For Jared Stanley, PhD, printmaking presents a fascinating and rewarding way to develop visual communication in his artwork. An Assistant Professor of Art + Design at Bob Jones University and the Chair of the Contemporary Print Collective (CPC), Jared was first drawn to printing in college and now passes on his knowledge teaching techniques in intaglio, relief, serigraphy, lithography, and additive processes.
“I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, which meant I keenly felt the ‘work’ side of ‘artwork,’” he explains. “As a graphic design student in my first printmaking class, Harrell Whittington asked us to play with gesso, cut paper, hot glue, sand, and whatever other scraps we could find. The process in making that first collagraph was immensely freeing. ‘Play’ and ‘art’ had not seemed to go together before that.”
In his role at the CPC, Jared works alongside other members to create, exhibit, collaborate, and educate through printmaking and within the contemporary dialectic of art. The group seeks to foster an awareness of original, hand-pulled prints by promoting exhibitions, educational opportunities, and encouraging the art of collecting prints.
CPC has enjoyed a partnership with GCCA for many years, using its facility as a meeting venue, for print fairs, and for exhibitions of local and international print exchanges. Now GCCA and CPC are poised to take their partnership to the next level with the opening of a new printmaking classroom as part of GCCA’s current upfit project, slated for completion in early 2022. “We are thrilled that GCCA has turned to our collective expertise to aid with the development of a printmaking classroom, and I am excited that there will be a shared space to help GCCA accomplish educational goals to expand the printmaking community here in Greenville.” Jared says. “The new printmaking space also will be a valuable resource for local printmakers to practice and produce their art. It can be difficult and cost-prohibitive for an artist to outfit a home workspace for printmaking. We hope that this space will encourage local artists to resume their exploration of printmaking processes and share their work and knowledge with our community.”
With this in mind, the CPC aims to make sure the space has the base necessities for a printmaker working in a variety of intaglio and relief processes. The classroom will include two presses, wash-sinks, paper baths, flat files, worktables, a clean room, and many other features.
Dear Jared,
Now that the new printmakers studio is up and running, is it time for a permanent exhibit space within the new studio space for exhibition of former and current Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Exhibition Planners & Curatorial members?! The idea is to start small and carefully build a collection of master printmakers of the CPC. A display of the work of those in charge and guiding the collective for those new to and part of contemporary printmaking.