Lower East Side Printshop. 

My first stop was Lower East Side Printshop.  Founded in 1968 the Printshop moved to its present location in 2005. With over 160 artists served each year, it claims to be the largest printmaking studio in the U.S.

The studio is located on the 6th floor of an industrial building facing West 37th Street.  It offers 4000 square feet of workspace. Christine Walia, programs director, gave me a tour. The shared Artists’ Studio, open 24/7, struck me as a well-organized, functional place.  It was a quiet morning, with artists’ belongings tucked neatly onto designated shelf space.  The workshop has facilities for intaglio, relief, monoprint, waterbased silkscreen techniques, photo and digital processes.

Lower Eastside Printshop.  Gallery.

There is also a Collaborations Studio, where a couple of artists in residence were working. In another section of the studio there is a small gallery and office space.  I browsed through some portfolios and chatted with Chirstine. I left with the impression of an efficiently run studio.

My next stop was Manhattan Graphics Center, an artist-run printmaking studio, a few blocks away.  The workshop was bustling.  In contrast to Lower East Side Printshop,  Manhattan Graphics Center  is administered primarily by key holders.  Key holders are members who monitor the studio and do chores for four hours a week in exchange for access to the studio when it is closed and for tuition discounts.  The monitor on duty was a bubbly artist, bursting with enthusiasm as she showed me around.  There was a workshop in progress and the space was infused with a creative energy all too familiar to me.

Manhattan Graphics Center 

The studio is equipped for etching, lithography and silkscreen, with a darkroom and an exposing room.  There is also a gallery and seminars area.  The workspace is compact, set up in a long area.  Judging from the artists at work, it looks functional and pleasant to work in.

Manhattan Graphic Center 

The monitor showed me some of her monotypes and I spoke with Robin Dintiman, a collagraph artist, who also teaches at the workshop.  She had two collagraphs in the members’ show.  The one that caught my eye, was made with an impressive five plates, and still managed to convey a sense of lightness and transparency.

I left after a round of jovial goodbyes and directions to Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, again conveniently located a hop away.  Who knew Manhattan would be so easy to navigate?

Robert Blackburn, an African American artist, founded the studio in 1948.  At Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, I was greeted by Connie, a soft-spoken, monitor. An artist worked in the far end of the studio as Connie explained the ins and outs of daily functioning.  While the studio features all the traditional facilities, I was particularly impressed by the digital lab that boasts four of the latest iMacs, CS5 and a large format Epson inkjet printer. The studio also has a small room reserved for contract printing.

Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop

The highlight of my visit was the member’s show at the gallery, a few floors up.  In the mid-sized gallery, the walls were lined with prints, reflecting a variety of styles and techniques.  There was also a table with a fun assortment of artist’s books.  I met Chris Dunnett, Workshop Manager.  A graduate of Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Chris is a dynamic, articulate fellow, with a passion for printmaking.  He was giving a pep talk to a group of NSCAD students, giving advice on interning in printshops. I introduced myself and we all chatted for a while.  They had all heard of Atelier Circulaire.

Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.  Gallery.

I left with Chris’s complex but impeccable set of bus and subway directions to get to the Print Fair.  On my way out, I stopped by the printmaking studio and picked up some of their wild pins, for my artist friends back home.  LITHOGRAPHERS DO IT ON ROCKS was not the raunchiest one!

Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.  Pins.

I stepped onto 39th Street with a smile on my face and a pin on my jacket: PRINTMAKING ROCKS!

Talleen Hacikyan

October 31 to November 6, 2011 was print week in New York City. I did what any respectable, adventure-seeking printmaker would do. I hopped on a Greyhound bus and headed to the Big Apple.

My first cultural visit was the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) Print Fair. The event was housed in the elegant Park Avenue Armory, known for its magnificent 19th-century interiors, including a veteran’s room and a library designed by Louis C. Tiffany.

Armed with my press pass, I entered the main exhibition hall and experienced two hours of bliss. The fair featured over 90 international art dealers from Europe and North America, all members of IFPDA. Notable dealers participating this year included Pace Prints, Marborough Graphics, Two Palms, David Tunick, Inc., The Paragon Press, Hill-Stone Inc., Gemini G.E.L. and Barbara Krakow Gallery.

