methods

Intersecting Methods 2018 Profile: Jackson Taylor

This is the sixth post in a series to introduce the participating printmakers and their collaborators for the 2018 edition of the Intersecting Methods Portfolio. Every two weeks, into mid-December, a new profile of a collaborative pair will be posted. This segment profiles Jackson Taylor, Teaching Assistant at the University of Louisville, and his collaborator, Mark Hardin, Director of Fisheries at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

 

Jackson Taylor

Jackson Taylor is a print artist. living and working in Louisville, Kentucky.  Taylor has participated in several national portfolio exchanges (such as David Spencer-Pierce’s Retelling Project), as well as a handful of juried printmaking exhibitions.  He is currently the Teaching Assistant to the University of Louisville’s print faculty, Rachel Singel.

He specializes in lithographic and silkscreen printing techniques, and concerns himself with establishing non-linear storytelling via an intense layering of printed material.  As layers of ink are applied, a new skin develops that replaces the original texture of the paper.  This new skin is then populated by images of warplanes, discarded toys, and biomorphic inspired drawings.  The works come together to present a collage (or gathering) of printed information that convey kaleidoscopic narratives that deal with ideas of transition, memory, and certain mortality.

Here are some examples of Jackson’s printmaking work.

 

 

Mark Hardin, Director of Fisheries at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife

Mike Hardin’s career has focused on minimizing human impact on natural ecosystems.  The work has taken Mike  into caves in search of endangered species of bats, to wetlands along the Green River floodplains.  In the last 13 years Hardin’s work has centered around restoring habitat in degraded streams across Kentucky.  The work pulls together biologists, geomorphologists, and engineers to develop designs that can be implemented to restore self-sustaining streams as well as identify and preserve rare, high quality streams.  The projects have been implemented on trout streams, headwaters, and scenic gorges.  Most recently, his team completed a mile long project creating a trout stream below Wolf Creek Dam in southern Kentucky, the Hatchery Creek Project.  Water exiting a fish hatchery below Wolf Creek Dam had eroded a deep gully spilling sediment pollution into the Cumberland River.  The project created a new path for the water down a mile long stream with gentle meanders, riffles and pools, and a steep step pool-boulder drop to the Cumberland River.  The project incorporated habitat specific rocks to allow trout from the Cumberland River to migrate upstream  to spawn in the newly created Hatchery creek.

Look for the next profile in two weeks. In the meantime, R&D editions will have its regular bi-weekly updates on studio work in between the profiles.

Intersecting Methods 2018 Profile: Beth Grabowski

This is the fifth post in a series to introduce the participating printmakers and their collaborators for the 2018 edition of the Intersecting Methods Portfolio. Every two weeks, into mid-December, a new profile of a collaborative pair will be posted. This segment profiles Beth Grabowski, Professor of Art at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,  and her collaborator, Bob Goldstein, James L. Peacock III Distinguished Professor in the Biology Department at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 

 

Beth Grabowski

Beth Grabowski is an artist, author and educator. She earned her MFA in printmaking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1985. Grabowski is Professor of Art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she teaches all manner of printmaking, book arts and a Master’s course in studio pedagogy. She has been actively involved with SGC International, a non-profit educational organization for print, paper and book artists, educators, collectors, and enthusiasts, serving as its president from 2012-14.

Grabowski is co-author, with Bill Fick (Duke University), of Printmaking, a Complete Guide to Materials and Processes, (Laurence King, 2009, 2nd edition 2014). The book has been released in two English editions (American and British), Spanish, French, German, Polish, and Chinese. Grabowski is the recipient of three North Carolina Arts Council awards and has been the beneficiary of several artist residencies including those at), Sanbao Ceramics Institute (China), Frans Masereel Centrum (Belgium), Tom Blaess Atelier (Switzerland), and most recently at Proyecto ‘Ace (Argentina).

