Since the 1970s, Edmonton has seen the growth of a vital artistic community centered around the art of printmaking. IMPRINT features a selection of these artists, whose work reveals an attention to different printmaking techniques, as well as an interrelationship of subject matter. Organic forms proliferate in their works, as do references to the body and its interiority, both physical and psychic. When built spaces are evoked they are frequently bare and stark. Systems, both mechanical and biomorphic, are also suggested – though they seem alternately natural and fantastic.
Edmonton’s printmaking community developed at the University of Alberta. Lyndal Osborne and Walter Jule began teaching in the University’s printmaking division in 1971. Over the years, affiliates of the program have become leading figures in contemporary art in Alberta, they include: Sean Caulfield, Steve Dixon, Karen Dugas, Liz Ingram, Marc Siegner and Richard Yates. In their work, large-scale prints are often comprised of layered imagery and varied printing techniques. Printmaking, however, is by no means their only means of expression. These artists work in a range of media, including painting, sculpture and installation, which are also featured in this exhibition.
The exhibition IMPRINT: Contemporary Art from the AGA Collection includes an additional installation of prints created through The Society of Northern Alberta Print-artists (SNAP) artists Newsletter program. This artist-run centre opened in 1982 and became a hub for Edmonton’s printmakers.
IMPRINT: Contemporary Art from the AGA Collection, features works from the Art Gallery of Alberta’s collection. It is the third in a series of exhibitions in 2012 that celebrates the diversity of the local art scene.