The IFPDA Print Fair is the largest international art fair dedicated to exhibiting fine prints from all periods. There was a good balance of historical and contemporary work. I saw masterpieces by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrant van Rijn, Fransisco de Goya, Juan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Jasper Johns and Richard Prince, to name a few. Prices ranged from a few hundred to a few million dollars.

There was a smattering of red dots beside prints, mostly in the foreign exhibitors’ kiosks. The fair was teaming with sixty and seventy-something collectors making the rounds. I spotted mostly women and some couples. The women were smartly dressed in classical casual designer wear, usually black, offset with gold necklaces or colorful silk scarves, pacing the aisles in patent leather pumps, clutching their big purses with big bucks.

I enjoyed catching bits of conversations between collectors and dealers. “Put a red dot on that one.” “When can you have it shipped?” “I’ll use my wife’s checkbook, it’s easier.” Or referring to the frame that a dealer was trying to push, “I might as well take it. One less thing for me to do.” My favorite conversation took place between a woman and a dealer with whom she had a working relationship. Pointing to a black and white etching, the woman said, “I have that one.” Dealer: “No, you have a very similar one.” Woman: “I could go across the street (Park Avenue) to check. Of course you do know they all end up on the floor.”

Besides eavesdropping, I looked at the art. The interesting thing about viewing art in such a generous setting that overflows with images, is that certain pieces manage to jump out.

Robert Cottingham

As one enters the exhibition hall, Tandem Press welcomes visitors with An American Alphabet, a striking set of lithographs by American artist, Robert Cottingam. These alphabet prints are based on photos taken by the artist while traveling across the United States. While not highly original, these images emit the nostalgic aura of bygone Americana.

John Baldesari

My favorite piece was a mixografía print on handmade paper by John Baldessari, a contemporary American artist. A B C Art (Low Relief) Part II: PMBWFDLJ (Pangram). A pangram is a sentence that uses all the letters of the alphabet. The visual impact, whimsical message and impeccable execution caught my eye.

Sophie Calle

I enjoyed the work of Sophie Calle, a French writer, photographer, installation and conceptual artist. The Bronx is a set of 9 Iris prints with accompanied texts. Calle went to the Bronx and asked strangers to take her to their favorite place in neighborhood and to describe the significance of these locations to her. The stories are moving, well written, and with the photos create a revealing portrait of the Bronx. The cultural anthropologist and writer in me thrived on this piece. The gallery owner thanked me for reading each of the stories.

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst, an English artist, showed Death or Glory, a series of two-color gold foil block prints of his trademark skull imagery. Foil blocking is a commercial process where a metal block is heated on a press and a metallic or colored foil is branded onto the material. The titles, such as Death or Glory Hazy Gold include the actual names of the gold pigments used to create the dazzling iridescent effects.

As with mixografia and foil block printing, the fair showed several examples of work executed in non-traditional printmaking techniques: luminescent prints, laserjet prints mounted on plexi, and stereoscopic prints. I also noticed an abundance of highly embossed prints, sometimes bordering on gaudy.

The IFPDA Print Fair is a fascinating destination. Not only does it attract high profile collectors, museum directors, celebrities and noted philanthropists, It draws its fare share of artists. As I left the exhibition hall I saw a sign: NO ART WORK LARGER THAN 3X4 FEET MAY BE CARRIED OUT THE DOOR. My empty hands hinted that I belong in the last category of visitors.

www.printfair.com

Talleen Hacikyan

Época V, Oil on canvas mounted on board, 60 x 48 inches, 2011

The paintings in Época are like game boards, with no start or finish, waiting for players to remix human and animal heads, with fish, gloves, bowls, umbrellas and knives, creating multiple scenarios with open endings. These elements interact quietly on the canvas, creating a brew of potent emotion. Like hieroglyphic characters, these symbols spell out messages, albeit subliminal, subject to interpretation.The repetition of certain forms such as the primitive human profile, becomes a mantra, creating a sense of harmony.