Other professional activities include curating an international portfolio honoring Käthe Kollwitz, which debuted at the Kollwitz Museum-Berlin in September 2005, and co-organizing Visualizing Human Rights conferences at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and 2012. Grabowski’s work has been shown widely and is included in numerous public and private collections, including the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris.

Here are some examples of Beth’s printmaking work.

 

 

 

Bob Goldstein, James L. Peacock III Distinguished Professor

Bob Goldstein received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992. He did postdoctoral research at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England and was a Miller Institute Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1999, he joined the faculty of the Biology Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is now the James L. Peacock III Distinguished Professor. His research group combines old methods of microscopy and hand-manipulations of cells with a variety of modern methods, to make discoveries that contribute to revealing how cells function during development. His group is also developing a little-studied microscopic animal—water bears—as a useful model system for understanding how mechanisms in cell and developmental biology evolve, and how biological materials can survive extremes. Goldstein currently serves on the Council of the American Society for Cell Biology. He received a Pew Scholars Award in 2000 and was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2007.

Look for the next profile in two weeks. In the meantime, R&D editions will have its regular bi-weekly updates on studio work in between the profiles.

Intersecting Methods 2018 Profile: Mariana Smith

This is the fourth post in a series to introduce the participating printmakers and their collaborators for the 2018 edition of the Intersecting Methods Portfolio. Every two weeks, into mid-December, a new profile of a collaborative pair will be posted. This segment profiles Mariana Smith, Assistant Professor at Stockton University,  and her collaborator, Anna Pfeiffer-Herbert, Assistant Professor of Marine Science at Stockton University. 

 

Mariana Smith

Mariana Smith is an Assistant Professor at the Stockton University, NJ. In her studio Mariana Smith combines printmaking, miniature painting, and video installations.

Mariana Smith received a BFA in fine art and miniature painting from Moscow College of Applied and Industrial Arts in Moscow, Russia. After immigrating to USA in 1992, she received a 2002 BFA with emphasis in printmaking from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus OH, and a 2004 MFA from the Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Smith’s work has been exhibited in USA, Italy, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Guam and Armenia, and was displayed at the State of Ohio Governor’s Mansion in Columbus, Ohio. Artist residencies include International printmaking workshop in Auckland, New Zealand; Scuola Internazionale di Grafica di Venezia, Venice, Italy, residency; International Printmaking Workshop, Xi’an, China; GCAC Dresden Residency, Dresden, Germany; Venice Printmaking Studio, Venice, Italy; Vermont Studio Center; Moscow College of Applied and Industrial Arts, and Fedoskino Lacquer Miniature Factory, in Russia.

Currently, she is collaborating with the multimedia artists and scholars from USA, Armenia, Germany, and Greece on a project titled “Metamorphosis – The Human Stories.” It is a series of international exhibitions and lectures connecting contemporary art and the global migrant and refugee crisis.

Here are some examples of Mariana’s printmaking work.

 

Anna Pfeiffer-Herbert

Anna Pfeiffer-Herbert is an oceanographer interested in interactions of physical and ecological processes in the coastal ocean and estuaries. Anna holds a Ph.D. in Oceanography from University of Rhode Island, an M.S. in Ocean Sciences from University of California, Santa Cruz, and a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College. Currently, Anna is an Assistant Professor of Marine Science in the School of Natural Science and Mathematics at Stockton University in Southern New Jersey. Her recent projects include physical influences on oysters in the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, biogeochemical fluxes in the Columbia River plume, and wind-driven estuary-shelf exchange and larval ingress in the Narragansett Bay estuary.

Look for the next profile in two weeks. In the meantime, R&D editions will have its regular bi-weekly updates on studio work in between the profiles.

Intersecting Methods 2018 Profile: Sarah Fukami

This is the third post in a series to introduce the participating printmakers and their collaborators for the 2018 edition of the Intersecting Methods Portfolio. Every two weeks, into mid-December, a new profile of a collaborative pair will be posted. This segment profiles Sarah Fukami, artist,  and her collaborator, Christine Fukami. 

