Story: Selected Works from Edinburgh Printmakers' Collection

Ainslie Yule, Drawings for Sculptures, 1977, zinc plate lithograph.
Since its founding in 1967, Edinburgh Printmakers has built a remarkable collection of over 1,500 prints, reflecting a history of creativity, experimentation, and technical expertise. These prints were all created in our studio by members and invited artists over the years. This exhibition brings together works spanning decades, each print carrying its own history and artistic intent. Story brings together a mix of past and present, uncovering rarely seen or long-forgotten works alongside some of our most recognised pieces. The idea of Story invites us to look beyond technique and aesthetics, helping us to consider the meaning behind the works- allowing them to speak to audiences in a new way.

For the duration of the exhibition, we will also be hosting free gallery tours of Story: Selected Works from Edinburgh Printmakers' Collection and Impressions: Selected Works from Jerwood Collection on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2pm. No need to book - just pop in and join a tour at our front desk.

Discover our public programme connected to the Story exhibition:
- Thursday 22nd May at 6pm | Ep Culture Conversations - Collecting Stories. A panel conversation with three invited speakers reflecting on how they use storytelling to bolster the objects in their collections.
- Thursday 5th June at 6pm | From Plate to Page Readig Group. A relaxed, non-academic conversation engaging with texts that look at printmaking’s role within social justice, emancipation, identity and self-expression.
- Sunday 15th June at 2pm | Zines and Paper Sculptures Workshop. Join artist printmaker Scott Baxter in exploring historical ways in which people have sought to safely communicate personal, political, or secret information hidden from prying eyes.
Each print offers insight into the evolving narratives, styles, and voices that have shaped Edinburgh Printmakers’ history. As we continue our journey toward museum accreditation, Story highlights the significance of our collection and our commitment to preserving and sharing the rich legacy of fine art printmaking. As we approach our 60th year, we reflect on the past five decades of achievements that have shaped Edinburgh Printmakers. From pioneering non-toxic printmaking techniques, (most notably the internationally recognised Edinburgh Etch) to supporting artists through our residency programmes, we have continually evolved.
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Adaptability has been key to our journey. Having left our mark across Edinburgh, we have moved through four locations: Victoria Street (1967), Market Street (1975), Union Street (1984), and now Dundee Street (2019). Each reflecting a chapter in our organisational history and our commitment to contemporary Scottish and international artists.
Highlights from the exhibition
Barbara Rae, Spanish Window, stone lithograph, 1992.

Every print captures the artist’s vision at that moment in time. This exhibition offers an opportunity to explore how these artists have shaped, and been shaped by, the printmaking community. A community which is continuously expanding. This exhibition also demonstrates the evolution of Scottish contemporary art and printmaking, celebrating Edinburgh Printmakers’ ongoing collaboration with artists and members who help us to continue our legacy. We invite artists from all backgrounds, from up and coming to established. By doing so, we remain at the forefront of artistic growth.
Jock McFayden, It’s Okay Stevie…, zinc plate lithograph, 1980. Collaborating Printer: Ken Duffy.

Early Years of Edinburgh Printmakers: Recollections from our first Directory, Kenneth Duffy

How did you become involved with Edinburgh Printmakers?  

In 1968 I got a call from the chairman who is called Kim Kempshall. I was one of his students at the new printmaking department (Edinburgh College of Art). He asked if I’d be interested to come along and work as the manager. He said there'd be about 5 minutes a day of paperwork, and I'm free to do my own work. It never ever worked out anything like that! I was working in a fish factory, so it seemed a step up in my career prospects, so I accepted without any delay. 

What were the facilities like on Victoria Street? 

Well, our mutual friend John Bellany described it as being like an Aladdin’s cave. And Robert Cox, who started the workshop compared it to a mini Guggenheim. It was just a few rooms and a spiral staircase. Very small. But everything in the arts at that time was in microcosm. Everything started tiny… It wasn't really suitable at all! 

