A collaborative print project

Last year a small group of five printmakers decided to get together and have a go at a collaborative printmaking project.

Our plan was to each make a collagraph plate as a starting point. All five of these were made on card so as to be easy to adapt and change. We would then pass the plates around the group, each person changing and printing them.

A chain reaction

We all printed our first collagraph plate before meeting up to share the results. At the meeting each plate  passed on to the next person so they could work with it and see what they came up with, rather like a chain.

We gave ourselves a couple of months to play around with each ‘new’ plate and make some prints, before meeting up again. Everyone was forbidden to put work in progress on the whats-ap group so each meeting was full of surprises.

At the second meeting we found that we had all been quite tentative; just using different colours or inking methods, and leaving the plates unchanged.

However as time went on the collaborative spirit took hold and we got more reckless and experimental. The plates were ripped up, plastered over, cut into and duplicated. They generally became common property each with a separate life of its own. Many were unrecognisable after several printmakers had had a go at them!

Here are examples of two of the plates from the collaborative printmaking project; one was torn up, the other transformed by adding with more plates….

The plate with a circle…

This one has chunky textures made with crackle paste, carborundum and various other objects pressed into it.

To make the white marks on the print above talc was sprinkled on the plate after inking and before printing.

Our first meeting was in a garden during summer, and we used the washing line as a ‘gallery’. All the first plates and prints were revealed.

….Becomes the plates with semi-circles

With the next printmaker a stack of monochrome relief prints on tissue paper, (ideal for chine collee), gave a different impression of the circle plate.

Out of all the five plates, we found the simpler plates were easiest to develop and change. Whereas the ones with more detail and structure were harder to work on as they seemed more ‘finished’. Drastically altering the plate by breaking it apart was one way round this ‘finished’ feeling.

Personally I found ripping up someone else’s plate felt daring and naughty (at first) and it was great to have ‘permission’ to do this.

Finding a different print within the same collagraph plate

Apart from ripping the plate this next print used very different colours, giving a fiery impression in contrast to the earthy/watery original. The extra layer of chine colleé behind the plate references its history with the first printmaker.

Adding inked cotton thread like stitches partially re-joins the two halves.

A re-formed circle

The two halves of the original plate are now re-formed and supported by two new collagraph plates. This completely alters the original proportions of the plate and the gentle cool colours produce another very different feeling.

A different beginning for collaboration – with a tetra pack plate

A fairy tale castle

This elegant plate is made from tetra-pack, with some delicate textures (from raspberry netting) embossed into it. The first print was a simple monochrome one, leaving the door wide oopen for further experimentation.

Extra texture and colour

In the next stage the plate had more texture embossed into it. This picture shows an experiment with an acetate mono print in orange ontop of the blue castle.

Duplicate plates

One castle just isnt enough!  Bigger, more complex and 3d looking buildings start to appear. These use more tetra-pack plates mirroring the original plate and embossed with bolder textures.

The black and yellow is painted on with acrylics. (Well why not combine printmaking and painting?)

Extra collagraph plates with more details

The architectural castle theme develops with a return to the original plate and new doors and flags made from textured wallpaper.

The collaboration continues with added Angels

This printmaker has amended the duplicate castle plate to create perspective. Angels and people are a brilliant addition, continuing to develop the fantasy theme.

These were inspired by the etchings of Icelandic printmaker Karolina Larusdottir

The simple plate at the start of the collaboration has multiplied into a whole collection of plates for castle doors, towers and windows.

Continuing the collaborative printmaking project

By the end of project we had developed strong connections with each other and a good  atmosphere of trust regarding our creative work.

Quite a few unforeseen spinoffs occurred, as people were inspired to make their own new plates along side the collaborative ones.  Ideas from the project also fed into other printmaking and painting works. This manifested as adventurous colour schemes, new plate construction techniques or just a renewed sense of inspiration and confidence.

One person was inspired to enrol on an arts access course, which is a wonderful and unexpected outcome of the project.

Needless to say conversations ranged widely beyond printmaking, but the printmaking advice and support has helped everybody to take their own creative path.  We decided to continue meeting up regularly, sharing work and creative development, and all look forward to seeing what will happen next.

Share your experiences of collaborative printmaking projects

If you have tried any collaborative print projects, perhaps using different models, it would be great to hear what you did and how the prints turned out – please leave a comment below!