 

 

Sarah Fukami

Sarah Fukami was born and works in Denver, Colorado. She received her BFA with distinction from the University of Denver, and is currently finishing a two-year residency at RedLine. Specializing in mixed media printmaking, her work ranges from traditional techniques to straddling the line between the two- and three-dimensional utilizing materials such as Plexiglas. Her work focuses on the development and evolution of identity, particularly in relation to the immigrant experience. Her Japanese family was interned during World War II, and her art is rooted in social justice. More recently, she has become interested in the dissemination of history by searching through national archives and investigating unknown individuals from records and photographs.

instagram: @sarahfukami.art

Here are three examples of Sarah’s printmaking work.

 

 

Christine Fukami

Christine Fukami was born and raised in Denver, CO.  She attended the University of Denver, where she received her ACS BS with distinction in Chemistry.  She also graduated with an MS in Chemistry from Colorado State University, where she majored in Analytical Chemistry.  The majority of her research has revolved around identifying contaminants and studying their behavior in the environment with the aim of creating awareness of what is being introduced and to begin the arduous task of reducing their presence.  More recently, Christine has become interested in using microfluidic platforms for in vivo studies of cancer metastasis in order to improve understanding, and therefore treatment options for those afflicted by the disease.

Look for the next profile in two weeks. In the meantime, R&D editions will have its regular bi-weekly updates on studio work in between the profiles.

Intersecting Methods 2018 Profile: Megan Parker

This is the second post in a series to introduce the participating printmakers and their collaborators for the 2018 edition of the Intersecting Methods Portfolio. Every two weeks, into mid-December, a new profile of a collaborative pair will be posted. This segment profiles Megan Parker, artist,  and her collaborator, Dr. Justin Havird, postdoctoral research at Colorado State University. 

 

 

Megan Parker

Megan grew up pursuing art in the mountains of North Carolina. After studying at Yeditepe Üniversitesi in Turkey and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she earned her BFA with a concentration in design in 2008. She currently lives in Fort Collins and is a member of the printmaking co-op Mad Deer Press. Megan enjoys making narrative prints inspired by Appalachian folklore, Medieval art, and good ol’ fashioned animal skulls.

Website: http://meganlparker.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themeganparker/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/themeganlparker

Here are three examples of Megan’s printmaking work.

 

 

 

Dr Justin Havird

I am a broadly trained evolutionary biologist interested in how the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes work together to maintain cellular function in eukaryotes. I am currently a post-doc working with Daniel Sloan at Colorado State University investigating evolutionary genomics and cytonuclear interactions. This work has included examining patterns of coevolution between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes and investigating how mitochondrial mutation rate influences these processes. The plant genus Silene has been a model system for much of this work, as mitochondrial mutation rates vary drastically among closely related Silene species.

I completed my PhD at Auburn University, working with Scott Santos in the Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies. For my PhD I utilized animals from anchialine habitats across the Pacific to address broad topics such as the evolution of molecular mechanisms of osmoregulation.

Molecular techniques including next-generation sequencing and development of bioinformatic pipelines are used in most of my research projects. 

Look for the next profile in two weeks. In the meantime, R&D editions will have its regular bi-weekly updates on studio work in between the profiles.

Intersecting Methods 2018 Profile: Taryn McMahon

This is the first post in a series to introduce the participating printmakers and their collaborators for the 2018 edition of the Intersecting Methods Portfolio. Every two weeks, into mid-December, a new profile of a collaborative pair will be posted. This segment profiles Taryn McMahon, Assistant Professor in the School of Art at Kent State University, and her collaborator, Kathryn Strand, Assistant Professor in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University. 

