Prints on Display at Carnegie Center for Art & History

The Mid America Print Council (MAPC) held its annual conference in New Albany, Indiana this year. Hundreds of artists traveled from all over the country for events, shows, workshops and portfolio reviews. As part of the MAPC, The Carnegie Center for Art & History put together a collection of excellent prints. Brian Jones, a local artist and retired Indiana University Southeast printmaking professor curated the exhibit. The show is a combination of different artists, styles, and print techniques. With such a wide variety of art, there truly is something that every viewer would enjoy to look at.

Fig. 1. Adam Rake, The Guanlan Twins

            In gallery one lies the Adam Rake print entitled The Guanlan Twins (Figure 1). This piece, while muted in color, jumps off of the wall into the eyes of the viewer. Rake, who received his MFA from Indiana University, has had work exhibited all over the country. His special skills include being trained in the arts of lithography, intaglio, monotype, letterpress, bookbinding, papermaking, silkscreen, and relief printing including traditional, contemporary, and photographic art. The knowledge of these skills is shown in this piece. The twins are confrontational to the viewer, but in a passive way. The figures look straight out to the viewer while holding natural objects such as flowers and leaves. The figures are going in and out of transparency in a way that makes the viewer wonder where one twin ends and where the other begins. This lack of opaque line results in the twins looking almost as one. The girls have similar features to a point where they look related, but enough unique features to make the viewer aware that these are individuals and not mirror images of one person. While the twins are holding natural materials and clothed in ethereal colors, they have a look that projects melancholy. Rake is able to create an intriguing environment that entices each passerby.

Fig. 2. Endi Poskovic, I was Born into These Lands (Zlatan) 2016

The Endi Poskovic woodcut in gallery two is entitled I was Born into These Lands (Zlatan) (Figure 2). Poskovic has been educated in Norway, Yugoslavia, and United States. His prints have been exhibited worldwide. This print was awarded Best of Show. The 2016 piece includes four colors that were individually printed on four plates. Poskovic utilizes oil-based inks on Kozo-shi. Kozo-shi is a type of Japanese paper used primarily in printmaking. The piece seems pays homage to Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s The Tower of Babel (Figure 3). Poskovic’s print includes the upward spiral of the winding tower similar to Bruegel’s 1563 painting. Both pieces include similar imagery with the tower, although Poskovic’s piece uses fewer colors and stronger lines.

Fig. 3. Pieter Brughel the Elder, Tower of Babel, 1563

This exhibit was a treat to view and is worth the time to see.  Any New Albany or traveling art lover would enjoy this exhibit. The curators made sure to include a piece catering to every artist’s style while maintaining a cohesive show.

Exhibition view

- Brooke Wessel