On Tuesday the 9th of October several members of the Southern Printmakers Association got together to visit the exhibition of Pentimenti Prints featuring our very own Laura Stark..
Dior, Marilyn, Suzanne and printmaker Yvonne met at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre and headed off together towards Woollongong University. It was a beautiful day and the trip was fairly quick and uneventful. A big thank you to Dior for taking us down for the day.
Once at the University we met with Jill and Shaynee before heading into the space to see the exhibition.
I only had my phone with me and the quality of the images is not to good but I’d still like to share some of the images with you.
Excerpt from Pentimenti Prints Catologue.
PENTIMENTI PRINTS an Australian Italian exchange portfolio of variable prints.
Pentimenti Prints is an innovative exchange portfolio involving eight Australian and eight Italian artists working with print media. Traditionally, collaborative print exchanges require artists to reproduce an image as an edition of identical prints. Pentimenti Prints overturns this convention. Rather than striving for uniformity, it places variation and uncertainty at the centre of the portfolios visual investigation. For the Pentimenti Prints portfolio, the collaborating artists ere invited to produce an edition of variable prints, reworking a single idea or image 26 times. This has culminated in 26 uniquely varied print portfolios of which 13 (the odd numbers in the edition) are in Australia and 13 (the even numbers) are in Italy. Pentimenti Prints was conceived by Australian artist, Lucia Parrella and coordinated in collaboration with Italian artist, Fabio Mariacci and Gianni Ottavianne, master printer at the Tipografia Grifani Donati in Italy. The portfolio was completed in 2012.
Much discussion was had about the unique concept they chose to adopt for this collaboration and how unique each artists interpretation of the idea played out.
From using the same plate and simply hand colouring the print to create variations, to taking the plate itself and cutting it up and reconfiguring the composition. Tony Ameneiro’s approach was unique and results in his ‘single idea’ being transformed as he created many monotypes of the same image. The incorporation of many printmaking techniques showed us that all forms of printmaking can lend themselves to this growth of creation.
We would love to hear anybody elses thoughts on this exhibition so feel free to add a comment and let’s get a dialogue going!
Finally I will try to add this video of the exhibition. Again I must apologize for the poor quality.
Below is a photo of the exhibition taken by Suzanne Newton.
Southern Printmakers Association 
The variable editioning idea seems to have so many possibilities for developing a concept rather than repetition of the same image. The unexpected results that may come from this experimentation and spontaneity can produce an interesting progression of images as was clearly seen in the Pentimenti Prints. Reworking the initial idea keeps the concept moving and growing, chance could also play a part in determining various unconventional outcomes.
On Thursday morning I was looking at the Pentimenti Prints website. It was at that point that I decided to jump in my car and head to Wollongong to see the Exhibition before it closed. I am so glad I made that decision, for within the hour I was contemplating the beauty of a small, perfectly executed exhibition. I loved how the works were unframed, giving the impression that the prints had come straight off the press and floated onto the walls. This style of hanging reflected the collaborative nature of the exchange and contributed to the cohesiveness of the Exhibition.
It was interesting to reflect on how each artist interpreted the idea of making 26 variations from one plate. The skilled executing of printmaking was awe inspiring, and several works made me want to hand over my credit card immediately.
I had the good fortune to meet two of the artists whilst I was there. It was lovely symmetry as it was an online image of one of these two artist’s work that was the persuasive element in causing me to make the drive that morning.
Which was the work that inspire you Suzanne to go and have a look? I agree with you about the unframed prints having a certain integrity, they needed no other embellishment. Who were the artists you met and did they explain their works to you? I found it inspiring too,very glad I went.
The print which was the catalyst for the trip wasn’t actually in the show. But a variation of it was. The print was created by Pedro Altuna. The images were inspired by tool’s belonging to his Father and his leather jacket from his days as a steelmaker.
I went to view the exhibition now installed in York Street Sydney, hung very differently to the Wollongong venue, the prints are suspended from the ceiling which allows people to walk through them. As a concept Pentiment Prints broke conventional ideas by overturning the idea that prints don’t need to be identical reproductions and they can be “variable by reworking a single idea” seemed to be lost in this space as the progression of variables wasn’t displayed this time. Looking forward to seeing in re hung next year for another view.
Hello Suzanne,
Thank you so much for coming to see the three Pentimenti exhibition in Wollongong, York Street and Hazlehurst – and for all this positive and constructive feedback. Glad you found the concept inspiring and enjoyed looking at the unframed work. Yes, it was ashame that there was not as much space at the Italian Institute of Culture venue in York Street, but it was lovely to be invited by the Italian Government and we were pleased to show the work to a different audience, including people who might not normally come along to exhibitions of prints. I am seeing Pedro Altuna today, and will let him know that his work inspired you to come and see the show. Thanks again.
Hi Suzanne, Thanks for coming to see the three Pentimenti Shows. Glad you found the idea inspiring and enjoyed viewing the unframed works. It was ashame there wasn’t as much space at the Italian Institute exhibition to hang more prints, but we were pleased to have been invited to show to a new audience and respond to the challenge of an non-conventional exhibition. Thanks again for your great feedback.
Thank you Suzanne for responding to the Pentimenti Print show in all three venues… it always surprises me to see the same work in different situations, and it has been a wonderful
project to be involved in.