Medium: Collagraph
Dimensions: 22 1/4 x 33 1/4 inches (Plate) 25 1/4 x 36 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1914 - 1996
Date finished: 1958
Edition: #2 of 8

Recommended by Rebecca:

(Gallery Associate)

Three Shadows by Glen Alps illustrates some of my favorite effects one can achieve with Collagraphs, a term the artist coined to describe a mixed media plate. The different heights of the elements give a sculptural feeling when printed. The ink has been lovingly rubbed into all the nooks and crannies and then removed sparingly to maintain the multi dimensionality during the ink transfer from plate to paper. This is an early collagraph from the late ‘50s and shows that his later works did not stray too far from the principals and richness of these early pieces. It is reassuring to see his works re-emerging from long held collections, giving us another chance to make their acquaintance.

Series: 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Medium: Oil based woodblock print on cream paper
Dimensions: 15 x 15 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1935 - 2022
Date finished: 2018
Date of plate: 1986
Edition: of 10
Printer: Sidereal Fine Art Press
Condition: SFAP Chop in the lower right hand corner.

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

This series, '13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird' by Michael Spafford, is the artist's interpretation of a poem by Wallace Stevens. For this piece, the poem reads: "I was of three minds / Like a tree / In which there are three blackbirds." Spafford was a beloved Northwest artist and a teacher at the University of Washington for more than 30 years. His work focused on abstracting mythology into compressed, black and white forms. 'I Was of Three Minds' showcases Spafford's powerful simplicity, where the blackbirds intersect in the figure's mind at the point of a triangle, visible only because of the white grid crossing the black face. It is clear yet complex, perfectly echoing the poem.

Medium: Woodblock
Dimensions: 16 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches (image) 24 1/2 x 30 1/4 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1946
Date finished: 2019
Edition: of 30

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

During a visit to Machu Picchu in 2017, Arnoldi was inspired by the ancient, drystone walls where the irregular shapes of organic stones fit together perfectly. Arnoldi then made a series of paintings that became this series of woodblocks. In 2019, his publisher, Harvey Bayer, facilitated a relationship with master printers at Thumbprint Editions. Together, Arnoldi was able to freely enjoy the printing process with abandon and utilize the knowledge of the master printers who create consistent, beautiful impressions. It involved a unique way of printing, using the separate, cut blocks with overlaid inks in different viscosities, so that the blocks could be printed together simultaneously. The results are beautiful renditions of those ancient Inca walls. The series is also more accessible than the preceding paintings and in a more accessible size compared to Arnoldi's monumental-scale works.

Medium: Mezzotint
Dimensions: 31 5/8 x 23 3/4 inches (image) 39 1/4 x 28 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Thai, 1990
Date finished: 2018
Edition: of 25

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

This large mezzotint was printed in 2018 - before covid shut the world down. Today, it feels equally, if not more relevant. I enjoy the perspective Thai artist, Chirachaisakul, has on America’s ‘Labyrinth of Liberty’. Liberty is bound, gagged, blinded, objectified, and wrapped in fragility - unable to help the small figures that climb her. Even if the figures in the print could make it through the maze at the bottom, there would be even more red tape at the top.

Medium: Woodcut
Dimensions: 12 1/2 x 37 1/4 inches
Artist details: Korean, 1954
Date finished: 2009
Edition: of 20

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager):

For me, ‘Go Out Together’ is about how individuals make up a community. While I sometimes feel like a nonentity walking around my city, artists like Lee Chul Soo remind me that I’m part of a greater network, that while I’m just one person experiencing the city in my own way, that itself makes me a member of the community. The simple composition gives me time and space to look around, examine each moment, and give it the value it deserves. I try to look at my neighbors (and of course the dogs) with the friendly eyes that Lee Chul Soo uses.

Medium: Drypoint
Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches
Signature: Signed. "Made in England" stamp lower right.
Artist details: English, 1886 - 1966
Date finished: 1931
Edition: 81/100
Reference: Appleby 143

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Manager):

"Edmund Blampied’s masterful drypoint “Below Stairs” shows a wonderful familiarity between a chef and a maid in a British household.  The somewhat unkempt chef stands with his hands in his pockets and a cigarette hanging from his mouth as the maid listens intently, leaning on a broom. Between their feet stands a kitty asking politely for attention. The warmth of the drypoint adds to the overall mood of this vignette. Printed in the 1930’s, this image pays homage to the end of the era of upstairs-downstairs dynamics in the late aristocracy and wealthy family households."

Series: Monoprint/Monotype Invitational 2022
Medium: Watercolor monotype
Dimensions: 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 inches (Image) 22 5/8 x 30 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1961
Date finished: 2021
Edition: 1/1

Artist's statement:
"Backyard at Night is part of the series Night Shadows, inspired by late night walks through my Minneapolis neighborhood. The work addresses feelings of isolation brought on by the pandemic.

The prints were made by painting with black watercolor on a thin polyester plate, which was then printed on a press. Unlike oil monotypes, the image must be completely dry before being printed. This means that it can be developed over many hours, even days. I use additive and subtractive processes to make the images, putting down washes and marks that are allowed to dry before being lifted and revised by re-wetting the plate."

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager):
"'Backyard at Night' beautifully captures a familiar scene, just off-kilter. It is a quintessential backyard: gutters, chain link fences and patio furniture. But everything is slightly misaligned and in high contrast against the dark of night. It's a striking piece that shows Kareken's wonderful, painterly handling of trees and textures in a new setting. It feels like a photo that no one would think to take but is around us all of the time."

Medium: Woodcut
Dimensions: 30 x 30 inches (image/sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1925 - 2016
Date finished: 2010
Edition: 10/100
Reference: Summers 255

Recommended by Emma (Marketing & Communications Manager):
"It's unusual for Carol Summers, known for his bold color palettes, to create a monochromatic woodcut. In our increasingly digital world, the RGB version of indigo permeates our lives as the go-to color for hyperlinks and other mundane digital functions. In Las Cascadas De Tamasopo Summers reminds me of indigo's richness and beauty. This print makes me crave the pigment and everything I associate with it - summertime, Mediterranean waters, ceramics painted by hand. I feel enthralled as if I am seeing color for the first time."   

Series: The Birds of America
Medium: Hand-colored lithograph
Dimensions: 7 5/8 x 5 1/4 inches (image) 10 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches (sheet)
Artist details: American, 1785 - 1851
Date finished: 1840-1844
Edition: First Royal Octavo
Printer: J.T. Bowen
Publisher: J.J. Audubon

Recommended by Nikki (Fine Print Photographer & Content Publisher):
Herons are solitary creatures who are always watching and observing. They have a dinosaur-like appearance that I feel hints of an ancient wisdom. But when they are disrupted or startled, they become rather clumsy creatures. From the clumsiness of the elegant heron, I am reminded even the wisest have blind spots and things to learn.