Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2024
Today, I travelled to Woolwich in London to see what the great contemporary printmakers are producing. It’s only on for a few days, which surprises me because of the vast amount of work that goes into putting this event together. Not only do they take over all of the Woolwich Works, but they also have all the prints available online and present several talks daily.
On Saturday, the program included a lecture on The History of Print: A PIONEERING PROCESS. The lecture was presented by Dr Rachel Sloan, an art historian from The Courtauld Institute of Art; Holly EJ Black, a Journalist writing a book about the history of printmaking; and Professor Jo Stockham, the Head of MA Printmaking at the Royal College of Art.
They shared how printmaking was the original internet, bringing news and fake news to the world. They were an exciting and diverse trio, divulging different angles and stories on print history. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Gunning Arts Etching Presses had various demonstrations and opportunities to experiment with their presses. I have my eye on a particular press, although I’m not sure Santa will deliver it this year!
And obviously, the exhibition! The quality of the prints in the exhibition was superb. There was a huge range of different styles of work, although I didn’t find any body prints. So, I’m considering applying for the open call for next year’s exhibition.
I enjoyed my visit and will definitely be doing it again next year.