are happier with time-tested techniques. The variety of prints shown in this exhibition certainly reflects both positions.
In selecting for both In the Frame and Boundless we were looking for a work to be successful within its own terms of reference. Be it a simple direct botanical study or a work which included a wringer and origami-like printed shirts, a moving image or a woodcut, such differences require a change in a viewer’s reading of them. There was not an easy formula to be applied and all the works could not be seen through the same lens. So we would encourage you to also see the work in this way: as individual pieces each with their different register.
An exhibition that is entirely printmaking is, unfortunately, a rare occurrence and therefore something to be celebrated. To the organisers who have made this show happen, and equally to the exhibitors showing their work, congratulations are in order.
Also, thank you to Central Print Council for the opportunity to be part of this survey of print.
– Jill Webster & Anthony Davies
Thank Your Lucky Stars