After consecutive exhibitions devoted to boxing and bicycles as artistic subjects, The Church in Sag Harbor has turned to a domain less sporty but no less challenging: printmaking.
"Master Impressions: Artists and Printers on the South Fork, 1965-2010," which will open Saturday with a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m., will present 27 objects selected to display the diversity of traditional printmaking methods and approaches, as well as the unique properties of the medium.
The show has been organized by Samuel Havens, The Church's workshop and residency manager and a printmaker in his own right, according to three criteria: 1) The artist has spent significant time on the South Fork; 2)The artwork is the culmination of a relationship between the printer(s) and the artist, and 3) The resulting work showcases either the capabilities of the medium, the characteristics of works for which the artist is known, or both.
Mr. Havens extensively researched the printers involved to highlight their expertise and essential role in creating the objects on view, as well as their roles in the East End artistic community.
"As a printmaker, I know the magic of the press and I am excited to share this exhibition that celebrates the medium," he said. "The works in this show continue The Church’s characteristic way of exploring and examining the bounty of the East End within the global context of contemporary art."
Featured artists include notables with deep local ties such as Elaine de Kooning, Connie Fox, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Motherwell, and Alfonso Ossorio. There are also some with surprising connections to the region, among them Romare Bearden, James Rosenquist, and Jasper Johns, and artists such as Abraham Rattner and Dan Welden, who have played important roles in the advancement of the medium.
Rounding out the exhibition are works by are Nanette Carter, Robert Dash, Eric Fischl, Dan Flavin, April Gornik, Grace Hartigan, Mary Heilmann, Ellsworth Kelly, Fay Lansner, Gerson Leiber, Robert Longo, Ellen Peckham, Jackson Pollock, Dan Rizzie, Esteban Vicente, and Hale Woodruff.
Printmaking has been integral to The Church since November 2021, when Mr. Welden hosted a monotype printmaking workshop, works from which were subsequently sold through a silent auction. Monotype printmaking workshops, both introductory and advanced, have been offered since on a bi-monthly basis.
A new course to be offered in February will explore intaglio techniques of drypoint, line-etch, and aquatint. Other related public programs will take place during the run of the exhibition.
"Master Impressions" will remain on view through Feb. 25.