Era V, Oil on canvas mounted on board, 48 x 60 inches, 2011

In the Era series aquatic creatures float amongst vegetables and organic forms captured at different stages of gestation. Again, these paintings suggest possibilities of how life may develop. In Era V fish, bottles and heads are depicted on a textured surface, reminiscent of parchment. Like continents on an ancient map, these elements entice us to explore and discover. In Era XI a red chair, surrounded by radiant color, beckons us. It could be one of those paint-speckled chairs that one finds in artists’ studios. Perhaps it personifies the artist himself, reflecting on his paintings, deciphering their cryptic messages. The chair invites us into Lau’s world and entices us to bask in its warmth.

Época I, Oil on canvas mounted on board, 48 x 60 inches, 2011

Época & Era is an opportunity to step into the imagination of a constantly evolving artist. Manuel Lau comes from a successful graphic arts background. This exhibition, entirely dedicated to painting, marks his commitment to painting. It offers the promise of an era of treasures to come.

Talleen Hacikyan

At
HAN ART
4209 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest
Westmount, Québec, Canada H3Z 1P6

An exhibition catalogue is available.

Incoming, Circling, Allegory, Relinquishing, Unworldly, Sunward, linocut, 19 x 19 cm each, 2011

Icarus Series

After working on the large collective linocut, I wanted to make miniature prints. The small square format inspired letters. In this series, Icarus spells out his name with his body while narrating his story. This choreography of letters, like a graffiti writer’s tag, affirms identity and perpetuity.

Incognito, Celestial, Auberge, Ricochet, Oblivion, linocut, 38 x 28 cm each, 2011

Icaro Series

I created the Icaro series specifically for the ICARE 6 exhibition at l’Usine C. The Italian and Spanish name Icaro has an operatic ring to it that I found suitable for l’Usine C. I was also attracted to the graphic possibilities of the letter O, that inspired a lifesaver for Icarus. Other letters are formed with trees, the moon and the sea. These elements act as props on a stage for lyrical, dream-like scenes that contrast with the tone of the myth of Icarus.

I fell in love with printmaking in Monique Carbonneau’s relief printing class at Université du Québec à Montréal. When I graduated in 1985, I joined Atelier Circulaire, where I continued making woodcut prints for two years before exploring other print techniques and focusing on collagraphy. The ICARE 6 project let me reconnect with relief printing, my first passion.

ICARE 6 continues at l’Usine C until October 15, 2011.

Talleen Hacikyan

L’USINE C
1345, AVENUE LALONDE
MONTRÉAL (QC) H2L 5A9

Exhilarating, refreshing, welcoming. These are the words that I associate with the Under Pressure International Graffiti Convention, which took place on August 13 and 14, in Montreal. Hats off to Sterling Downy, the founder of this festival for creating this stimulating and safe venue for graffiti writers.

I headed to the 16th edition of Under Pressure on Sunday evening. After a draining afternoon of dragging my consumer-weary feet over the black arrows that direct customers through a money-trapped maze, otherwise known as Ikea, I felt rejuvenated as I explored the back alleys of Les Foufounes Éléctriques on Saint-Catherine Street. The hiss of spray cans, the explosion of color on brick walls, the elegant and daring skateboarders, the captivating break-dancers and the uplifting backbeat provided by emcees and DJs jolted me out of shopper’s stupor.

Since I caught the tail end of this event I could admire many finished pieces by graffiti artists from Montreal, Berlin, Paris and London.

Axel Void

Axel Void’s work caught my eye for it’s sparse treatment and it’s dark emotional charge.

Mostly, however, I was charmed to witness this block party where young people could practice their passions in peace. Some writers were applying finishing touches to their murals on their designated wall, delineated by scaffolding boards and frames. This quintessential contemporary urban scene somehow reminded me of prehistoric cave artists.

Janie Belcourt

I visited the new two-story Pop-UP gallery across the street, housed in a historic building that once belonged to the French daily La Patrie. It features large open spaces in a state of semi-decay, which echos the interiors of abandoned buildings infiltrated by street art. The art at Pop-Up did not jump off the walls and ceilings. Most of it felt lifeless and confined without the interaction with urban elements and the buzz of street life. I was, however, pleased to discover the work of Janie Belcourt, who designs furniture from reclaimed skateboards. Her pieces work well in this setting, oscillating between chic and street smart.