 

Taryn McMahon

Taryn McMahon’s work imagines a future ecology in which the natural and artificial become intertwined and conflated. She has received numerous awards for her work including the Southern Graphics Council International Graduate Fellowship and fully funded residencies at Anderson Ranch, Snowmass Village, CO; Anchor Graphics, Chicago, IL; Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY; and 55 Limited, Berlin, Germany. She has had solo exhibitions at The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA; Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY; and William Busta Gallery, Cleveland, OH. Group exhibitions include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL; Dishman Art Museum, Beaumont, TX; McDonough Museum of Art, Youngstown, OH; and Islensk Grafik, Reykjavik, Iceland, among many others. Her prints are in the collections of Art in Embassies Program, Collection of the US Embassy, Reykjavik, Iceland; Anchor Graphics, Chicago, IL; University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; and Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY. She received her MFA from the University of Iowa and is an Assistant Professor at Kent State University.

Here are three examples of Taryn’s printmaking work.

 

Kathryn Strand

Kathryn Strand’s research-based practice with husband Jason Turnidge is focused on the choreography of architectural environments through fabrication of material and virtual situation. Interests include the examination of traditional to contemporary methods of architectural representation as generative tools that mediate between individual idea and constructed environment. The work has been recognized with numerous local to international awards and related research has been presented and published both nationally and internationally.

Additional professional experience includes work as a design associate at Thom Stauffer Architect[s] in Kent, OH where she was a design team member on numerous award-winning projects, including the Ceruti Residence, which received a House of the Year Award in 2006 from Architecture Magazine.

Strand received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fine Arts and Art History from the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 2002, she received a Master of Architecture degree from University of Pennsylvania where she spent a semester studying at the Architecture Association in London and was a participant in the International Laboratory of Architecture and Environmental Design held in Venice, Italy.

Strand is an Associate Professor in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University where she coordinates the First Year Foundation Sequence and conducts undergraduate design studios, architectural history, and a theory seminar on media and representation.

Look for the next profile in two weeks. In the meantime, R&D editions will have its regular bi-weekly updates on studio work in between the profiles.

Intersecting Methods 2018 Participants

Today I can announce the participants chosen for the 2018 installment of the Intersecting Methods portfolio. I have selected a great group of printmakers for the next set of editions. Here is the list of the final selections.

Sarah Fukami

David Gerhard

Beth Grabowski

Steve Huey

Elizabeth Klimek

Sarah Marshall

Taryn McMahon

Howard Paine

Megan Parker

Megan Singleton

Mariana Smith

Jackson Taylor

 

I am really excited for this group of participants and look forward to posting profiles of each participant and their collaborator in a new series over the summer and into the fall. Starting on July 14, every two weeks (in between my regular posts) I will be putting together a profile of each duo with biographies and images ending mid-December.

 

Intersecting Methods Panel Participants

R&D editions received 12 applications for the Intersecting Methods panel for the 2017 SGCI conference, Terminus, in Atlanta, GA. Each application was exceptional, but I can only choose three for the panel.

I have selected the applications of Erik Waterkotte, Patricia Olynyk, and Rob Swainston with Alison Dell.

Erik’s focus will explore re-structuring printmaking’s dissemination of research and work created in the studio to have a more direct relationship with the Industry and scientific research. While, Patricia will present and investigate a selection of contemporary artists, focused in printmaking, who create work based on scientific concepts and expand the definition of printmaking in the processes. Lastly, Rob Swainston with Alison Dell, will present their use of the scientific method to experiment and expand on printmaking techniques.

Along with their presentations, I will present some of the unique collaborations that have come from the 2014 and 2016 Intersecting Methods portfolio exchanges and how this project has expanded the dialogue between science and printmaking.

I will post more about this panel at different points between now and next March. But for now, feel free to read the abstracts from the three accepted panel applications below.

Erik Waterkotte’s Abstract:

For my contribution to the Intersecting Methods panel I propose that the intersections of science and printmaking are already present within the methodology and pedagogy of Printmaking but we need to reposition how we produce and disseminate the research and work we create within the Studio Arts. By examining the application and purpose of new technologies (both lo-tech and hi-tech, from GIF animations to 3-D Printing) we can easily identify important connections to the technology and skill-set of Printmaking. And, by expanding the application of Printmaking’s skill-set we can connect the Fine Art, Printmaking studio to industry and the production needs of today and beyond.

