Hung across Galleries 1 & 2 at Edinburgh Printmakers, 'Kinship' celebrates the building of community and feelings of belonging relating to the world around us - from family and friends, feeling rooted in a particular landscape, or sharing affinities with those around us in many different ways.
The theme for the second annual members show at Castle Mills recognises the importance of making work amongst peers in the Edinburgh Printmakers Print Studio: a peer group within Edinburgh Printmaker's wider community, surrounded by the many communities of our Fountainbridge locale. With works across a broad spectrum of print mediums on paper, open folios, animated GIFs and dress, parallels and cross-overs have emerged: from closely-studied landscapes, to animals in their own habitats, and to frequently-visited sites across Edinburgh. Work has been selected that highlights these shared concerns, alongside a kinship in colour palettes and forms of mark-making.
Additionally, 2022 marks the 30th year of Alastair Clark, the Studio Director, working for Edinburgh Printmakers. Running concurrent to the Members' Show, a selection of works with career highlights will be presented to mark this occasion in The Rear Window.
Speaking ahead of the exhibition curator Tiffany Boyle said: "There are 63 members exhibiting with over 90 works as part of this years Members Show - working in the print studio, it is always clear that the conversation amongst peers and colleagues had around the making is so crucial. 'Kinship' reflects the collegiate nature of the studio, within the wider EP and Fountainbridge community. The work spans a breadth of print mediums, as well as folios, garments and a digital artwork."
Head of Editions Alastair Clark said: "Printmaking is only a little bit printing, prefaced by a big bit creating, talking, exploring, experimenting and it's exciting to be able to work so closely with artists and be a part of that.
"Alarming to realise that over the years I've produced over 300 editions with different artists. Some projects are quick and simple while some grow and grow, meandering and expanding to produce whole exhibitions. Artists work at such different speeds and sometimes I'm trying to run to keep up to give them something to see, whereas others.. I sometimes might need to do a good bit of texting, phoning and generally haranguing to keep things moving along.
"From carrying litho stones up stairs to Callum Innes' studio, or up to the top floor attic space where John Byrne works to the other extreme of creating a set of prints with Cathy Wilkes almost entirely remotely during Covid times using WhatsApp and posting proofs and drawings back and forth.
"In January, I will be changing my role from Studio Director to Head of Editions. This will allow me to focus more on the collaborative aspect of printmaking, setting up print projects with the studio team while working hands on with artist to create, produce and print new works. Teaching and making prints.. and maybe some more time to make some new prints of my own too."
Kinship, the second annual members show at Edinburgh Printmakers, Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, runs from 1 - 23 December hosting the work of 63 artists across
a broad spectrum of print mediums.
All the works on show are available to buy and are eligible for purchase through the
Own Art scheme, spreading the cost over 10 months at 0% interest.
