The 20:20 Print Exchange, organised by Hot Bed Press, is a unique project that involves a global community of printmakers. My contribution was the Africa Lino print "Scatterlings".
The concept is simple: print groups from around the world, consisting of at least five artists each, create an edition of 25 prints, all sized at 20x20 cm. These prints are then exchanged, exhibited, and shared with other participants, allowing artists to receive a diverse collection of prints from other groups and share the creativity. Some groups hold exhibitions to display the artwork from around the world within a space.
I had the pleasure of joining in with the 20:20 Print exchange in 2021 through others within Platform Studios and decided it was the perfect opportunity to get back to printmaking!
My fascination of printmaking relates to the links between objects and negative spaces.
I chose to try my hand at a double colour print. In the beginning my drafts were so far and beyond complicated that I learnt quickly (luckily) to make things as simple as you can as effectively as you can!
The 'scatterling' is a twist on a self portrait. I lived in South Africa as a child and when I was 20 we moved back to the UK. The ground represents the foundations I walked on, the lessons taught to me by my parents and culture of my upbringing. And if you know the song 'scatterlings of Africa' it describes the enduring connection to African roots despite the scattering of its people to new homes.
I was happy with the result, it caught the essence of my original concept. Each Africa Lino Print is signed and numbered 1-25 and I don't know where in the world they are (!) except for Number 5/25!
This print exchange is more than just an art project; it is a celebration of the printmaking craft, receiving the pack of different prints was exciting and a testament to the creativity and collaboration of artists worldwide. I hope to be able to do it again another year...
Commentaires