Hmmm!
My first encounter with printmaking involved potatoes, scalpels & tempera
paints on sugar paper! That must’ve been 25ish
years ago.
The
last time I did a comprehensive body of limited edition prints was 2008. Now am
back!
And
since that’s all that’s all over my studio, I recently had a very interesting
conversation about prints with some guests - from the history, techniques,
value, methods, ethics and renowned printmakers to the position of prints in
the contemporary art world. It made me realize that as much as we may have been
dabbling in the arts for (a handful) decades,
most of us have just a slight understanding of them that makes us not fully
comprehend their value within the contemporary art platform.
There
are many different printmaking techniques but my point of reference today is woodcuts.
Woodcuts
(according to online encyclopedias) is
a relief printing artistic technique in which an image is carved into the
surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the
surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges. The
areas to show 'white' are cut away with a knife or chisel, leaving the
characters or image to show in 'black' at the original surface level. The
surface is covered with ink by rolling over the surface with an ink-covered
roller, leaving ink upon the flat surface but not in the non-printing areas.
Hmmm! It's actually easier to demonstrate than explaining the process!
The
history of woodcuts can be traced to 15th century Europe where they were used
for book illustrations long before they attained the status of single leaf fine
art prints made popular by Albrecht
Dürer (German artist & theorist). It reached a high level of technical
and artistic development in East Asia
and Iran around the 17th century for
both books and art.
Japanese
woodcut became a major artistic form, although at the time it was accorded a
much lower status than painting.
 |
| Untitled Picasso (l) and Edvard Munch's "Death Bed" |
The
20th century revolutionized printmaking with some of the most prolific artists,
notably Edvard Munch, Emil Nolde, Franz Masereel, Max Beckman
and Pablo Picasso continuing to use
the medium, which came to appeal because it was relatively easy to complete the
whole process, including printing, in a studio with little special equipment.
Unfortunately,
there are no clear records of when printmaking ‘arrived’
in Africa. However, what am sure about is that my love affair with prints
started in 1997. It wasn't love at first
sight but we kind of slowly got attracted to each other.
As
a requirement of any young lad/lass keen on joining Kuona Trust , then also called the Museum Art Studio, one was given a piece of plywood, black process
ink and basic engraving tools. This must have been Rob Burnet's idea of knocking some sense of patience and discipline
into us while discouraging idleness within the space.
With
the aid of a jua kali assembled press,
Richard Kimathi and Dickson Keke taught us newer folks
basic printmaking – both theory and
practical. Justus Kyalo introduced us to Bruce Onobrakpeya & Tayo
Quaye by forcing us to look at their work.
Later,
seasoned Ugandan Theresa Musoke and
Tanzanian Robino Ntila taught us
more serious stuff. The details of professional printmaking.
By
1999, I was experimenting with multi-coloured
wood cut prints and at the turn of the millennium, was privileged to work with Namibian Ndasuunye 'Papa' Shikongeni, Ugandans Fred Mutebi & Henry
Mujunga alongside locals Peterson
Kamwathi & Ngene 'Small One' Mwaura who were willing
to push the boundaries of prints locally.
 |
| From left; Bruce Onabrakpeya, Peterson Kamwathi and Zacharia Mbutha |
Around
2005/5, I embarked on a serious experiment (playfully
titled D) where the aim was to make prints that looked like paintings.
After numerous early mornings, chronic back aches and lots of frustration, I
got the much needed validation from my then studio mate Panye Mukabi. Ironically, I enjoyed the process so much that after
that, I started experimenting trying to make paintings that looked like prints! Am not so
far off the mark.
Today,
15 years after my first professional contact with prints, I look at prints by
Kenyan artists and see the gains the local printmaking industry has made and is
proud to have been part of the team.
 |
| From left to right; Ogonga Thom's Seating Naked (2000), Untitled (2008/12) & Good Bad Girl (2012) |
However,
most patrons of the arts still view it as a secondary
media. A cheaper option to painting and
sculpture. Most people still view oil painting on canvas as the ultimate
with works on paper coming in second and works that are made in multiple
editions (prints & photographs) coming at the bottom of the food chain. While
photographs are "consumed" in numerous platforms, prints belong ‘in the gallery’
but are unable to stake their claim on the podium coz of prejudice and
stereotypes that push it towards the craft market.
Phrases
like, “But it’s just a print” or “They are supposed to be cheap” are still common where
prints are involved. We need (and have
been trying very hard) to sensitize people that prints are artworks just as
strong as paintings, installations & sculptures. It’s an audios task that
is sometimes hampered by rogue artists keen on making a quick buck by peddling
their prints as cheap crafts.
When
we ask ourselves why we do prints, or why we interact with them, alot of
answers spring to mind. Some are intelligent. Some selfish. Some silly. Some?
Just some! However we all agree on one thing. That we’ve come a long way. So long
prints used to sell for 700 bob (long
story that can only be narrated by Kim + Soi) and only belonged in that old
rack at the East African Contemporary Art Gallery at the Nairobi Museum.
We’ve
grown. Not only in age, height and weight but also in technical and
intellectual ability. So next time you interact with prints, kindly give it the
little respect it deserves. Even if
they’re just prints.
