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February Issue 2005
Catherine J. Smith Gallery in Boone, NC, Features Printmaking Exhibitions
The Catherine J. Smith Gallery in Boone, NC,
is pleased to announce two new exhibitions, International Ink:
Two Exhibitions of Current Developments in Printmaking, featuring
Recent works by Keith Howard and Contemporary Prints
from Pakistan, on view through Mar. 2, 2005. Appalachian State
University faculty members Scott Ludwig, Ali Raza, and Jody Servon
organized these exhibitions.
Both of the exhibitions included in International Ink provide
insights into contemporary printmaking from around the globe.
The printmakers participating in International Ink employ
both traditional and non-traditional techniques making these exhibitions
truly a celebration of all forms of printmaking. In addition to
the solo exhibition of prints by Keith Howard, the artists included
in Contemporary Prints from Pakistan are: Zaira Ahmand, Samina
Iqbal, Atif Khan, Naiza Khan, Sameera Khan, Afshar Malik, Laila
Rehman, Anwar Saeed, Fatima Saeed, and Nazish Ata Ullah.
The medium of printmaking is experiencing a
contemporary renaissance and Keith Howard is at the forefront
of this revolution. Printmaking has had a long history of toxicity,
however this has changed in the last decade. Howard's tireless
research into non-toxic methodologies and alternatives to photogravure
has sparked great interest in the medium broadening its appeal
to a wider audience.
With the advent of new photopolymer films, images may be processed
without the use of traditional photochemistry, and plates can
be printed without using potentially dangerous, caustic mordants.
All the traditional techniques associated with printmaking including
monotype, aquatint, drypoint, etc., can still be utilized and
combined with drawing, photography, collage, or even digital media
as a means of producing a visually dynamic image.
Scott Ludwig, co-organizer of the exhibition states, "It's
a great time to be a printmaker and Keith is one of the people
we can thank for this. The real beauty in this process lies in
the fact that you truly 'mix it up!'"
Included in the exhibition on the first floor of the gallery are
over a dozen large-scale works on paper. Howard's work invites
deeper investigation into his rich mark making and luxurious textures.
Many of the works incorporate his painterly use of ink with drawn
lines and photographic imagery.
Howard was born in 1950 in Sydney Australia. He received a Painting
Diploma from the National Art School at East Sydney Technical
College and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education at Sydney Teachers
College in Australia. Howard earned a Masters in Studio Art from
New York University in New York City. Currently, he is head of
the Printmaking and Research in the School of Art at Rochester
Institute of Technology in upstate New York. Previously, he founded
the Canadian School for Non-Toxic Printmaking at Grand Prairie
Regional College in Alberta, Canada.
In 1998, Howard's research led to the publishing
of the text, Non-Toxic Intaglio Printmaking, which revived
interest and raised the consciousness of printmakers worldwide
regarding safe practice of the medium. In 2003, Keith published
his third text, The Contemporary Printmaker that expanded
upon emerging technologies and included information on working
with the new, Dupont ImageOn Ultra film.
Installed on the second floor of the Catherine J. Smith Gallery
is a group exhibition focusing on the work of contemporary Pakistani
printmakers. The works traveled to Appalachian State University
from High Point Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Contemporary Prints from Pakistan offers a unique opportunity
to experience works rarely seen in the United States.
Contemporary Prints from Pakistan features over thirty
works by artists from different regions of Pakistan, reflecting
the visual and methodological diversity of the Pakistani art world.
This show presents pioneer artists: Anwar Saeed, Naiza Khan, Nazish
Ata Ullah, Afshar Malik and Laila Rehman with relatively young
printmakers including Atif Khan, Samina Iqbal, Sameera Khan and
Fatima Saeed.
Through their use of a variety of printmaking techniques mixed
with cultural content, the works in the exhibition highlights
some contemporary issues as seen through the eyes of these ten
artists. The works bring forth numerous questions for viewers
to ponder, such as: How do these artists link Pakistani post-colonial
identity with the South Asian multicultural past? How do they
respond to the contemporary issues of art world? What are the
concerns of women artists while living in a male-dominated society?
The history of printmaking in Pakistan is older than the country's
birth yet the environment for printmaking in current day Pakistan
is not as conducive as it is in the US. Nevertheless, our world
has moved into a period of global idea exchange and this exhibition
presents a provocative discussion of art and culture. "This
show is a modest effort to introduce the contemporary issues and
ideas of South Asian Pakistani artists to the local audience and
especially to the students of ASU," states co-organizer of
the exhibition Ali Raza.
Additional prints from Pakistan will be on view from Feb. 15 through
Apr. 30, 2005 at the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design,
A Regional Inter-institutional Center of the University of North
Carolina in Hendersonville, NC.
The gallery is presenting several public programs
in conjunction with the exhibitions, including:
Feb. 3, 2005, at 4pm - Appalachian State University faculty member
Ali Raza leads a gallery talk on the Contemporary Prints from
Pakistan exhibition. Feb. 25, 2005, at 4pm - Exhibiting artist
Keith Howard leads a gallery talk on his recent works on view
at 4 PM.
Exhibitions and events sponsored in part by:
College of Fine and Applied Arts, Equity Office, Office of Diversity,
Office of International Programs, and the Office of Multicultural
Student Development.
For more information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings
or call 828/262-7338.
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