What is Printmaking and Why is it Important? Mo Kelly
Printmaking is creating art from some kind of stamp. The stamp can be made of wood, linoleum, or any other material. Printmaking with stamps is called "relief printing". There are four more kinds of printmaking; intaglio, serigraphy, lithography and mono-printing. Each one is unique, but they carry the same basic concept.
Printmaking was one of the earliest forms on art found in the world. It was first found in the 6th century. It is believed to be invented by Daniel Hopfer, but many prints were found before the actual invention. The earliest form of printmaking was the woodcut. People slowly started to use different materials as the years passed. The invention of printmaking was revolutionary. You could make thousands of art pieces only using one stamp. Because there are so many different kinds of printmaking, if you don't like one kind, you could try another one. Anyone can make a print. All you need is a a material you can carve into, some kind of ink, and paper. It is very inexpensive. The invention of printmaking changed the world of art forever.
The print pictured above is a piece that interests me. The use of lighting is interesting is what makes this picture good. The moon produces the light and it shines on the objects. You can't tell what the objects are, exactly. It is up to the reader to decide what they think it is. Personally, I see a man sleeping next to a mountain and a boulder. But, my neighbor could see something completely different. Making the print black and white was a bold choice. It sets the tone for the picture and making it have colors would change the meaning completely. The detailed lines are eye catching. This picture was found in "The Art of Printmaking" exhibit in Lehigh University Art Galleries.
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