Collaboration in Art: Collaborative Printmaking Workshop and Master Printer

Abstract

Printing dates back to pre-written history, in the beginning it was only a means of reproduction, in time, it took a place among the means of artistic expressions with its artistic use. Printmaking, which forms the basis of graphic arts, requires serious technical knowledge and workshops with high installation and operating costs. This makes printmaking inaccessible to many artists by leaving it a very traditional means of production. The idea of the collaborative printmaking workshops with master printer accompaniment, has had a serious impact on the production of contemporary prints in printmaking. For the artists who do not have sufficient technical knowledge and skills in printing techniques or who do not have access to printing workshops; collaborative printmaking workshops with master printer accompaniment are institutions which allow artists from different disciplines to produce works in the field of printmaking. Throughout history, collaborative printmaking workshops helped revealing the true potential of printmaking and contributed to the transformation of printmaking into a contemporary means of expression by getting rid of its traditional attitude. In this article, the roles of the collaborative printmaking workshop and the master printmaker are examined while the working models of collaborative printmaking workshops are being discussed. The article also discusses how the printmaking can earn a function in the contemporary art market.