Of Surfaces, Lines, and Eigenraums
21.10-12.12.2023

Working in layered printmaking techniques shapes the artists’ modes of thinking; it is the language of the narrative. Seven artists have taken the tools of the printmaker, moving with them from the surface of paper into space. As a new mountain range arising, the question looms: can printmaking develop a third dimension? What will be its spatial properties? What sort of landscapes will artists generate in their varied techniques and eigenraums? Gestures, workshops and materials are undoubtedly present, endowed with a voice, part of the decision-making. Stone, paper, scissors, wood and fabrics – these are just a few of the substances possessing a voice and subjecthood on par with the author.  We address the essential, empirical questions of our artistic practice, while pushing the limits and potential of printmaking in the wider landscape of contemporary art. Every author has focused on one  particular technique, achieving  a masterful synthesis of conceptualisation and craftsmanship. The exhibition hall has become a universe of techniques: lithography, serigraphy, linocut, typesetting, drypoint, photopolymeric print, etching and so on.

Surfaces form landscapes which have ceased to be flat; even the warmth and porousness of paper, the indentation left by the matrix, the ink colours – all contribute to the tactile, textured, layered quality of the works.

Lines can, in the present context, be considered both as the framework of classic printmaking, and subsequent attempts to overcome them, as well as lines on paper – the building blocks of graphic arts.

Eigenraums are formed by stages of the process, materials, planned and random events that coalesce into single masterpieces or series of works. An eigenraum is defined as each artist’s unique psychical and physical space, with its characteristic interpretation and self-reflection. It is more than the sum of the artists’ work, encompassing their life experiences, world views,  and the new worlds they create.

Let us unroll the printmaking microcosms – we wish you a pleasant journey!

Artists: Britta Benno, Maria Erikson, Maria Izabella Lehtsaar, Mari Prekup, Lilli-Krõõt Repnau, Helen Tago, Kadri Toom
Curator: Britta Benno
Graphic design: Nelli Viisimaa
Thanks to: Rapla County  Centre for Contemporary Art, Rapla  County Municipalities’ Development Foundation, Cultural Endowmnént of Estonia, Estonian Academy of Arts printmaking department, Estonian  Printmakers’ Association, Graafika.ee

Open 21.10-12.12.2023 Tue-Sunl 15.00 – 18.00