“Painterly Prints” at Artsy

Painterly Prints: Monotypes by Jonathan Higgins, Judy Ledgerwood, Jane McNichol and Brenda Zappitell

We are pleased to announce our newest online exhibition at Artsy. This selection of monotypes by four artists exemplifies the painterly approach to the unique print medium.

Monotype is the most direct way for an artist to make prints, free from the technical considerations of etching, lithography or relief. Though some artists prize monotype in its most basic form, as a “printed painting”, other impose a high level of control. This exhibition brings together works by four artists whose varied approaches to monotype mine the painterly veins of this unique print medium. A subsequent exhibition will showcase artists whose manner with monotype is one of controlled outcomes and drawing based approaches.

Jonathan Higgins balances chaos and control in the “Flow Chart” series, which combine the rigidity of patterned geometry with the sensuousness of aqueous media. The artist’s interest in order, balance, symmetry and chance are evident in these prints.

Judy Ledgerwood’s 2005 painting “Is This An Audience Or…” served as an inspiration for her untitled monotypes, created at Manneken Press in 2014. Riffing on the colors, patterns and marks of the painting, Ledgerwood approached monotype as a “printed painting”, exploiting unique aspects such as the “ghost” image to create a series of unique but related prints.

Jane McNichol’s monotypes can almost be read as abstractions. Employing ink rollers, paintbrushes and a variety of scrapers, the tropes of landscape and still life were points of departure for the artist to explore the materials and processes of the monotype medium.

Exuberant colors and vigorous brushwork typify Brenda Zappitell’s monotypes, created in 2017. Automatism and the concept of Mindfulness, or awareness of being in the present moment, are vital to Zappitell ‘s image making, and her prints dazzle in their boldness.

All of the prints in the exhibition were created by the artists at Manneken Press, and are available for purchase.