Humanalia (n.)

A snapshot of the relationship of seven contemporary artists to printmaking.

HUMANALIA (n.) brings together a diverse range of contemporary artists who all work in print. The exhibition questions the relevance of traditional printmaking within the modern climate. With the immediacy of social media and a societal addiction to “scroll culture” and digital media, where do these archaic printmaking techniques fit-in? From turnover times, cost-efficiency, distribution capacity and overheads, these factors have driven the evolution of print. Starting at woodblock and moving to etching and then lithography and screenprint, commercial printmaking has always been driven by and equally held at the mercy of the capitalist model. As the mass-produced, commercialised wing of the industry takes its dying breath, the artists in this exhibition look to new, invigorating approaches to using the medium.

The seven artists have all worked in print either alongside, in collaboration with or within an educational context with artist and printmaker Adam Hogarth. The works span a range of processes and subject matter, covering notions of race, sexuality, politics, and identity.

This collection of works chosen for the show will give a snapshot of contemporary print practice, using only traditional printmaking techniques including etching, screenprint and woodblock/linocut.