En Masse

My last stop was Les Foufounes Éléctriques, to check out the mural that is repainted with each new edition of Under Pressure. I was impressed by the medley of expressions peering from the black and white portraits created by the collective En Masse. It is a perfect backdrop for the nightlife that flows in and out of the club.

No matter where one sits on the controversial graffiti fence, one cannot deny the existence of this vital form of expression. To see it celebrated in the context of the Under Pressure festival is eye-opening and reassuring. Self-run and funded through donations and fundraisers, UP consistently delivers a unique event that embellishes the city and demonstrates that graffiti is an art in its own right, that can be practiced in a harmonious setting.

Talleen Hacikyan

Photos by Talleen Hacikyan

l’Usine C

L’Usine C, founded in 1995 by Carbone 14, is a centre for the creation and diffusion of multidisciplinary contemporary arts. It is located in the heart of Montreal’s Centre-South neighborhood, in what used to be the old Raymond factory. The architecture features many of the original elements such as cement columns and ceilings while skillfully integrating them with new materials such as glass, steel, metal and wood. The building itself is worth a visit.

Clockwise: Rolande, Talleen, René, Michel, Deborah, Noémie

A couple of weeks ago, during the height of the heat wave, the artists met at Atelier Circulaire to make a new print of our large collective linocut. This enormous plate, originally intended to be printed by steamroller, is a challenge to print by hand. My fellow artists used tablespoons to transfer the ink onto the paper, while I used a metal soap, that works like a dream, without breaking your fingers in the process. We printed onto Kuzuke, a thin Japanese paper that we glued onto Arches.

Printing with a metal soap

Come September 6, we will celebrate the fruit of our efforts at a vernissage in this unique theatre centre, the atmosphere of which has been compared to venues in Soho and Berlin. Hope to see you there, Montreal that is.

Icare 6
Vernissage : Tuesday, September 6, 2011, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

L’USINE C
1345, AVENUE LALONDE
MONTRÉAL (QC) H2L 5A9

Talleen Hacikyan

Photo #2 by Josée Charbonneau
Photo #3 by Deborah Wood
Thank you!

Deborah Wood, Talleen Hacikyan, Angelikno, Rolande Pelletier,
Michel Lancelot, et en avant, René Donais.

Autour d’Icare is an exhibit of twenty-eight linocut prints by six artists on the theme of Icarus. All the work has been printed in black, creating a classic look that enhances the graphic quality of linocut printing.

Angelikno, René Donais, Talleen Hacikyan,
Michel Lancelot, Rolande Pelletier, Deborah Wood
La chute d’Icare, linocut print, 213 x 107 cm, 2011

The pièce de résistance is La Chute d’Icare, a large format collaborative work by Angelikno, René Donais, Talleen Hacikyan, Michel Lancelot, Rolande Pelletier and Deborah Wood. The creative process that led to La chute d’Icare is unique. Once the artists decided on portraying a life-size Icarus, Talleen struck the pose of the Greek mythological character falling through the sky. The other artists traced her silhouette onto paper, perfected the sketch freehand and transferred it onto the linoleum plate. This plate was cut into twelve equal pieces. Each artist was assigned two plates randomly, to engrave on their own. Once the plates were assembled, the artists completed their pieces according to the whole work. The resulting print is exhibited next to the engraved linoleum plate, where one can appreciate intricate lines and textures.

The linocut printing technique was first used by the artists of Die Brücke in Germany between 1905 and 1913, where it had been used for wallpaper printing. Picasso and Matisse made many linocuts and helped establish the technique as a professional print medium.

Autour d’Icare at Atelier Circualire

Each artist in this show exhibits a series of prints. Individual identities are given free reign here and these works echo the artists’ contributions to La chute d’Icare. Six artists offer six visions of the Greek myth about Icarus’s failed attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings crafted by his father Daedalus.

