Press Gang: The Salcombe Project

Original prints are unique, hand-made works of art, an inky-fingered world away from reproductions. A craft as well as an art, printmaking involves sharp tools and dangerous chemicals as well as paint brushes and rubber rollers, and one of Pressgang's great strengths is that individual members have experience in different areas which they share and build upon. When the group was formed by Mike Glanville in 1998, the converted mangle limited work to relief prints; today a full range is produced from lino-cut to etching, monoprint to collagraph, drypoint to monotype and the combined operation of mixed-media prints. Printmaking is a challenging way to transfer an image to paper, and throughout the exhibition members of Pressgang will be on hand to explain how it is done.

Caroline Barker enjoys designing the 2, or sometimes 3, colour plates for her linocut images. She often refines the initial idea at the stage of actually cutting the vinyl. When printing, she sometimes layers the an image, repeating it at a different angle and and in another shade to give texture and depth.

Emma Cook will show a series of small collagraphs, embellished with beads, metal foil and stitchwork, inspired by the view across the estuary from Salcombe to Kingsbridge.

Over the past 2 years Steve Kenna has been exploring both copper plate and aluminum plate etching, moving this year into solarplate etching.
“Most of my themes are based on our relationship with the coastline and sea through sport, work and leisure but my stylistic interests are architectural in nature so anything with the potential to powerfully express 'line' is of real interest."

Rosemary Moser's new body of monotypes incorporate gold, inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt.

Over the last three years Anita Reynolds has been walking the 630 mile South West Coast Path that runs from Minehead to Poole. Back in the studio she refined her South Hams sketches, creating negative spaces where the white paper is seen between the coloured areas in a way that exaggerates the sweeps and contours of the landscape and simplifies the compositions to its essential elements.
“I have been surprised at how little information you need to recognise a place, but also how well you have to know that place before you can simplify it.”

Hilary Soper has been concentrating on aluminium etching, and the possibilities of incorporating the etched images into colourful monotypes filled with the atmosphere of coast and harbour.

Claudia White has been producing images using linocut, woodcut, drypoint and collagraph techniques. These are printed predominantly in black and white, with occasional splashes of colour.

For more information visit http://www.harbourhouse.org.uk/gallery-pressgang14.html