Master Printer Phil Sanders discussed his book, Prints and Their Makers, along with special guest, artist James Siena on a Zoom call on January 19th, 2021 at 8:00 PM. The video of this event can be viewed here.
Phil Sanders has been a great friend to the Print Club for many years. He is considered one of the most knowledgeable people about printmaking techniques. For those of us lucky enough to have attended his walks through the NY Print Fairs, we know his ability to shed new light on complex imagery and provide a deep understanding of technique in a historical context. We are fortunate that he designed a talk for our members about his book, which is a must have item for any print collector.
Phil Sanders, master printer, author, artist, and educator shared stories about his book, Prints and Their Makers, which takes you behind the scenes to witness the creative process at the world’s top printmaking workshops and offers an in-depth look at this versatile medium. Sanders also did a deep dive into the monotype project he undertook with James Siena at Flying Horse Editions in Orlando, Florida. Siena joined the conversation from his studio in Otis, MA. Sanders places contemporary prints and practices into the context of traditions and techniques developed over more than a thousand years from his studio in Asheville, North Carolina.
Prints and Their Makers, published by Princeton Architectural Press and distributed by Chronicle Books, provides clear and engaging explanations that illuminate the seven major printmaking processes: relief, intaglio, lithography, monotype, screenprint, photogravure, and chine collé, following projects from start to finish. Over 400 images (160 full page) by more than 150 artists including: Albrecht Dürer, Marry Cassatt, Andy Warhol, Julie Mehretu, William Kentridge, Chakaia Booker, James Siena, Will Cotton, Hank Willis Thomas, Terry Winters, Cecily Brown, Elizabeth Peyton, and Martin Puryear accompany the text for a visual expose of the power of printmaking.
James Siena is an American contemporary artist based in New York City. His art is typically created through a series of self-imposed constraints also sometimes referred to as visual algorithms —rules Siena decides on before sitting down to work. In most of his work he establishes a basic unit and action and repeats it indefinitely. While originally recognized for his paintings using enamel paints on aluminum plates, Siena has also become recognized for his drawings, prints, typed works on paper using vintage typewriters, and sculpture. Siena has made over 120 prints using a variety of techniques in collaboration with some of the most recognized art presses in the United States and abroad; including Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE), Tamarind Institute, Harlan & Weaver, Flying Horse Editions, Pace Prints and Polígrafa Obra Gráfica.