I will examine the apprehensions in re-connecting Printmaking with Industry and show that the goals and production of the last half-century of Contemporary Art are evidence that Fine Art can and should utilize industrial methods. Using examples from my own teaching and research (including recent collaborative, class projects, co-taught courses, and research into commercial printmaking and fabrication) I will detail how reconnecting Printmaking to Industry is extremely timely and germane. The artistic pedagogy of Printmaking is incredible and, if explored and expanded upon, can offer new paradigms and solutions in Science and Industry.

http://www.erikwaterkotte.com

Patricia Olynyk’s Abstract:

Science inspires and informs the arts, and the arts also inspire and inform science. A recent joint meeting of the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts engaged influential thinkers who explored various types of inquiry that concerns the territories of both art and science.

Like scientific research, printmaking fully engages evolving technologies and frequently involves asking questions for which we do not have an answer. It shares overlapping concerns with the life sciences, biotechnology and nanotechnology, which in turn generates new collaborations between printmakers and members of the scientific community. Such partnerships can incite reasoned debate on controversial issues related to new advances in science and medicine and also expand the possibilities for understanding the impact of science and technology on the human condition and all living systems.

Printmaking, like scientific inquiry, is iterative, process based, and largely image oriented. Printmakers sometimes engage in the visualization of biomedical and scientific phenomena, employing imagery or constructing work derived from—or dialectically related to—such research tools or processes that engage electron microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, digital tomosynthesis, and/or biomechatronics.

This presentation will include print media works by Hung Lu, Suzanne Anker, Brad Smith, Ellen K. Levy, and Patricia Olynyk (to name a few). I will discuss work inspired by notions of “reproduction,” “variation” and “complexity” (Trillium Press), work which mines medical archives to question scientific taxonomies (the Mütter Museum), and work that focuses on Gaston Bachelard’s assertion that: “bad science can produce good art.”

http://patriciaolynyk.com

Rob Swainston’s Abstract:

The printed image is deeply rooted in technology and innovation – a historically negotiated assemblage between hand, device, and image. As such printmaking is ripe for connecting art and science – and particularly to apply the scientific method to systematically investigate new ways to intervene with traditional printmaking methods.

Alison Dell, Ph.D. (research scientist, professor, and second generation printmaker) and Rob Swainston (artist, professor, and master printer) – have used the scientific method to generate a series of printmaking “hacks” in which digital technologies and less-toxic processes synergize with the tools and equipment already available in most printshops.

One such project is affectionately termed “fake etching,” or “fetching.” The goal of this project was to investigate how print processes can be more compatible with digital platforms yet maintain the rich tonal range achievable through intaglio techniques. Carrying out numerous experiments over the course of two research residencies at the Frans Masereel Centrum, Alison and Rob developed new photo-collagraph processes using cues from lithography, silkscreen, and Photoshop. In keeping with the information sharing mandated by the scientific community – Dell and Swainston published two “how-to” videos detailing their methods and results. These are freely available online.

The fetching project is just one example of Alison and Rob employing scientific method in developing new print processes. During the panel the team will present the findings of both this and other science-driven print investigations developed in Rob’s NYC Printshop, Prints of Darkness.

http://robswainston.com

Semester’s End

Just a short update this week with the semester’s end overwhelming my schedule as always. I have been meeting with my collaborators on new projects and there will be some interesting ideas and experiments coming down the pike.

A quick clue would be this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQggDnScsvI

I’ll be in Philadelphia for the Print Think symposium at Tyler School of Art in two weeks. If you will be there, drop me a message to meet up.

Conference Recovery

The SGC International 2016 conference in Portland, OR was a blast as always, but it takes time to recover. It didn’t help I was stuck on East Coast time the whole 5 days and couldn’t sleep past 5:30 or 6 am. Yet, even with lack of sleep, the conference was a full on, high octane run from start to finish.

