PROOF: Two Decades of Printmaking by PCANZ

PROOF

TWO DECADES OF PRINTMAKING 

PRINT COUNCIL AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

Published by Massey University Press

"A superb showcase of some of the best examples of contemporary fine art printmaking in Aotearoa New Zealand today. With 166 works by 151 artists, Proof covers a huge breadth of printmaking processes and display the incredible diversity of this artform, from the more traditional woodcuts and etchings to those pushing the boundaries of print. With a foreword by Susanna Shadbolt, Director of Aratoi, Masterton, brief essays on the history of PCANZ, including significant exhibitions, and a glossary of printmaking terms and techniques this book is a valuable resource for art students and teachers.

This first survey of fine art printmaking in Aotearoa to be published in nearly 50 years is a visual feast for designers, graphic artists, book binders, artists and art lovers."

Massey University Press

 

PCANZ members across the country have been camped out at their letter boxes over the past couple weeks, eagerly awaiting the delivery of their copy of this beautiful book. 

I expect the first thing they did, after admiring the beautiful tactile cloth cover with embossed copper foil lettering, the unusual and eye-catching binding, and the luscious marbled end-papers, was to flip through the pages to find their work.

And I doubt anyone was disappointed. 

There has been a constant stream of posts on social media showing the delight and pride of members as they show off the book and their published work.

Everyone who was a current member as of 2020 was invited to submit work to be included.

There is also a section of Honorary Members, artists who have been involved in PCANZ and made a major contribution to printmaking in Aotearoa and Life Members, acknowledging those who have made exceptional past and current contributions to Print Council. All Life members have the honour of two images of their work.

The images are beautifully presented and the book is a treasure trove of the best of everyone's work. Such a sight to behold, and a valuable resource of the vast array of printmaking techniques, styles and presentations used today.

Flipping through the pages, for me, feels personal, like I'm flipping through a family album - family in that I personally know many of the artists in the book, or I know of them and their work, with thanks to PCANZ. It warms my heart to be a part of this whanau. 

And the greatest thanks for this book goes to the PCANZ publication team of

Kathy Boyle,

Di Harries 

and 

Heather Partel.

Their vision and many, many months of sheer hard work,

 took this from dream to reality, 

"akin to mounting the largest exhibition ever undertaken by PCANZ."

Thank you and congratulations!

Preview PROOF

Massey University Press

10 Questions with PCANZ about PROOF

Read an interview

The Maker's Story: The Future of Printmaking in NZ

 Book Launch

Wellington City Libraries are holding a free event 

'Proof' Book Launch + Artist Talk 

at Karori Library, 

Sat Nov 26th, 11am.

Please join the artists from PCANZ for this free event 

as we discuss printmaking, in celebration of the newly released book 

'Proof: Two decades of Printmaking'

Visit the Book Launch link above to view interviews with printmakers
Carrie Carey, Basia Smolnicki and Kirsty White.

Purchase NOW

at selected bookstores nationwide.

Find out more

about why PCANZ is such a special community to be a part of and what PCANZ has to offer

PCANZ: Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand

P is for ... PCANZ Collaborative Bestiary Book

 

"P is for Pupurangi", linocut by Toni Hartill

P is for...

Pupurangi!

"P is for Pupurangi", linocut by Toni Hartill

These are New Zealand's endangered northern giant land snails, 

the New Zealand kauri snail,

also known by it's scientific name 

Paryphanta spp.

of which there are two species:

Paryphanta Busbyi 

up to 79 mm shell diameter

&

Paryphanta watti

up to 62 cm shell diameter

To learn more about these beautiful critters visit the DOC website HERE.

(...and also known by friends as 

SNAILY!)

"P is for Pupurangi"

Edition of 30

Hand pulled linocut prints.

This edition of prints was created for the 

PCANZ collaborative bestiary book project.

Participating members across Aotearoa New Zealand were organised into 4 groups, including an international group who collaborated with printmakers in Wales.

I'm in the Auckland group, which also includes a couple of people 
from further afield to make up numbers.

The Rules

Everyone was assigned their letter randomly and we were invited to create a design of a real or imaginary creature or animal relating to our letter.

The letter had to be part of the design.

Printing could be edge to edge or with a border.

Perhaps not surprisingly I was pretty keen on including SNAILY in some form so I was searching which letters could also include him eg. Escargot, Gastrapod, Mollusc... There were a few options!

(If you've followed my work for a while, you'll know of my affinity to snails.)

Everyone has now completed their edition of 30 prints and they have been collated into complete alphabet sets, ready to be returned to participants while master copies have been returned to the organisers to be bound into books for the PCANZ archive and future exhibitions.

An Auckland workshop is planned shortly to share ways of either binding the prints into a book or creating a box to hold the prints.

At present I'm experimenting and researching possibilities and will report back on progress on the next stage of this collaborative project and to share ALL of the pages from the book.