Rolande Pelletier, Chute d’Icare I, linocut print, 38 x 28 cm, 2011

Rolande Pelletier plays with a purified style that marries abstract and figurative expression. In Chute d’Icare I, the perched bird, is a reference to Bruegel’s painting on the same theme.

René Donnais, Le bras d’Icare, Linocut print, 2011

René Donais’s Le bras d’Icare, where birds try to escape from the flesh of the forearm, confirms the artist’s fascination for anatomy. Better known as an intaglio artist, René created his first linocuts for this project.

Angelikno, Installation: linocut prints on wood panels,
Icare tombe… et se relève, 2011

Angelikno presents an installation of linocuts on wood panels. She selected sections from her plates in La chute d’Icare. The decomposition and rearranging of imagery create a visual code for new interpretations of the theme.

Talleen Hacikyan, Incoming, Circling, Allegory, Relinquishing, Unworldly, Sunward, linocut prints, 19 x 19 cm each, 2011

Talleen Hacikyan presents a series of six mini prints, executed in the tradition of hand-drawn typography. Icarus’s body spells out the story of his fate while spelling out his name, as if to affirm his existence or to preserve his identity.

Michel Lancelot, Icarus Paris, relief, collage, embossing, 56 x 76 cm, 2011
René Donais, La mère d’Icare, linocut print, 76 x 56 cm, 2011
Michel Lancelot, Icarus Montréal, relief, collage, embossing, 76 x 56 cm, 2011

Michel Lancelot in Icarus Paris and Icarus Montreal, introduces touches of color to the show with maps of the respective cities, forming Icarus’s wings. The maps transpose the mythical character, suggesting the universal and timeless relevance of his story.

Deborah Wood, Chute d’Icare, Linocut print, 64 x 38 cm, 2011

In Deborah Wood’s Chute d’Icare, Icarus is portrayed during his fatal fall. The juxtaposition of the figure with the background also suggests birth or perhaps rebirth.

Autour d’Icare is a rare opportunity to see a show devoted to the linocut and to witness a remarkable artistic collaboration.

Talleen Hacikyan
Coordinator of the Autour d’Icare project

Atelier Circulaire
5445 Avenue de Gaspé, espace 503
Montreal, QC H2T 3B2
(514) 272-5413

My presentation was part of l’Oeil Ravi’s series of artist’s lectures, organized by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle. It was an occasion to present my work to a new audience from the region, composed of artists and the general public.

I started the first half of my presentation by showing some original woodcut prints, created in 1985, when I joined Atelier Circulaire. I followed this with a projection of prints from the past nine years.

When I paused the projection midway for a question period, I was pleased to interact with this inquisitive and expressive crowd. There were many technical questions, from artists and non-artists. I continued the projection with step by step photos of me printing at my studio and finished with images my current dress series.

The coffee break was a perfect opportunity for everyone to view the exhibit of my prints and to peruse the table of artist’s books and the display of prints next to their plates. There was a warm feeling in the Maison Valois. People approached me and expressed genuine gratitude.

For the second part of my talk I filled in the missing links between my first woodcuts and the projected work. I showed original prints that represent important periods of my work, commenting on influences, how one stage influenced the next and recurring themes. The audience, alive as ever, asked questions and made perceptive comments that kept me on my toes and giving them more until 10:00 p.m.

It is always interesting to present my work. Each experience reminds me of the undeniable fact that printmaking solicits technical curiosity. People want to know how-- how long, what paper, what glue, what wood, what tools, what press. My mother, who was in the audience, remarked the next day, that to hear some of the questions, you’d think that the inquirers were at work in front of a press!

I appreciated sharing thoughts about my art with this audience, in this adorable house with yellow shutters, on the shore of Lake of Two Mountains. Driving home through the night, in my car packed with frames, waiting for the green light at the corner of St. Charles and Adèle in Vaudreuil, my husband excitedly pointed out my name flashing on an electronic board, announcing my lecture. I smiled and thought to myself, “Done!”

Talleen Hacikyan

www.talleen.net

Noémie, Deborah, Rolande, Talleen and René at Atelier Circulaire

In preparation for this printing event, a group of five artists and myself have been carving a collective linoleum plate, inspired by The Fall of Icarus (see previous 3 blogs). The past couple of weeks have been full of exciting work sessions with my fellow artists.

