In my opinion, printers are awe-inspiring. Modern laser printers, like the one at the IHS Library, work hard every day to make the digital into the physical, doling out hundreds of pages a day at the whim of students and teachers alike. Going back a few hundred years, you come across the Gutenberg press, the machine that revolutionized Europe both technologically and socially by allowing the printing and distribution of books at unprecedented speeds. Around the same time, printmaking became an art form, with artists like Albrecht Dürer using woodcuts to spread the anxiety of the (allegedly) forecoming apocalypse far and wide. No matter the form of printmaking you’d enjoy the most,, it is clear that printers have been, and continue to be, important instruments in societal change.
While the task of printmaking might seem like a colossal undertaking, it is surprisingly easy to become a Dürer-esque printmaker yourself. How, you may ask? Well, I would reply, through the art of linocuts. Linocuts, or linoleum art, first became popular in the early twentieth century with their use by avant-garde German artist group Die Brücke and were later used by artistic legends such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. To make a linocut, one only has to carve out a design into a block of linoleum, roll ink on top, and then press a piece of paper into the design. Lift up your paper, and voilà, you are a printmaker!
As an intern at the Johnson Museum of Art, I was first introduced to the art of linocuts through Teen Studio, a monthly workshop for any teen that wants to try their hand at learning about and making art. This past year, we have worked on charcoal drawing, collaging, lantern making, watercoloring, book-binding, needle felting, illuminating like a medieval monk might have done, Japanese fish printing, printmaking, and so much more. Check your email or go to the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art’s website to find out when the next Teen Studio is. Whether you want to be the next Michelangelo or just want to have fun, Teen Studio is for you. Admission is free, and snacks are provided!
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