Researching binding techniques

In the meantime, scroll down to view...

The Making of "P is for Pupurangi"

Thanks for visiting!

Stay tuned to see how we might bind the books 

PLUS 

to view ALL of the prints in the collection.

Find out about 

PCANZ

Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand

PCANZ Small Prints Exhibition - Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa

 

 

 

The current round of the PCANZ Small Print traveling exhibition 

is on display now until Sunday 21 Feb 2021

 

Estuary Arts Centre,

214 Hibiscus Coast Highway,

Orewa.

 

 

This is the final showing of the current selection of prints which represent PCANZ members from all over Aotearoa New Zealand and are all of a very high standard. There is a vast array of printmaking processes on display, often with multiple processes used within a single artwork. 

 

I was very pleased to be invited to say a few words at the opening event, as the local PCANZ rep, and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet with some of the visitors to the show. 

 

I was asked if I could "unpick" and describe the processes that each artist used in their works to help a visitor understand some of the processes used. This was certainly challenging but, in reality, isn't this how we printmakers roll at an exhibition: nose an inch from the paper, peering this way and that, trying to assess which processes have been used and in which order. Certainly the best way to fully appreciate the prints!

 

 

 

PCANZ Members can choose to resubmit their current prints to the new round of exhibitions or they can submit up to 4 new, A4 size works. All works are for sale for $100 each. As works sell they can be taken away and another print will take it's place. Full details, including details of the venues that the new exhibition will be traveling to, are available on the PCANZ website.

 

I submitted 4 prints to be exhibited, 

one has previously sold 

and one is currently on display.

 

To view the making of these prints, and close ups, please visit an earlier blog here. 

All prints are copper sulphate etchings, embellished by hand.

Currently on display:

"Specimen I" by Toni Hartill

2 prints also submitted:

"Agathis Australis" by Toni Hartill

Previously sold

"Protector of Forests' by Toni Hartill

Scroll through the images below for a taster of the exhibition.

Apologies for the quality of the images as the lighting was challenging.

 

 The Estuary Arts Centre is a vibrant and thriving community centre comprising multiple gallery spaces, art studios and classrooms with an onsite cafe and gift shop.

For an insight into contemporary printmaking in Aotearoa New Zealand, this exhibition is a must-see while you can, and a wonderful opportunity to pick up some beautiful high quality original art at a great price. Or be sure to try to catch the new round of exhibitions starting in Christchurch in April.

 

 

Visit www.printcouncil.nz 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

PCA Print Exchange 2020

Prints for PCA Print Exchange 2020. Toni Hartill

As a member of the Print Council of Australia 

I am able to participate in their biennial Print Exchange 

so, for the first time, I decided I'd give it a go.

To participate an edition of 12 prints is sent. Ten prints will be randomly exchanged with other participants, one print will be archived and one print will be available for an online sale to raise funds for PCA.

"Keep Safe not Keepsake" (detail) Toni Hartill

I wanted to choose a theme with a New Zealand flavour but which is also meaningful in Australia. At the time that I first began working on the idea the Australian bush fires were still raging in their worst season ever. Huge areas of bush and wildlife were being lost every day and we wondered if it would ever stop. My thoughts were focused on the need to protect our treasured native plants (and animals), whichever side of "the ditch" we are on.

Aluminium plate. Toni Hartill

I chose to make use of the protective dome theme that has been a continuing focus this year, and to highlight the New Zealand kauri tree, agathis australis, a revered tree in our forests, which was decimated by logging 100 years ago and which is again under great threat today by the deadly kauri dieback disease.

(Now that we are currently living through the Covid-19 global pandemic the whole concept of a protective dome has taken on new meaning. And how do we feel now, now that WE are under threat from a pathogen!)



 
 You can see images and read about how these prints were made in my earlier post
"Getting to Grips with Copper Sulphate Etching -  Part1."

Work in progress. Toni Hartill

Print with aluminium plate. Toni Hartill

"Keep Safe not Keepsake" (detail) Toni Hartill

 "Keep Safe not Keepsake"

"Keep Safe not Keep Sake" Toni Hartill

Medium: Etched aluminium
Paper size: A4 / 297mm x 210mm
Paper: Hahnemuhle Etching, 230gsm 
Edition of 12


Artist Statement:

Kaitiakitanga, the protection and guardianship of our environment, and all that it contains, in perpetuity. Even the mighty kauri tree, a symbol of strength and protector of the forest, needs safe-keeping so that it remains a living treasure, not a memento of the past.

To find out more about the Print Council of Australia, to join,
and to take part in the print exchange yourself, visit their website:
https://www.printcouncil.org.au/ 


Deadline: works must arrive in Australia by 30 September, 2020.


I greatly look forward to receiving my collection
of exchanged prints later in the year!


I'll make sure I share them in a new post then.

"Keep Safe not Keepsake" (detail) Toni Hartill

Thanks for visiting!