Emanating Excellence: Sarah McDermott

Sarah McDermott has just finished her residency, during which she made paper and screenprinted hand drawn images for her book The Orchard. We were struck by the unusual color and visual combinations and her flawless printing. She spoke with us as she finished up her printing.


SS: How did you find us?

SM: From being involved in book arts for several years and having heard about your biennial Book Arts Fair. 

I loved working at Pyramid. It was great to be able to combine working in multiple studios — in book and paper media as well as in printmaking. Equally important was the positive and supportive "vibe" of the space: the particular culture that has been created of collaboration, flexibility, and trust. I also felt like there was an encouragement to experiment which really helped me make work that I am excited about and proud of. Furthermore, I like how Pyramid combines an emphasis on community arts with having some very specialized equipment and residency programs. It's an interesting mix that undoubtedly impacted my own project.

SS: Tell us about your amazing screenprinted book in progress.

SM: My project is a series of screenprints on handmade paper that will ultimately be part of a book in an edition of 20. I was working off of a prose piece by my friend and collaborator Joanna Ruocco entitled The Orchard. I chose this piece out of a larger manuscript that I have been privileged to be able to work with. The text is about a group of women, and their trip into and out of an orchard and a more mysterious force called the "eminence," with an emphasis on their interconnectedness by their breath. I became interested in telling a narrative via the movement of visualized breath and in trying to work with something as potentially intangible as "eminence." (continues below)

I will be letterpress printing the text when I go back to New York City. I have a basic mock-up of the whole book, so I know roughly what to do. But I have also purposely been keeping this project a little loose, having felt that the way I have been working — which involves extensive pre-planning to bring together all the elements of a book — was getting a little stale for me. I'll probably go back to that, but for this book I wanted to give myself the freedom to focus on the 2-D with just enough structure to allow for continuing creativity as it becomes a book object. We'll see how it turns out!

As far as marketing the book, I'll probably sell some through Vamp and Tramp (the book dealers I work with) and probably sell some on my own (through Kidney Press). I also made a set of prints that will exist just as prints that I may sell individually so people wouldn't have to buy the whole book. 

SS: And finally, whose work inspires you, or you think is pushing the boundaries of printing?

SM: Some people that work in screenprint who I look to for inspiration are Cybele Collins (I particularly like this body of work), Liz Zanis, Christian DeFilippo who I think doesn't actually screenprint but whose work is very print-like, and the whole Providence, RI posse of screenprinters whose work I am not super in touch with these days but would include such luminaries as Jungil Hong, and Brian Chippendale. 

SS: It's been delightful to see the work progress. Send us photos when the book is bound, and best of luck!

Screenprint Greetings!

Becca and Marty assist 2 of the over 500 people at the popular event.

Crystal Polis holds her screenprinted card.

This month's "MAKE + TAKE" event brought out many first time screenprinters. Over 500 guests streamed through the studios—each had a hands-on project to make and take. Screenprinting offered a 2-color vintage inspired reindeer postcard, printed on French Poptone "Snocone" paper (coincidentally the same sheet as the 2012 Letterpress Calendar covers). Photos by Anqixue Xue.

Anqixue Xue and Marty at the teal station.

Walk on Warhol

"Daily News," c. 1967, screenprint on paper

Run, don't walk to Headlines, the Andy Warhol exhibition now on view at the National Gallery of Art. Warhol's fascination with the news, celebrity and tabloid headlines is the central theme of the show, but there is much more to see for fans of screenprinting. The artist consistently and adeptly pushes the boundaries of the medium. He printed on crumpled mylar, in gigantic proportions and in unexpected and delicious color combinations, as seen in the "Daily News" promotional poster image.
The show is up until January 2, 2012.

Print portfolio cover, an exquisitely simple design of 2 hits of silver on white book cloth.

A self portrait starts the show.

MAKE + TAKE: A DIY Evening of Cocktails and Creativity

When: Sat., Dec. 3
Time: 6 pm to 9 pm
Where: Pyramid Atlantic, 8230 Georgia Avenue
Cost: $10 (Only $5 for Pyramid Atlantic Members)
Admission includes a print, two drink tickets and admission to all the studios.

MAKE
a monotype print for your "secret santa"
paper garlands to "deck the halls" & Furoshiki japanese gift wrapping cloth
2 color holiday postcards in the screenprinting studio
2 color wrapping paper in the letterpress studio
Ornaments from old book pages in our book bindery
 
TAKE them home and impress your friends and family with your art skills!Purchase gifts created by Pyramid Atlantic artists including: our3rd annual Letterpress calendar;
"Drink Me," our recipe book containing 13 linoleum block prints & 13 winter beverages recipes; and
our Pyramid Atlantic sketchbook (8"x 9.5") packed with handmade paper!

Tis The Season To Celebrate Your Inner Artisan!

Save the Date: 12/3 "Sampler" Evening

Laura's tools and set up for the sketchbooks

Laura Kinnenberg shows off a handmade paper screenprinted sketchbook, which will be one of the many offerings at Pyramid's "Sampler" evening on December 3rd, from 6-9 pm. The event will have a gift theme, with many handcrafted and printed goodies for sale, as well as live hands-on demonstrations. Each area of the studio—papermaking, letterpress, book bindery, printshop, and of course, screenprinting will offer attendees the chance to try every discipline and take home their creation, guaranteed to come in handy for the holidays.

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.

Trimester Tee

Miranda Anderson created her own cross-off-the-weeks maternity shirt during her second pregnancy. She painstakingly cut 40 numerals out of freezer paper and then stenciled each one by hand. She wore the shirt while expecting her second child, and crossed off each number with a fabric pen as the weeks progressed. Soon she was asked by other mothers-to-be for their own.

Not wanting to repeat the laborious stenciling, Miranda attended Screenprint Society to print some more shirts. As a letterpress printer, she quickly picked up the processes, and was especially good about keeping the studio clean! The shirts turned out beautifully as reported on her One Little Minute blog, where she also takes orders. As it seems she has a "hit" on her hands, we expect to see more of Miranda and her go-to green shirts.