20/20 Vision, Second Edition

The Art of Contemporary University Printmaking

Janet Ballweg

My work investigates human relationships through the use of inanimate objects. Appearing superficially calm on the surface, this domestic scene slowly transforms into a mounting unease as the viewer voyeuristically steps into the midst of an intimate conversation yet finds only silence. There is a distinct sense of being alone, of engaging someone or something that is not there. What is left to contemplate is the aborted conversation, the miscommunication, the silence, the emptiness of words, the unspoken thoughts. My work is about capturing the expectations, the potential, and the psychological tensions that exist within a particularly decisive moment of time. The viewer, always arriving too late, can only guess at what has transpired.

Common household imagery is used throughout this body of work to create a sense of memory and nostalgia for time past, and an appreciation for the humor, oddity, and mystery that exist within ordinary life. Playing off inherent dualities, work intertwines past with present, dream with reality, and emotion with logic in an attempt to provide some insight or explanation for what is, was, or might be.

The most recent prints in this series continue the exploration of human relationships with a focus on a self-reflective, introspective mode. The lone character plays the part of both protagonist and antagonist, and the conversation is internalized. Employing looming shadows and a picture frame with a distorted reflection, the questionable nature of memory and representation is accentuated.

Technically, this print integrates a combination of digital and contemporary printmaking technologies. The image began as 3d computer-generated model which was built and manipulated within the computer as a theatrical set. The rendering of the model was imported into Photoshop, where distortions of space were further manipulated. At this point, the image was color-separated into the four process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), and printed as four black-and-white transparencies. The four films were then exposed to photopolymer intaglio printing plates, which were inked and hand-printed in the traditional 4-color intaglio manner.