Intern Interview: Katelyn Kronshage

Meet Katelyn Kronshage, one of Pyramid's fall interns. At October's board meeting, she showed her beautiful work in the Kunst vault. We were struck by the luminosity and organic quality of her screenprints, which she calls mix media monoprints. Screenprinting is a jumping off place for Katelyn. Each unique print is adorned with unexpected details, such as threads or a hand-carved rubber stamp. We caught up with Katelyn, gallery sitting at Washington Printmakers. 

Interior, mixed media screenprint monoprint diptych, graphite, thread, 2009

Screenprint Society: What brings you to Pyramid, and how did you hear about us?
Katelyn Kronshage: I am originally from Calumet in the beautiful upper peninsula of Michigan, I am a Western Michigan University (WMU) alum, I received a BFA in metals/jewelry. I found out about Pyramid Atlantic through a really great online networking group called Crafthaus, Participatory Sport for Craft Artists. There was a link to the PA site calling for interns and key holder residents. I decided to apply for a fall internship!

SS: What do you hope to accomplish during your internship?
KK: During my first month and a half, a number of my goals and aspirations have already come true. I wanted to learn to make paper and experiment in the book bindery, and I have! I also looked forward to meeting new people and experiencing life in and around Silver Spring. I hope that this creative new environment will give me some insightful direction as to where life and art will take me next.

SS: Why do you like screenprinting as a medium?
KK: I enjoy screenprinting as a medium for the movability and squeegees. It's like a dance when you really get involved with the printing process. Moving from screen, to paper, to drying rack, back to screen, over to sink, and back to screen. I like to move quickly, and imperfection is important in the art I create. Screenprinting can be very tight, fluid, or organic, its what ever I desire.

SS: Tell us about your screenprint monotype process, specifically how you made "Interior".

I started with an open matrix and a few different color inks. I run the ink through onto a paper, then I re-flood the screen with transparent base and print the next paper. By doing this second print, I can achieve a softer quality to the colors and capture the squeege marks that were left behind from the first print. Each print is unique because I am flooding the open area differently each time. After the paper has dried, I go back in with some hand drawn imagery, (now exposed on my screen) sometimes choosing to create a transparent image. After the printing is done, I did a graphite transfer image, and hand drew on the paper. The small folded and stitched piece that hangs from the bottom and the small floating pieces were the inspiration pieces for some of the printed imagery.

SS: What ways are you hoping to experiment and push the boundaries of screenprinting?
KK: I enjoy printing on untraditional materials like plastic, aluminum, and patched together recycled papers sewn on the machine. Something I've been wanting to try is chine colle. I don't know if it has been done with screenprinting. It would have to be the basis of chine colle, probably a bit different, but the idea of patching two pieces of material together while screenprinting is great.

Superior, screenprint monoprint and mixed media

SS: Who do you admire in the art world, and who do you think is producing the most interestign contemporary screenprints?
KK: One of my favorite groups of innovators in the print world, Drive By Press, have been driving their press loaded vehicles around the country to custom print on clothing and share enthusiasm about printmaking with college students and customers. They visited WMU when I was taking my first screenprinting class. These two printmakers, Joseph Velasquez and Ryan O'Malley, shared so many techniques and alternative ideas with us. This group is very inspiring to say the least. Jay Ryan is also a really fun and quirky printmaker, he designs amazing posters for musicians and concerts.

SS: Thanks for talking to us, and look forward to seeing how you integrate screenprinting into your work at Pyramid.