Did you know that our amazing Terrarium Workshop teacher Claire Typaldos is also an accomplished printmaker?
Work from her recent residency at Anderson Ranch in Colorado is on display at EAT (124 Meserole Ave). The opening reception for PRINTS is this evening, Thursday December 5th, 2013 from 7-9pm.
We talked with Claire about her printmaking process and this particular body of work.
GP: We know you have a green thumb, but let’s talk about your other passion – printmaking.
Claire: I have always been attracted to the physicality of the printmaking process. My first ever prints were monoprints and collographs that I made as a teenager. I was amazed that you could use basically any material and glue it onto cardboard, ink it up and run it through the press to make a unique print. Later, I became interested primarily in woodblock and linoleum based printmaking because carving and cutting into the material was both difficult and satisfying. You can never quite control the results and that is still exciting to me. My work definitely plays or questions the repetitive process of printmaking – my interest lies in using the same blocks but manipulating the ink or way these blocks are handled to make unique prints rather than endless reproductions of the same.
GP: Can you speak about your process for the prints on display at EAT?
Claire: The prints on display at EAT are all monographs made using acetate and linoleum as the primary printing material. I would cut out and carve shapes from acetate, ink it up using multiple rollers, lay it on a sheet of plexiglass and gently run it through the press with paper laying on top. The results were different each time based on how I rolled up the ink. And the materials of acetate and linoleum would break down over time. I believe IÂ used rives bfk and also cranes paper that a good friend sent to me.
GP: How did you Colorado residency inspire your work?
Claire: These prints are strongly inspired by the colors and landscape that surrounded me in Colorado. I have always used blue as a leading color in my work but this time I had the sky outside my studio as my reference point for the perfect blue.
The Anderson Ranch residency highly impacted my process and my work. First of all, the facilities there are amazingly equipped and encourage you to explore other mediums in addition to your own. These prints were an exploration for me of the medium – they almost were teetering on paintings or collages at some points. Fellow residents noted that it seemed like my work was almost asking to be 3 dimensional. And they were totally right. I ended up making sculptures and ceramics as a response to these prints. Hopefully I can show them side by side at some point because they play well off each other.
GP: Why did you chose EAT as your gallery?
Claire: EAT has always been a special place to me. I have been going there for as long as I’ve lived in Brooklyn and as everything around it has rapidly changed, its mission and quality has always remained true. Jordan and Nick are great supporters of the local food and arts community and I’m glad to be a part of that. Also I just like the vibe there and think my work will add to the meditative quality of the space.
Make sure to check out what will be a fantastic print show!
Claire is also teaching two Terrarium Classes this Sunday (12/8) at our Holiday Market.