Author Description

The explosive development of the practice and technology of printed art has been a fundamental characteristic of the art of the 1960s and 1970s. Never in the past have so many artists devoted so much of their creative energy to the production of fine prints and to innovative work with printed materials, to the media of multiplication rather than the arts of the unique work. This book is an international survey of diverse styles and techniques of the period: the revival of traditional lithography and etching; the development and intensive use of silkscreen processes; the refinement of aquatint; adaptations of photographically induced images; experimentation with Xerox, rubber stamp, blueprint, and other commercial methods. Miss Castleman discusses the effect of new scientific processes, new papers and materials, and the growth of the audience for printed art, along with the establishment of fine workshop facilities and close collaboration between artists and technicians. She considers the intellectual influence of Minimalist and conceptual art and comments upon the political and social implications of the artist's search for a widespread communication of creative expression. More than a hundred works are illustrated, representing such artists as Jennifer Bartlett, Joseph Beuys, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joan Miro, and Andy Warhol. This book is published in conjunction with an exhibition of contemporary printed art at The Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition was organized by Riva Castleman, who is Director of the Department of Prints and Illustrated Books at the Museum.