Your Print Station
In this era where everything is going digital, printed materials are no longer encouraged in daily lives. However, as a committed printmaker, I would still argue that print is not dead. My appreciation for prints is deeply rooted in the processes of creating and printing as well as the inherent qualities of the print itself: the unpredictable nature that slightly but precious differences made in the process of producing; the particular medium that allows any two different colors to create a third color by overlapping on top of each other; most importantly, the experience that people get through creating a print.
In this exhibition, I amplified the audience’s experience with printed material by allowing them to participate in the process of printmaking. What’s more, I encouraged my audience to pose questions to themselves, “Is this only meaningless labor?” or “Is this an irreplaceable experience that you can never get by hitting the print button on a printing machine?”
My works are heavily influenced by Andy Warhol’s silkscreen and his vision on commodity art. By mass-producing these prints and tote bags and selling them to the audience, I allowed each participant to get a slightly different product according to their efforts.
The biggest reward they got from the show is never the product itself, but the experience that the audience can always remember even a long time after the show. The value of prints and the process of printmaking will always be tangible to them from then on.
