Printmedia

Contemporary printmedia is a powerful and varied art form which includes etching, lithography, screenprinting, relief prints, artists’ books and multi-media works. Artists engage with this variety of technologies in an interactive way to make their works and to describe their thoughts, experiences and engagement with the world.

Printmedia processes originate in technologies developed for mass communication, and have historical associations with literature, science and the arts. Artists have adopted new technologies to their own ends, including the invention of moveable type and the printing press that heralded the first printed book; lithographic and photographic processes and, more recently, digital imaging. Prints are often made on paper, and the potential of printing multiple works from a single matrix is often utilized as part of the art form.

The multiple identity of the print suggests both “the commonality of a shared culture and the singularity of individual experience.” [1]

At Monash, students can study a range of printmedia techniques as electives or as part of a printmedia major, in a well-equipped studio under the guidance of professional artists who are also expert printmakers. Students at all levels—from first-year undergraduates to post-graduate research candidates—work side by side in an atmosphere that supports experimentation, creative enquiry and the development of each individual’s particular visual language.

The Printmedia Program operates from two studios, and includes facilities for etching (including photographic processes), lithography, relief printing, monotypes, screen printing, artists’ books and a fully equipped darkroom. Students also have access to digital imaging and photographic resources.

Studio Coordinator
Marian Crawford
t:+61 3 9903 2254
f:+61 3 9903 2759
e:Marian Crawford@artdes.monash.edu