ARTS 21
Contemporary Intaglio Printmaking Winter 2022

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Class Details

Intaglio printmaking-also known as etching-is a graphic medium that is often framed in terms of history, nostalgia and meticulous imagery conceived on an intimate scale. But can an etching be huge? painterly? site-specific? conceptual? This course responds to these questions by introducing students to a wide range of traditional and experimental intaglio techniques with an eye toward expanding the vocabulary of what etching can do. The course will begin by surveying different approaches to transforming the surface of a copper etching plate through drypoint (drawing directly into the plate); line etching (“biting” an image into the plate using an acid resist process); and aquatint (using acid to create tonal effects). Subsequently, students will learn methods for printing their etched plates in intentional and exploratory ways. Students will be encouraged to experiment with inks, papers, mark making, printing and collage concepts to develop an individualized formal language appropriate to their subject matter and ideas. This is an intensive workshop-based course. The class will meet three times per week for 2.5-hour sessions. Class meetings will include slide lectures, group discussions, material demonstrations and independent studio work closely supervised by the instructor. Students will be expected to dedicate 4 to 6 additional hours per week to developing their projects independently. In addition to the three class sessions per week, there will be open printshop hours during which students may access the facility to work. At the end of the session students will present their work in a group exhibition in the Spencer Studio Art Building. Lab fees are covered by the Book Grant for students receiving financial aid.
The Class: Format: lecture
Limit: 10
Grading: pass/fail only
Requirements/Evaluation: final project or presentation; exhibition in the the Spencer Studio Art building
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: A brief written statement answering the question: Why is it important for you to take this course at this moment in your time at Williams?
Unit Notes: Alyssa Pheobus Mumtaz is a Williamstown-based artist and educator. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and a BA from Yale. She exhibits her work internationally and has taught printmaking, drawing, painting and design at institutions including UVA, Columbia, American University and the National College of Arts, Lahore. Her work has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Artist's Resource Trust, MASS MoCA and the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Materials/Lab Fee: $300

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