Roberta Waddell & Samantha Rippner “Pulled In Brooklyn”

International Print Center New York

[Image: Alex Dodge "In the wake of total happiness" (2013) UV screenprint with braille texture on museum board. Sheet: 20 x 32 inches. Edition: 30. Courtesy the artist, Forth Estate Editions, and Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery. © 2019 Alex Dodge.]

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International Print Center New York presents its highly anticipated spring exhibition Pulled In Brooklyn, co-curated by Roberta Waddell and Samantha Rippner, in consultation with Luther Davis. This exhibition is the first in-depth exploration of the vibrant network of artists, printers, and workshops that has developed and flourished in Brooklyn since the early 1990s. This monumental exhibition is also IPCNY’s first to occupy two adjacent spaces, more than doubling the scale of its previous presentations.

Works by more than 100 artists across twenty-six printshops and book arts workshops reveal a close-knit and generous community, supported by a collaborative spirit and a network of shared expertise. Motivated by problem-solving, the printers in all these shops approach printmaking like a puzzle, enabling artists to deconstruct how they see and create their work through invention across traditional processes and new technologies. If a technical solution is elusive, printers can call upon the experience and resources of their local peers. The innovative nature of these prints—reflected in the close collaboration between printers and artists—is apparent in the varied works on view, from artist books and affordable screenprints and relief prints, to complex, mixed media editions and unique works.

The history of Brooklyn as a hub of industry situates the borough as an ideal nexus for print production. Many of these shops occupy former factories or are in neighborhoods that were once major ports for shipping, retaining an architectural record of their industrial and mercantile past. As a borough in constant flux, the vitality of these shops is established and supported by professional and personal connections, academic training, mentorships, lively networking, and a mutual passion for the medium. Anchored by creativity, ingenuity, and technical expertise of the printer, the works on view speak to the continued relevancy of printmaking to artists in Brooklyn and beyond.