Course Syllabus

ART 2230 Relief Printmaking

Course Description

This course explores relief printmaking as a dynamic and thriving visual art medium. Students will create original prints utilizing the process of woodcut, linocut, and other carved synthetic substrates. Study will include investigations into the evolution and historical significance of each process as well as contemporary trends in the ever- expanding vocabulary of printmaking. In addition to a final portfolio of prints, students will create a series of unique artist book structures created from recycled relief prints. A fee is required.

Justification

This is a studio course in process, history, and production of fine art relief prints. Printmaking is included in most higher education curriculums as a prominent visual arts medium. This course is essential for many 2D art majors and is required for many bachelor degree programs in the visual arts during the first two years of study. It is one of many courses for students to choose from to fulfill their Art Studio Electives as part of the AFA in Visual Studies degree at Snow College.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Material Proficiency: Demonstrate a proficiency in materials and techniques. Students will be exposed to a variety of black & white and color relief printmaking techniques. Through demonstration of tools, material, and process students will apply this working knowledge of hand-pulled relief prints to their own creative imagery. Adapting their own voice to their newly acquired skills and developing aesthetics in the medium, students will be able to visually communicate, through narrative and concept, in this ancient visual language.
2. Principles of Concept: Demonstrate an integration of conceptual principles. Through the study of contemporary and historic printmakers students will begin to utilize the medium of relief printmaking to incorporate meaningful content, visual narrative, and allegorical substance to their work. Each print created in this course will based on a provided a prompt which is initiated to project meaningful content into their creative work. Students will strive for a balance of formal design and embedded content into their creative practice.
3. Historical Context: Demonstrate a fluency in historical content and context. Artisans have utilized the reproductive potential of relief printmaking in every world culture for thousands of years. Thus, artistic endeavors historically transcended relief printmaking’s broader contribution to humanity through printed books. Relief technology was vital to the evolution of humanity through the development of movable type from early Asian contributions to Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. Thus, it is incredibly important to be able to articulate where, when, and how each relief printmaking process was developed and appreciate the historical contribution of various cultures to the greater history of humankind. Students will be exposed to major historical figures in the history of this medium and will be able to trace the historical influence on contemporary printmakers. This historical awareness and the ability to articulate when, where, and how each relief process was developed will promote each student’s informed understanding and appreciation of where their work exists in the continuing history of the medium.
4. Critical Theory: Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze a work of art. Students will practice the process of critical analysis as it applies to both formal and conceptual principles within the printmaking discipline. A reciprocal critical dialog with material competency, formal composition, informed concept, narrative, historical context, and craftsmanship issues of the medium. Group critique will be conducted and students will be encouraged to practice casual discourse with their peers as they engage in a collective studio environment fostering the development and improvement of creative works. Utilizing critical analysis skills and embracing the reciprocal critical dialog, students will develop a critical eye to inform recognize success, identify weaknesses, and foster improvement in current and future work.
5. Creative Process: Demonstrate the application of the creative process. This course will promote unique strategies to learn to visually communicate in the graphic clarity of the relief printing process. Students will be exposed to a variety of creative methods to assist in developing narratives and concept into their prints. The creative process in this course includes a variety of image-making practices and allows for interpretation of assignment prompts. Ultimately, students will begin to integrate what they have learned into their own practice.

Course Content

Through demonstrations, slide lectures, readings, practical application, and critiques, students will integrate relief printmaking processes into their creative work. These teaching methods are tailored to accommodate unique learning styles that will culminate with a variety of rigorous experiential, creative projects. This course will include study of the following: · Aesthetic theory, mark making, and compositional strategies as they relate to the graphic nature of the relief print; · Demonstrations of multiple relief processes including developing imagery, the creation of the relief matrix, registration, papers, inking, and pulling a print;· Development of concept, narrative, and meaning to relief work through guided prompts provided by the instructor;· Discussion and practice of pertinent ethical standards, traditions, and taboos in editioning, proofing, numbering, and signing original prints;· Exploration of historical context, including the study of major figures and movements within the genre of printmaking;· Group critiques designed to promote a critical dialog between the artist, the artwork and the viewer that are designed to promote improvement students to critically evaluate their own relief prints and those created by their peers;· Practical application of relief prints through applied creative projects which encompass, but are not limited to, the following relief processes: woodcut, linocut, reductive color, key-block method, hand-tinting;· Readings from the text to supplement information provided during demonstrations and lectures;· Slide lectures directly related to the process, history, and contemporary application of each relief technique;· The creation of multiple experimental book structures made from extra relief impressions made during class.