Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / May 28, 1987, edition 1 / Page 20
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Prints From Glass: The Discovery Of A Process A glass plate teemed a precari ous item, but in this business one learns not to thy away from the novel idea. The first plate I tried inked up nicer than metal. I ad justed the press to take its thick ness and sent it through. There was a definitive CRUNCH... and when the felts were thrown back we gazed upon a 12 x 15 inch area of powdered glass." Printmaker Warrington Co* lescott's description of Harvey Littleton's first attempt at printing with a glass matrix in 1975. Convinced that the attributes of glass would make for an attractive alternate printmaking process, glass artist Harvey Littleton per sisted in his efforts while teaching at the University of Wisconsin. Far from being too fragile, Coles cott and Littleton found glass to be flexible and resilient under com pression. After adjusting the inta glio press after the initial run, the two lost few plates in ensuing at tempts. After moving to his 8pruce Pine, North Carolina studio in 1979, Littleton continued his ef forts by involving other area glass artists such as Ken Carder and Bil ly Bernstein in the project. He also induced visiting glass artists in eluding Tom Buechnsr, former president of the Coming Museum of Glass and Erwin Eisch and Ann Wolff of Germany to explore the idea. Early works were the prod uct of available tools for drawing on or abrading glass, including the diamond point stylus, etching ac ids, flexible shaft tools and sand blasting with a variety of resists .including wet clay and glue. ‘‘Print* From Glass: The Discov ery of a Process'' chronicles the de velopment of this technique by showing the earliest attempts by Littleton and other experimenters, subsequent explorations by glass artists, and works by tha NBA and later visiting artists. Prints from 25 artists in all will be exhibited along with works within their pri mary medium. ■Some visual qualities of the fi nished prints made from glass plates are unique. Effects that could only be achieved by combin ing incompatible techniques can often be accomplished on one glass plate. Darby Bannard noted that the "powdery surface" of the printed image "is similar to a cross between a lithograph and a mez zotint." The ink colonhave a pecu liar luminosity and intensity. Be cause a dot pattern results from the blasting, a kind of pointalistic color occurs when one color plate is printed over another. A disadvantage of the glass plate is that unwanted lines are not as easily burnished out or re moved from the plates. With the softer metal plate, mistakes are quickly eliminated. "An aspect of the medium I sup pose I appreciate most is its own special awkwardness and contrar iness,” reflected Ed Blackburn. Though this may sound megative it can be of considerable value in making art. Most mediums have something in their nature that you cannot completely control, some thing you must collaborate with and allow to have it# own way. Such a process can be the avenue for the discovery of something larger and better than your beat laid plane.’ "That a printing technique was born in the studio of a glass artist is a notable enough occurance in that it illustrates a typically twen tieth century cross-fertilisation," added Kessler. "Lines of demarca tion and categorisation of artists and media constantly being THE CHARLOTTE POST SUBCHIME TODAY! Call S76-0496 For Home Delivery Mae And More People In North Carolina Ate Caning TbWtchovia Bank For 153fear Mortgages. Fa- Good Reason. All They Have To Do Is To Stop By Any ■ ■■; * They Can Close Fast,Within 2-3 Weeks. They Can Choose Fran Fixed Or Adjustable Rate Mortgages With Amortizatiart UpTo 15Years J x XLXVX X XIS*,] XV/ X XL JVXJLLl^ X XIOX X XJ^XX X <X^XXJ01IL0 Are Surprisingly Affordable. If ^bube InThe Market For A First Or Second Mortgage, Join The Crowd OnTheWay T) The Bank.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 28, 1987, edition 1
20
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