Australian Print Workshop: 1 Week Residency 2024

 Australian Print Workshop: jo Lankester, 1 Week Residency 2024

I feel so privileged to recently be invited by the Director of the Australian Print Workshop to work with a Senior Printer and two apprentices to produce two editions of three colour lithographs printed on the FAG Offset Press over three and half days to arrive at two BAT states by the end of the residency. It was a wild three days of drawing, laying touche washes and making quick decisions. 

I prepared as much as possible for an artist who works spontaneously to mark-making once the first colour is laid on the paper. I had clear ideas about the colours and tones I wanted to achieve. My limited knowledge of colour and lithography resulted in reverting to my reactive method of colour choice and mark-making.

I reacted to bold colours the same way as my first residency, confusing the experienced printer with what direction I was heading in. I realised I was no longer certain of my colour choices and chose a safe colour palate with which I was familiar. We only printed one version of the print, with the second colour being a bold red, and in hindsight, it was a banger. I'll take note of this for the next opportunity that may come my way to work with professional printers to produce my work. 

Working in collaboration with a printer benefits my growth as an artist. On this occasion, I learned what a technically well-printed image looks like and my desire to push it beyond the excellent state of the printer's work to fit my aesthetic of ink sitting heavy on the image rather than beautifully integrated with multitudes of tones and subtlety. It shows my level of skills is much lower than that of the professional printers at APW. *wow, what an experience. I'm really proud of the two editions we produced in collaboration. 

The images I'm showing are the touche washes and line drawings of six plates. I'm not sharing the BAT or trial proofs as the image has not yet been published by the APW.

I worked on the two sets of prints simultaneously. They can be read as single prints or a diptych.

Jo Lankester - Fundraising for the Australian Print Workshop

Impressions 2018 - APW

Supporting the fundraising efforts of the Australian Print Workshop is something I take pleasure in. Being a part of the biennial fundraising exhibition Impressions is a great feeling and something I look forward to. Working small is a challenge but I always manage to create something I'm happy with. I have been invited to contribute a print to the fundraising event over the past few years.

Impressions 2018 was a record-breaking fundraising success for APW. There were 182 artists from around Australia, over 750 prints were sold during the exhibition, and 27 editions fully sold out.

The money raised will enable the APW to continue to offer access to the APW's printmaking facilities at affordable rates.

This is the print that I contributed to Impression 2018.

Jo Lankester, Cortex - Wulguru, 2018

The pictures I make explore ideas of aesthetics, experience, and elements of the landscape; colour, line, texture, and form. My work is inspired by the unique combination of the regions’ dry and wet tropical landscape extending west of Townsville to Charters Towers, Magnetic Island, and as far North as Weipa.

SOLD OUT

Click here to purchase your copy through APW

Jo Lankester Recipiant - APW Regional Artist-in-Residence Project 2017

Australian Print Workshop Regional Artist-in-Residency project

I’m please to write of a recent professional development opportunity in Melbourne at the Australian Print Workshop (APW) as a recipient of the Regional Artist-in-Residence project between 16 November to 5 December 2017.

Australian Print Workshop 210 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, Vic 3065

Proposed Print Project: To make experimental studies of textured surfaces of the given environment in the form of Unique State Prints.

During this time, I enjoyed early morning walks to parks and gardens located close to the APW including the Fitzroy Gardens, Yarra Park and the Botanical Gardens. Stopping to make small drawings of the surface of gum trees then return to the studio and draw in my journal from memory of the observational drawing made in the park. Then in the APW Access Print Studio working from memory, I printed a series of monotype prints on Hahnemuhle 78 x 53cm, using etching ink and a copper plate 90 x 60 cm. Each memory exercise is a process that removes my mark making from the literal and becomes an intuitive process to making prints. The Monotypes were printed with up to 4 layers of colour using a subtractive approach to create the image.

Subtractive Monotype printing, printed by Jo Lankester in the APW Access Print Workshop

4 layered subtractive Monotypes, printed by Jo Lankester in the APW Access Print Workshop

In week two I was presented with a generous opportunity to create a Limited Edition Print with APW Senior Printer Simon White. We worked together to create a 4-colour plate lithograph printed on the FAG offset press, I drew on the prepared plates, which Simon then processed and printed. This was an amazing experience to work in a medium that I don’t have access to in Townsville or the skills to work in this medium unassisted. The technical guidance and skills provided by Simon White realised a beautifully printed edition of prints containing intricate marks and a subtle colour palette that tells a story of my physical, and artistic journey whilst in residence at the APW. 

Plate 1 of 4, Tusche Wash & crayon

3 layers of colour of 4 plate/4 colour Lithograph. Printed by Simon White, APW Senior printer. 

Key plate for Lithograph print (4 plate/4 colour)

Cortex-Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Plate lithograph (4 plates/4 colour)
76 x 55cm | BFK 250gsm
Drawn by Jo Lankester and printed by Simon White, APW Senior printer.
This work resulted from an Artist-in-Residency project supported by Australian Print Workshop in 2017
This Unique State print can be purchased through the Australian Print Workshop.

The key Lithography plate was also printed on the dry surface of the 7 monotypes created in week one, in the APW Access Studio. The monoprints were then further worked on by myself in week 3 to created 3 x unique state diptych prints and I x APW unique state single sheet print.

Key Lithographic Plate printed on Monotypes to become Monoprints.

Drawn by Jo Lankester and printed by Simon White, APW Senior printer.

This work resulted from an Artist-in-Residency project supported by Australian Print Workshop in 2017.

Applying the final lines of colour in the APW Access Print Workshop

Cortex-Parliament Gardens, Melbourne

Drawn by Jo Lankester, printed by Jo Lankester & Simon White, APW Senior printer.

This work resulted from an Artist-in-Residency project supported by Australian Print Workshop in 2017.

This Unique State print can be viewed at the Australian Print Workshop.

Cortex-Botanic Gardens II, Melbourne

Drawn by Jo Lankester, printed by Jo Lankester & Simon White, APW Senior printer.

This work resulted from an Artist-in-Residency project supported by Australian Print Workshop in 2017

This Unique State print can be purchased through the Australian Print Workshop.

Cortex-Yarra park, Melbourne

Drawn by Jo Lankester, printed by Jo Lankester & Simon White, APW Senior printer.

This work resulted from an Artist-in-Residency project supported by Australian Print Workshop in 2017.

Cortex-Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne

Drawn by Jo Lankester, printed by Jo Lankester & Simon White, APW Senior printer.

This work resulted from an Artist-in-Residency project supported by Australian Print Workshop in 2017.

In between printing the monoprints and working on the limited edition print, Cortex - Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, I produced 3 x small editions and a couple of trial proofs. These prints are what I call my drawing prints. I use only one element of the subject to focus on, usually the outer layer of textured bark and stains on a tree.

Additional small editions made and printed by Jo Lankester in the APW Access Print Workshop

This incredibly generous opportunity offered by the Australian Print Workshop also enabled me to make contact with professional practicing printmakers living, and working in Melbourne. The inner city location of the APW situated near commercial and state/national galleries allowed easy access for me to see exhibitions, attend exhibition openings, artist talks, and print studio launches. During my stay I built new connections and working relationships resulting in a true sense of connectedness with printmaking artists in Victoria reducing the sense of physical isolation through distance of living in regional North Queensland.

Thank you to the Australian Print Workshop Board, APW Directors and staff for this incredible opportunity to make new connections, and extend my knowledge of the print medium.