The UT Printmaking Faculty Show

As the end of the semester is nearing, we’re getting to see a bunch of great faculty projects come to life. Starting April 20, the UT Printmaking Faculty show will be taking place at the Gallery Black Lagoon.

This art show will feature professors Lee Chesney, Neal Daugherty, Tom Druecker, Sandra C. Fernandez, Ken Hale, Tim High and Margie Simpson. Taking a look at some of their previous works gives you a pretty good idea that this is a show you won’t want to miss.

Printmaking is a complicated art form that requires a strenuous amount of time and dedication. Once an artist has finished making the print, they can reproduce it by transferring ink from their original to another piece of material. What’s cool is that each reproduction can be considered an original since no two impressions are the same.

Making the actual print can be done in a variety of ways. For example, I knew a printmaking artist that would etch her art onto a thin piece of wood. The amount of detail that goes into her work is incredible. Each piece took her around 40 hours to complete.

Now imagine having multiple pieces for a gallery. Show these artists some love for their hard work! You’ll definitely want to go the opening reception so you can discuss their prints over some free food and drinks. This will give you the chance to ask what inspired them to create that specific image.

Most of their previous images have a surreal quality to them and draw from various themes that are personal to the artist. Sandra Fernandez, for example, has created a piece dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.” She etched a daunting image of the raven looming over a family that was standing on an outline of the USA. Underneath the red branch was the text “denied access to education.”

According to Tim High’s UT biography, he draws from themes that concentrate on the weaknesses and flaws of human beings and their societies. One of his serigraph prints titled After Delacroix / orphan in the cemetery features a distraught-looking young woman looking fearfully on a 1940s plane that’s a little too close for comfort.

These professors are known for their work all over the world. Lee Chesney alone has been featured in Rome, Paris, Hong Kong and many more places. Other artists like Tim High have permanent collections in museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. These are all fine establishments and if you are a budding artist this would be a good chance to mingle and learn secrets of the trade. It’s not often you can meet with reputable artists like the ones on display at the UT Printmaking Faculty show.

The opening ceremony is April 20 at the Gallery Black Lagoon and is from 7 to 10 PM. It’s free to attend and free drinks and food will be provided. Cornucopia Gourmet Popcorn is one of the sponsors, so you can enjoy some delicious candied popcorn while observing interpretations of human nature.

The exhibit will remain up until April 29 and will be available for viewing on Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM and on Sundays from 2 to 6 PM. You can also make an appointment to schedule a viewing if these times don’t fit into your busy schedule.

Celine Suarez