A do-it-yourself mindset and artistic inkling sets screenprinting apart
With digital solutions replacing hands-on work more and more, some Calgarians still opt to get their hands dirty.
Karolina Gajewska does screenprinting (also known as silkscreening) part time at Burnt Toast Studios in Calgary’s Northeast.
Screenprinting is a subsection of the art of printmaking. It dates back to early 20th century China and exploded in popularity in the West when it became popularized by Andy Warhol in the ‘60s.
The most popular form of printing today is digital mass production. While we may not think of the posters or t-shirts we see day-to-day as artworks, Gajewska says that silkscreening is more than just manufacturing.
“There’s just a bit more character in silkscreening, and it’s about the process as well. There’s a lot that goes into building the whole thing – and a meticulous nature of putting it all together.“
The process involves creating stencils, exposing them using emulsion fluid and light, and pressing an ink-covered mesh screen to fabrics or other materials.
Check out the Calgary Journal’s video report to see it in action. See the photo gallery of Burnt Toast’s screenprinting here. If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, Alberta Printmakers offers workshops in their studio space.
mritchie@cjournal.ca, cgallant@cjournal.ca
The editor responisble for this story is Stefan Strangman, who can be reached at sstrangman@cjournal.ca