Assembling our linoleum plates

Each artist engraved two linoleum plates, sections of our main design. The day we put our pieces together was thrilling. The ensemble of our work took on a life of its own, a very intricate, expressive and unique life. Put into the context of the whole piece, we were better equipped to take decisions regarding our individual plates. We worked on transitions between sections, and fed off each other’s work.

René carves his plate according to Deborah’s, below his


Noémie makes adjustments

There were several other sessions of collaborative work: printing proofs of all our plates, assembling our proofs and making further adjustments on our plates, gluing our linoleum to a 4 by 7 foot piece of plywood, and making a hand printed copy of our piece on Japanese paper. I had planned on hand printing a copy by myself and was happy to get lending hands not only from Rolande, but from Hélène and Mary, who are not working on this project. They couldn’t resist the allure of printing with a spoon, which with the size of our plate, is a real workout!

Rolande, Hélène and Talleen handprinting with spoons

I am humbled by the implication and enthusiasm of the artists I have the pleasure of working with. Although I have been sharing a studio with these artists for years, working on this project has allowed me to witness firsthand their creative process. I gained insight into how they perceive and make visual decisions.

Inking our plate

It may rain on Saturday but this continues to be a bright experience for me. As we arrange final details such as packing and transporting Icarus to his destination, I have the distinct feeling I am preparing for a trip. I will pack Icarus’s suitcase, like I used to pack my son’s when he was a baby: inking roller, masking tape, scissors, latex gloves, rags and talcum powder to wipe off ink stains. Thank God I don’t need to haul diapers! Although with the weather forecast being what it is, I may take some Tylenol in case Icarus catches a cold.

Talleen Hacikyan

N.B. Due to rain, the Steamroller Printing Event has been Postponed to May

Traditionally Fridays have always been animated at Atelier Circulaire. The studio comes alive as artists work, socialize and congregate around presses and the kitchen table. The phone rings off the hook and visitors flow in and out the door. The atmosphere is nothing short of electric.

Deborah inking my linoleum plate

Last Friday was no exception. Deborah, Michel, Noémie and I worked on our Icarus print, a collaborative project involving six artists.

Michel’s plate on the Potter Proof Press

Michel and I made test proofs of our linoleum plates. Deborah adjusted the pressure of her 1910 Potter Proof Press, designed to proof handset type for corrections before the final printing of a newspaper. It was a treat to have Deborah ink my plate and print it on this handsome machine. I was relieved to discover that I’ll be able to work with the bubbly texture that resulted from leaving my plate in the oven too long (see previous blog, Icarus Flew In My Oven).

Michel’s first proof

Michel carved a plate with a section of the sun, and another with a fragment of thigh and buttock. True to his experimental nature, for the sun he created a radiating array dots with a drill, playing with different bits. On his other plate Michel juxtaposed the body with a linear geometric treatment.

Our printing was followed by a carving session. I worked with Deborah, sharing her sophisticated tools, which she gets sharpened professionally at l’Aiguiserie on Papineau. At ease with her tools, carving fluidly, Deborah lets her imagination flow freely. I witnessed the fine balance between preplanned composition and improvised textural development on her plate.

After Deborah and I treated ourselves to a delectable Chinese lunch at Luck Hop Foo on St. Laurent, we got back to work at our table, where Noémie joined us. She has the second half of Michel’s sun and used the electric drill to continue Michel’s dots on her plate.

Noémie

Noémie didn’t need a power tool for speed. When she switched to hand tools, her image progressed rapidly, revealing her uniquely graphic style. As Deborah, Noémie and I carved our plates side by side, it felt like we were participating in a quilting bee. Our easy, jovial chit-chat was punctuated by spells of concentrated silence, as each of us embellished pieces of what will become one image.

Collective carving session

It is a privilege working with the other artists in my group. I threw myself into this project without much premeditated thought. I was drawn to the idea of having a big piece printed under a steamroller, in front of a live audience. I didn’t realize that the process of getting to that point would be so rich and rewarding.

Talleen Hacikyan