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UNDER PRESSURE - Contemporary Wairarapa Print Artists

Showing 22 February 2020 - 27 April 2020

A selected exhibition featuring print art - etchings, linocuts, woodcuts, screen prints, collagraphs, lithographs, intaglio and relief printing - by artists living in Wairarapa.

Independent selector: Liz Bondy.

Organising committee: Jo Lysaght, Linda Tilyard and Nick Brandon 

Exhibition Opening: 21 February 5.30pm - Guest Speaker: Liz Bondy. All welcome.                                         

Public Talk with artist-organisers: 22 February 11am. All welcome.  

Foyer exhibition "Tenderness" by Dutch International Mezzotint Ambassador Nan Mulder (The Netherlands): 11 February – 1 March. 

Mezzotint demonstration by Nan Mulder: Saturday, 22 February, 12pm & 1pm. All welcome.      

Printmaking School Holiday Programme: 21 - 23 April, for ages 8-13. For information/booking.                                              

AWARDS:
Most Technical Award: Linda Evangaline-Smith, In the Bush, Screenprint
Most Experimental Award: Jacqui Clarke, Mesquite, Monoprint on clay
Best Mood and Atmosphere: Linda Evangaline-Smith, Just After Sunset, Monotype,
Highly Commended Award: Sandie Fletcher, I Hope You Brought the Ball, Linocut
People's Choice Award -- to be announced at the close of the exhibition, 27 April 2020

EXHIBITING ARTISTS:
Mary Blackmore, Nick Brandon, Stephanie Chilcott, Jacqui Clarke, Annie Doornebosch, Ethan Eade, Linda Evangaline-Smith, Sandie Fletcher, Laura Garland, Rosalie Jurczenko, Wendy Kempsell, Jo Lysaght, Rebecca Macfie, Sandi Maddox, Millie Ogg, Karena Patricia, Sam Te Tau, Linda Tilyard, Meg Waddington, Adam West-Watson, Kirsty White

The idea for UNDER PRESSURE came about in 2017, when Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand held a nation-wide exhibition in Aratoi’s main gallery.  Masterton-based print artists Linda Tilyard and Nick Brandon were so inspired that they suggested a local show to Aratoi Director Susanna Shadbolt.

Linda and Nick teamed up with printmaker Jo Lysaght to organise the logistics of a selected exhibition. They have met regularly with other print artists at Masterton Art Club, which holds print workshops, from beginner to expert, and which acquired a large, high quality etching press in 2018.  When the team put out a call for expressions of interest in June 2019, the response was enthusiastic.

“We expect a huge variety, from etching, linocut and woodcut to screen print, collagraph, lithography, intaglio, and more,” said Linda Tilyard, who minored in printmaking at Ilam. “Printmaking is dear to my heart – there’s so much creative magic involved – and I can’t wait to see everyone’s work. We’ve also asked each contributing artist to bring one print scrap to create a community exhibition piece.”

Jo Lysaght, also graphic designer for the project, sees printmaking as “democratic” in that it’s an affordable art form. She likes that prints are “handmade – they don’t come out of a computer – and diverse. An etching is so different from a lino-cut which is different yet again from intaglio.”

“We titled the show ‘Under Pressure’ because most printmaking is done under pressure,” said Nick Brandon. “There’s been a lot of work – and excitement – putting this Wairarapa-wide exhibition together!”

“Aratoi is thrilled with how this project has developed,” said Susanna Shadbolt. “We are here to support the community and commend the Wairarapa print artists who enter this show.”

SUBMISSIONS:

Submissions by Wairarapa artists MUST be delivered on 14 February - Please see this form for information:

https://www.aratoi.org.nz/sites/default/files/Under%20pressure%20submissions.pdf