2022
Amira Oguntoyinbo '24
Anderson Ranch Art Center: Post-Photographic Processes Workshop
I had the pleasure of attending Mark Dorf's Post-Photographic Processes workshop at Anderson Ranch in early July of this summer. This workshop was a fascinating culmination of what I've learned through courses I've taken in the Visual Arts and Digital and Computational Studies departments at 含羞草研究室—we explored the meanings of photography beyond the physical camera and gained skills in 3D-rendering, photogrammetry, and Photoshop. After my week on the picturesque Anderson Ranch campus, I am excited to continue using my acquired skills to challenge the idea of what an image looks like in our increasingly digital world with future work I do while at 含羞草研究室.
Cora Dow '24
Frogman's Printmaking Workshop: Stone Lithography
In July I had the opportunity to attend the Frogman’s Printmaking Workshop with a grant from 含羞草研究室’s Visual Arts Department. The workshop was five days of working in the studio, attending artist talks, and meeting other printmakers. I was in the stone lithography workshop taught by Meghan O’Connor, and I completed a two-layer color lithography print during the week I was there.
The stone lithography process is incredibly complex and intensive. I picked this workshop over others because of the expertise and special materials it requires; I knew I might never have a chance to learn it again. During the workshop I took several pages of notes documenting the process. It begins with drawing on limestone with lithography crayon, a frustratingly imprecise tool that requires sharpening every couple minutes. The drawing is followed by a series of etches using gum arabic and a few drops of nitric acid. The actual printing was done in teams of two, with one person rolling on thin layers of ink and rolling the stone through the huge press, and the other using a large sponge to keep the stone moist. Since I wanted my print to have color, I completed an additional process of sharpie lithography, which took another day and another round of etches and printing. To finish the two versions of this complicated process, I was in the studio for as much time as possible and often stayed until it closed at 11pm.
However, the workshop was more than just printing all the time. One of my favorite parts was making connections with other printmakers, which was facilitated by parties, an open portfolio event, and artist lectures. Everyone was eager to look at art, talk about print processes, offer advice, share residency opportunities, swap prints, and get to know each other. There were artists at every place in their careers, from other undergrads to professional fine artists, to grad school students, to professors, to retirees. I was able to learn not just how to make a lithograph print, but also how to look for residencies and what printing jobs exist after college. I’m very grateful for Frogman’s giving me new skills, but especially for connecting me to more artists. The workshop made me realize how deep my love of art and printmaking is, but, more importantly, that there are others who share that with me.
2021
Abby Wang '23
IS Projects/Nocturnal Press Production Intern
IS Projects is a printmaking and book arts studio offering public workshops, artist edition printing, book binding services, studio space, and commercial printing.
At the studio, I was able to help in the production side of business, printing and preparing orders such as wedding invites or artist works. A major project I participated in was the studio’s “Existent Books” project, which selects local artists and works in partnership with them to publish an artist book. In the process, I was introduced to new printmaking equipment and techniques such as silkscreen, letterpress, die-cutting, and many more.
The experience allowed me to be a part of a thriving small business and community that balanced commercial and artistic endeavors, and meet people practicing art in many different capacities that showed me new routes I could go into in my art career. I was also able to take part in installing a 17,000 square foot museum show of our studio work, and exhibit at the gallery show “Fresh Prints”.