Printmaking Artists

Chuck Close. 1940, Washington USA)

Chuck Close is a painter, photographer and printmaker who is associated with Photorealism or Superrealism. He taught art for three years at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst after he graduated from the University of Washington (BFA, art) in 1962 and from Yale (MFA, art) in 1964. In 1967 he went to New York to pursue his art career. In 1988 Close’s spinal artery suddenly collapsed leaving him paralysed. He managed to continue painting by strapping a paintbrush to his wrist and moving the brush in circular motions. Now he uses a he uses a hydraulic lift to move his around the canvas to complete his paintings.
During the time of abstract expressionism, Close went against this to redefine portraiture. He used grids to transfer photos onto large canvases, often 3 metres high and enhances details of the face to create an unusual and shocking image.

Chuck Close, “Emma.” (2002) 113-color Japanese-style woodcut

Close focuses on the importance of the visual elements shapes, such as textures, volume, shadows, and highlights of the photograph itself. He also was interested in how a photograph shows some parts of the image in focus, or sharp, and some out-of-focus, or blurry.
Close focuses not just on the importance of facial features, such as eyes, mouth, nose but also on appearance of the skin with different colours and shapes in each box of the grid.
I like this idea of making the entire face important, detailed and colourful rather than the usual facial features. It creates a unique and abstract image which up close would be difficult to understand what it is of but from a distance, the boxes in the grid form an entirely new image. Also the way in which Close creates his work is very inspiring.

Julian Opie, 1958, London England,

Opie is a contemporary english artist who graduated Goldsmiths College in 1982 and achieved some early gallery success. His work involves the reduction of photographs which are created by using computers. In his portraiture he characterises the human face by black outlines with flat areas of colour, and minimalised detail. Facial features are simple black line or circles. Very famous work of his is Blur’s best of album cover. The faces of the four band members are transformed into Opie’s style of art.

Julian Opie. “Sam, schoolboy” (2001)

Opie shows the complexities of the human form by reducing it to basics. Although for areas of the face which are full of expression, such as the eyes, are simple black circles here on “Sam, schoolboy” the face still is alive and full of character created by the positioning of the eyebrows and the white dots of the eyes. It looks like a school photograph which has been simplified and elements reduced to create this sort of work. Much of Opie’s work is very simaler. I like his simplified style but I find the complete use of a computer makes them too mechanical looking. They remind me of some of Warhol’s pieces because it seems that they could be turned out of a computer or factory without the artist being involved at all.

Andrew Mackenzie. Banff, Scotland. 1969

Edinburgh College of Art. 1987 – 1991. BA (hons), Drawing and Painting
1991 – 1993. Master of Fine Art (M.F.A.)

Footbridge 1

Footbridge 2

Footbridge 3

These are my 3 favourite prints that I have seen from other artists. I have recently found myself interested in the forms and shapes of trees and their branches. I have begun to draw and paint them alot and I find these prints very inspiring. They are all almost the exact same print but the appearance and mood of them changes so much depending on the colour used. Footbridge 1 and 2 are more bold than footbridge 3 because of the strong, bright colours used. Footbridge 3 is my favourite. The branches and bridge behind the trees are so delicate and detailed. It has a ghostly feeling and looks like a frosty cold winter day.

Renato Galante. Taranto, Italy. 1962

Untitled (large) Screenprint/Lithograph

Untitled (medium) Screenprint/Lithograph

Untitled (small) Screenprint/Lithograph

These prints have a organic quality, created by the natural greens, reds and browns and soft petal like images. For me they resemble flowers and plants entwined with the wings of a butterfly in Untitled (medium).
I like this organic appearance of these 3 prints. The background is left white so the viewer is drawn towards the detailed patterns, lines and curves.