Lithography is a planographic printmaking technique meaning that the surface of either the limestone or aluminum matrix used remains completely flat. The intense pressure of a printing press forces the dampened paper into the recessed marks, releasing the image from the matrix. Unlike in relief printing where the ink sits on the raised surface of the matrix, the ink comprising the image of an intaglio print sits within the gouged or recessed areas of the plate and the flat surface is wiped clean. In intaglio processes, the matrix, most commonly a metal plate, is gouged either manually (with hand tools) or chemically (using a corrosive material). Intaglio is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of printmaking techniques, including drypoint, engraving, etching, aquatint, spit bite, mezzotint, and photopolymer printing. Most people are familiar with some form of relief printing – a common example would be a rubber stamp, though one could even think of fingerprints as tiny relief prints. The remaining flat, raised surfaces constitute the image area and receive the ink that is ultimately transferred to paper under pressure. It is a reductive process in which the non-image areas of a matrix, most often wood or linoleum, are carved away. Relief printing is the oldest print medium. Drawing I is the prerequisite course for the Introduction to Printmaking. Introduction to Printmaking is a prerequisite course for the intermediate and advanced printmaking courses. Emphasis is given to examine individual concepts through various printmaking mediums. This course provides a hands-on experience for exploring basic printmaking processes, including relief, intaglio, lithography and monotype processes, as well as investigating materials, tools, techniques, curation processes, and print shop safety. There is a large group of printmakers in the Southwest and UNM Printmaking serves an important leadership role to this community. In addition, the Printmaking Area has offered annual community outreach projects and has collaborated with many different groups, including public schools and non-profit, social welfare organizations, both nationally and internationally. During this course, printer trainees at Tamarind collaborate with UNM students to print multiple lithographic editions. Unique to UNM is the Collaborative Lithography course taught in partnership with the world-renowned Tamarind Institute of Lithography. Besides traditional Printmaking, students are also challenging the medium’s role in the larger context of contemporary art through interdisciplinary concerns and innovation. The UNM Printmaking Area offers instruction in various print mediums – including Intaglio, Lithography, Monotype, Relief, Serigraphy, and Digital Processes. Printmaking has provided the historical frame through which all artistic media are referenced and disseminated, in addition to being a distinctive art form in its own right.
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