Printmaking in South Africa PDF

PRINTMAKING IN SOUTH AFRICA Africa and South Africa have a rich tradition in printmaking styles and artists. We are going to look at a few famous print artists and use their work as inspiration for our own artwork. A brief History: ◦ Africa and South...

PRINTMAKING IN SOUTH AFRICA Africa and South Africa have a rich tradition in printmaking styles and artists. We are going to look at a few famous print artists and use their work as inspiration for our own artwork. A brief History: ◦ Africa and South Africa have a rich tradition of printmaking styles and artists. These include relief printing (woodcuts and Iinocuts), engraving, etching, silkscreen and lithography. Another word for printmaking is 'intaglio’ This refers to any print that is made from an incised surface. ◦ The Chinese had Invented the woodcut printing technique as early as 220 BCE. However, this technique was only adopted by European artists around the turn of the 15th century. German artist, Albrecht Durer, was famed for his masterful skill and technique in engraving. This is seen in his woodcut to the right. ◦ During the apartheid years In South Africa, art and craft centres such as CAP (Community Arts Project) in Cape Town, Polly Street Johannesburg and Rorke’s Drift in KwaZulu Natal produced some excellent print makers. The National Party government did little to encourage the arts. Albrecht Durer, 1497 ◦ CAP and Polly Street artists were well known for their linocuts and woodcuts. ◦ The work by Sandile Zulu on the right shows the hardships suffered by manual labourers on our roads. ◦ Many of the works done by artists such as Sandile Zulu showed the difficulties endured by the poor and suffering in our country. ◦ Today, printmaking in South Africa is still a thriving art form. One of the unique aspects of working with printmaking techniques is that you can make an edition of prints. This means that you can duplicate a print, usually up to about 200 times. Usually artists will make a small edition of perhaps 20 to 50 prints, thereby increasing the value of the work when sold. Each Manual print is individually numbered, dated and signed by the artist. These individually signed prints are bought and sold all over the world. Let us take a look at some contemporary printmakers. Many printmakers are also highly successful illustrators, such as Anton Kannemeyer. In 2012 he collaborated with the futuristic rap-rave group called Die Antwoord. He asked them if he could create unique portraits of each band member. These prints are colourful lithographs. Different types of printing: Please know them for the exam. ◦ Linocut: is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for the relief surface. Relief = Cut out, engrave. Lithography: Process of producing a picture, writing, or the like, on a flat, specially prepared stone, with some greasy or oily substance, and of taking ink impressions from this as in ordinary printing. Etching/Intaglio: Traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (relief) in the metal. Silkscreen: A stencilling method that involves pushing ink through stencils that are supported by a porous fabric mesh stretched across a frame called a screen. This technique is easy to use when doing colour printing. Lithography: Process start to finish. Etching: the old method. Linocut: Famous South African Print Artists. ◦Sam Nhlengethwa: Lithographer. ◦Diane Victor: Etch printer. How to make an easy print. 1. 3. 4. 2. Activity 1. ◦ Write down the 4 types of printmaking and their definitions. Activity 2. ◦ Research on your tablet a Famous South African print artist. ◦ Choose one that you like the most. ◦ Write down 5 interesting facts about them. ◦ Present your findings to the class. Activity 3. ◦ Draw an easy drawing in your book. Anything you want. A flower, bird, shoe, Anything. ◦ Finish your drawing at home, and collect as many Styrofoam bowls and plates as you can find, the more you bring the more prints you can make. ◦ Next period we will begin carving our prints. Memo: Activity1: ◦ Linocut: is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for the relief surface. Relief = Cut out, engrave. ◦ Lithography: Process of producing a picture, writing, or the like, on a flat, specially prepared stone, with some greasy or oily substance, and of taking ink impressions from this as in ordinary printing. ◦ Etching/Intaglio: Traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (relief) in the metal. ◦ Silkscreen: A stencilling method that involves pushing ink through stencils that are supported by a porous fabric mesh stretched across a frame called a screen. This technique is easy to use when doing colour printing.