Unique States

Edith Cowlishaw
Darwina

12 July - 10 August 2008

Unique States is an exhibition of prints by members from Open Bite Printmakers, New South Wales and the Fern Tree Printmakers, Tasmania.

"Unique state" is a term used in printmaking which describes a print which is not editioned, that is to say there is only one copy. This also describes the uniqueness of the project which unites two printmaking groups, one from NSW and the other Tasmanian.

Coming from two very different states of Australia, Fern Tree Printmakers and Open Bite are collaborating in an exhibition that celebrates the unique qualities of each. Open Bite originated from Ku-ring-gai Community Art Centre but now includes members from all over Sydney. The group's first exhibition was held in March 1992 at the Balmain Watch House. It has a large membership of 30 printmakers.

Fern Tree Printmakers on the other hand are a small intimate group, all having trained at the School of Art in Hobart. Success in getting a 1994 Australian Council grant meant they could set up a studio with an etching press. Since then they have exhibited regularly statewide.

Each of the artists in this exhibition has a different perspective on life within their home state. Using a broad array of printmaking techniques, some have made prints from a personal viewpoint, others are examining a much broader aspect.

A "Unique State" print stands alone. Some works in this exhibition will be just that, others will be part of an edition but with a unique approach to the subject matter.

FLOOR TALK  -  There will be a floor talk in the Gallery on Saturday 12 July at 2pm. Speakers from both printmakers groups will be talking about their work. Admission free. All welcome.

The 'PrintMakers' Gallery

Raymond Arnold
On the road to Burnie - A rusting bulldozer, Paradise 1986

From 9 May 2008

The 'Printmakers' Gallery is a space within the Burnie Regional Art Gallery dedicated to the exhibition of prints and print-related works from the Art Gallery's permanent collection. The permanent collection was begun in 1979 and the decision was made to collect mainly 'works on paper' partly in deference to Burnie's paper history and the aim has been to acquire fine examples in the fields of drawing, photography, watercolour and gouache painting as well as printmaking . The collection now contains 1000 artworks and over half of these are prints of one kind or another on paper.

Prints are multiple originals, each print being individually printed using a technical process such as etching, lithography or screenprinting. The multiple originals form an edition of that particular image, the number of the print and the edition of which it forms part generally being noted in pencil under the lower left hand side of the image and signed by the artist in question. In addition there are now artists experimenting with printing techniques in combination with other mediums and using new digital media technology in innovative and thought provoking ways.

Current Exhibition:

RAY ARNOLD - PRINTS FROM THE COLLECTION 1983 - 1987

Raymond Arnold has lived and worked in Tasmania since 1983. As a printmaker his work frequently deals with questions concerning the environment, the effects of the passage of time, the conventions of vision and the processes of recording that vision.

He has said that: "I had moved to Tasmania to bring my work closer to important conservation issues, but over the subsequent years of living in a small culturally rich community, against a background of dramatic landscape, my life and work has become diverse and 'seamless'"