It was impossible to contemplate doing screen printing at the Victoria Street Location. We got help from the Calouste Gulbenkian foundation to move to Market Street. And we set up screen printing which was one of the main objectives of the move.  

The premises on Market Street were pioneered by the Weavers Workshop - for a big weaving show and I think that came to everyone's attention that it could be a good venue. So, we got the upper floor. And originally, we were going to have the whole floor, but Sandy's Moffat was the chairman of the 57 Gallery in North Street at the time - which was an even smaller premises than ours - so we ended up sharing the top floor together. 
Adrian Wisniewski, Sandy, etching, 1987. Collaborating Printer: Alfons Bytautas.

Artists by Artists at Edinburgh Printmakers

Within our collection is a set of several portraits of artists done by fellow artists between 1987 and 1991. The group includes works by Timothy Hyman, Sandy Moffat, and Adrian Wiszniewski and includes depictions of artists Alfons Bytautas, Ken Currie, Richard Demarco, Peter Howson, Timothy Hyman, Henry Kondracki and Sandy Moffat – all of whom were producing work at Edinburgh Printmakers at the time.

Printed at our studio’s third location on Union Street shortly after its opening in 1984. These artists were working collaboratively in the studio, and the portraits were created to capture the energy of the moment. Henry Moore had recently exhibited in the gallery, and celebrated Scottish artists such as John Bellany and Barbara Rae were publishing editions on the same presses. The portraits convey a sense of camaraderie amongst fellow contemporary Scottish painter-printmakers.
Jennifer McRae, Aura, lithograph, 1996. Collaborating Printer: Alastair Clark.

What is a Collaborating Printer?

You’ll notice our labels have two credit lines: one for the artist and one for the printer. The process of making a print edition is a collaborative one. Over the years, a variety of artists have been invited to publish with us, and for each edition they have been matched with a Collaborating Printer to help carry out their vision.  

Our Collaborating Printers are EP staff with specialisations in the various print mediums: etching, lithography, relief (including linocut and woodcut), and screenprinting. Some printers go through additional professional training programmes in their specialisations to be considered a Master Printer. When working on an edition, the Collaborating Printer works with the artist to incorporate the artist’s hand-drawn films, sketches and ideas into a final composition. The artist and printer work together on a series of proofs – altering the colours and design until a final proof is signed off on by the artist. This proof is called a B.A.T. (Bon á tirer in French, or ‘good to pull’).  

The Collaborating Printer then sets off on creating an edition of a set number of prints that all match the standards set by the B.A.T. The printer will print more than the needed total so that the artist can come in and select the best prints and sign them as the final edition. For every edition we publish at EP, a signed archive copy is also added to our Permanent Collection.
The exhibition features a total of 58 works.

Exhibiting Artists: Pio Abad, Tayo Adekunle, Sam Ainsley, Sara Beevers, John Bellany, Kate Bright, Hugh Buchanan, John Byrne, Alfons Bytautas, Christian Noelle Charles, Alastair Clark, Samantha Clark, Calum Colvin, Victoria Crowe, Ken Currie, Alan Davie, Graham Dean, Katy Dove, Mark Doyle, Rachel Duckhouse, Trish Edwards, Hideo Furuta, Roberto Gonzalez Fernandez, Antony Gormley, Eric Great-Rex, Karen Guthrie, Isla Hackney, Gwen Hardie, Louise Hopkins, Peter Howson, Kenny Hunter, Timothy Hyman, Callum Innes, Gwyneth Leech, Hannah Lim, Peter Lynch, Robert Maclaurin, Rachel Maclean, Jock McFayden, Caroline McNairn, Jennifer McRae, Sandy Moffat, Scott Myles, Kristin Nordhøy, Cat Outram, Hardeep Pandhal, Eduardo Paolozzi, Toby Paterson, Grace Quintanilla, Barbara Rae, David Shrigley, Bronwen Sleigh, Bob & Roberta Smith, Hazel Terry, Hanna Tuulikki, Mark Wallinger, Alison Watt, Adrian Wisniewski, Ainsley Yule.