I recently visited an exhibition at the
Falmouth art gallery titled “Press Gang” which attempted to encapsulate print
making. Providing the opportunity for local artists to present their work along
with world renowned artists such as Picasso and Turner. The exhibition utilized
historical prints to provide a context from which the audience begin their
journey through the evolution of print making. Every room of the exhibition
takes you on a journey as various artists can be seen experimenting with new
techniques and styles of printing from traditional etchings and screen prints
to lithography.
Upon entering the first room of the
exhibition you are greeted by a combination of modern brightly coloured prints
and some of the oldest prints on display. The curator has clearly taken time to
consider the subjects in each print and across the walls you can find prints
that complement one another, each collection of prints presents similar
aesthetics and themes within the work to captivate the audience allowing the
prints to really play off of each other however certain collections of prints
seem to overpower others and so I feel this prevents some of the older pieces
being appreciated especially because they are very close to the left of the
viewer when entering, this I found meant many people ignored those prints and
walked straight in and to the main wall displaying bright prints such as RA Timberaine
by sir Terry Frost. The prints presented from Sir Terry Frost were by far the
brightest and boldest across the walls and worked as a main focal point within
the first room featuring strong, bold colours printed onto wood these prints
stand out from the white walls of the studio space and contrast well against
the more delicate pieces across the room
Separated into three rooms the
exhibition has no clear theme in terms of genre however the works up on the
wall were well curated and it is clear where the exhibit is taking you. In the
second room you enter a more focused space although continuing the journey through
the evolution of print making you are presented with a larger collection of
prints that present a similar theme. The space has been titled “picturing the
mines” it almost feels as though you’ve entered a different exhibition, however
this isn’t a negative thought as it allows the audience to slow down and spend
a few moments completely immersed in works that present a similar idea and
concept. This in my opinion is fantastic curatorial practice as it allows
dozens of pieces of work to complement one another bringing a greater
understanding to the viewer while leaving a greater impact as each print could
be more deeply appreciated and understood.
My personal favourite print in this
exhibition is perhaps the large Grayson Perry print that dominated the second
room titled “Print for a politician”. This print was one of the many examples
of etching across the room, created
using 3 plates on a single sheet ,this print attempts to label everyone in
society in a humorous manner depicting all manner of social groups from parents
and communists to al-Qaeda and fat people. The print although seemingly
aggressive with depictions of war and conflict attempts to portray a deeper
message, that, in the end everyone is as bad as each other. The print is
intentionally random presenting architecture and technology from dozens of
periods through history.
Overall I would recommend this
exhibition, I find that its vast variety of work and style combined with its
journey of the evolution of an art form is intriguing and educative providing
the audience with a worthwhile experience.
