ABOUT PRINTS & EDITIONS
The studio of Catherine Christiano produces fine art reproductions and hand-pulled prints. This information page is intended to help you understand the terminology.
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What’s the Difference Between a Fine Art Hand-Pulled Print and a Reproduction?
Although these two words seem synonymous, understanding the difference is important for collectors. A reproduction is a printed copy of a pre-existing original work of art. Reproductions are created by taking a very high resolution image of the original work of art and digitally printing the image. This process is exacting, resulting in highly consistent printed images across the edition of reproductions. On the other hand, a fine art hand-pulled print is an original work of art created with the direct involvement of the artist. Hand-pulled prints are individually crafted, therefore each work within an edition may vary. There are numerous printmaking techniques employed by artists, the ones used by Catherine Christiano are described below. Both hand-pulled prints and reproductions are a great way to start or add to your collection.
About Fine Art Reproductions
The studio has a selection of limited edition reproductions available for collectors. Many of the original paintings reproduced are in private collections and would be otherwise unavailable. The reproductions are created by the studio using high quality digital printing technology. In the world of fine art the terms giclée, digital print, archival pigment print, and high resolution inkjet print are used interchangeably and refer to this printing process. A digital image of the original artwork is sent to a printer, such as an Epson, which prints it onto a heavy weight archival paper using archival pigment inks. The archival quality of the ink and papers is outstanding and said to now surpass many analog photographic techniques and some other painting and printing media.
About Hand-Pulled Prints
Hand-pulled prints are original works of art. There are numerous techniques used by artists to create hand-pulled prints, the ones used by Catherine Christiano are described on this page. In general, an image is first created on what is refered to by the trade as a matrix. A matrix can be a metal plate, heavy flat stone, or a screen. This surface is then inked and pressed onto a substrate, often paper, to create an impression. This straightforward concept offers up a suprising, perhaps infinite, number of possibilities. The method used to create a single artwork can be highly complex and involve the use of numerous plates, inks, and collaged or hand painted elements. It is not uncommon for artists to work in collaboration with a skilled master printer who has access to printing equipment. Because the process of creating a hand-pulled print is so hands-on, each work in the edition will have variations from very slight to more significant. An excellent introduction is provided in this brief video by the Museum of Modern Art, “Pressure + Ink: An Introduction to Printmaking”.
Monoprints
A monoprint is a one-of-a-kind original work of art. Monoprints combine an impression(s) from a fixed matrix, such as an etched plate or silkscreen, with other additional media. This may include hand painted or drawn elements, or collage. Monoprints are different from monotypes, which are paintings created on a plate that are pressed onto a paper and don’t include an impression of an image fixed to a matrix.
Screen Print, Silkscreen, Serigraphy Technique
The screen print technique, also referred to as silkscreen or serigraphy, uses a stencil created on a fine mesh fabric tightly stretched over a frame. Ink is forced through the open areas in the stencil using a squeegee. Historically the term silkscreen has been used for more commercial applications of the technique (billboards, textiles, etc.) and serigraph for works of fine art on paper.
Stone Lithography Technique
Stone lithography, developed around 1798 in Germany, is based on the hydrophobic (water repelling) property of grease. To create a lithograph the image is drawn on a smooth, level limestone plate using oil-based lithographic drawing materials that, as solids, come in the form of crayons, pencils, rubbing sticks and, as liquids, come in the form of tusche and autographic ink. The image at left shows the finished drawing on the stone for the lithograph “Hydrangeas”. Once the drawing is complete a series of chemical processes are used to bond the hydrophobic (oil attracting and water repelling), grease based image to the stone and make it ready to be inked for printing. During printing, the stone is kept continuously wet with water as the image is inked, a process that requires numerous passes with an inking roller. After the image is loaded with printing ink, the stone and paper are run through a press that applies uniform pressure to transfer the ink onto the paper. An excellent video by the Museum of Modern Art “Pressure + Ink: Lithography Process” demonstrates this process. Stone lithographs retain the detail of the artist’s drawing, include the beauty of the fine pattern of the grain of the stone, and may vary slightly from one impression to the next in the edition.
What is a Limited Edition?
Unlike original paintings or drawings, with hand-pulled prints and reproductions an artist can make a number of pieces with the same image to create a limited edition. Each limited edition created by Catherine Christiano, has a specified number of works included. With reproductions, the image will be highly consistent across the edition. Due to the hands-on nature of printmaking techniques, images across an edition of hand-pulled prints will vary. Each reproduction and hand-pulled print in the edition is numbered and hand-signed below the image.
Verifying the Authenticity of your Editioned Artwork
Catherine Christiano uses several methods to authenticate her editions. Each hand-pulled print or reproduction on paper that is part of an edition will bear the studio chop mark. This mark is hand embossed on the paper in an appropriate area, usually below the image at the right. If a master printer works with Catherine Christiano to create a fine art print, the print may also bear his/her mark. Each print will also be delivered with a Certificate of Authenticity, a unique document describing the edition and verifying the artwork is authentic. Together with the receipt of purchase, these serve to provide verification of authenticity for the buyer if he or she wishes to resell the artwork in the future.