Wednesday started it off with John Risseeuw‘s Keynote Speech about his career and work. For those that don’t know, John was my committee chair for my MFA thesis and a big influence on me in graduate school. He and Joe Segura were the two that pushed me the most and got my creative juices flowing. John’s Keynote was a great retrospective of his career, from his transition from a chemistry to art focus in undergrad, through his experiments with edible printing ink into establishing ASU’s book arts program and printmaking focus as power houses in our field.

John giving his keynote.

John giving his keynote.

After his keynote, there was a reception for a retrospective exhibition of his work. It was really well attended and amazing to see some work I had not seen before and others I was well acquainted with. Two Maryland students who attended the conference were blown away just after that first day, so they were in for a surprise.

John's exhibition reception

John’s exhibition reception

Thursday morning was the first realization I might not transition to Pacific Coast time, but I got up and started the day with a nice walk around Portland (as I did every morning). The Keynote Speech for James Rosenquist started off well, but became a little controversial with a comment by one of the panelists. I should say that James was unable to attend because of his health, so it was instead lead by a panel of two master printers who have worked with James, a local Portland print collector and lead by a PNCA art history professor. The controversial comment, to paraphrase, referred to one of the master printers saying collaboration was like dancing, so he know how it fell to be a woman and be lead. It sparked an immediate uproar of booing and was discussed multiple times over the weekend.

That was followed up by some demos on PSU’s campus before returning for the panel “Efflux: Contemporary Native Printmaking,” where my buddy, Jacob Meders, discussed his work alongside Gina Adams and Marwin Begaye.

IMG_1941

Friday was mostly focused around a series of demonstrations that I wanted to see. Specifically the Innovation IncK Laboratory with Erik Waterkotte, Brian Gonzalez, Shannon Collis and Erik Brunvand. They were demonstrating a series of new experiments in printmaking using conductive and thermo-chromic inks. Conductive ink is an ink made with copper particles in it, allowing electricity to pass through the ink and printed area. Thermo-chromic inks are inks that can change color when exposed to cold or heat depending on how you create the initial ink. By printed a resistor ink base, the conductive on top, shaped to your image/pattern, the thermo-chromic ink and then a clear coat, you can pass electricity through the conductive ink to produce heat to cause the thermo-chromic ink to change color.

Saturday was focused around the open portfolio sessions and I was lucky enough to be in two because a friend had purchased a table, but ended up not using it. So for the first two sessions I was able to show off the new CMYK laser engraved woodcuts and the two Intersecting Methods portfolios. There were lots of positive comments on both and about interest in next years call for the 2018 Intersecting Methods portfolio.

Table just before session 1

Table just before session 1

Finally Sunday came around and though I had planned to take full advantage of being in Portland for a full day before my flight, the conference had wiped me out. As I originally said, it was a great time, but its exhausting.

Portland Sunrise

Portland Sunrise

Now that I am fully recovered from the conference its on to planning for next years! I will be chairing a panel entitled “Intersecting Methods” at the 2017 conference in Atlanta. Here is the panel description:

The panel, Intersecting Methods, will explore the intersection of science and printmaking from multiple angles. The scientific method; hypothesis, experiment, examine the results, move forward or alter a variable, is similar to the method printmakers use to create explore a new idea; imagine a work, experiment with techniques, criticize the result and either move forward with the edition or try something new. This relationship has been building in the past 20 years with the rise of digital technology has been brought into the studio and integrated with professional practice.

Intersecting Methods aims to explore this relationship between scientific research and printmaking through examples of collaboration, research, process improvement, technology integration and more. Can printmaking be expanded by collaboration with the sciences? Has it already happened? Can printmaking improve or alter scientific research through artistic exploration? These questions and more will be investigated.

Application is open until June 1st and can be found here: http://sgciatlanta.com/Apply-Tier-2-Panelists.html. So if you have any interest, please submit. All accepted applicants will receive half off registration for the Atlanta conference and I think it will be another good one with the Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University now housing the SGC International Archives.

I will be meeting with Ryan Hackett and Dr. Charles Delwiche in the coming week, so there will be another update in a few weeks to discuss how those collaborations are going and what else may be coming down the pike.