20/20 Vision

The Art of Contemporary University Printmaking

Grace Kroll

Why do printmakers continue to work in this medium when it can be an invitation to disaster? So many things can go wrong. Printmaking is 50 percent skill, 50 percent chemicals, and 50 percent luck.
Printmaking is a continuous and on-going learning experience. There is always another method or technique to try. It is a challenge to work out a creative idea and bring it to paper from a copper plate. Discovering a solution to a problem makes this challenge worthwhile. It is stimulating and rewarding to work as a printmaker and when that 150 percent of skill, chemicals, and luck produces the perfect print, it’s breathtaking.

Bridges are universal, from the charming covered bridges in rural areas to the bold geometric bridges in urban areas. My print, “Chicago River Bridges,” is a rosin aquatint with etching and is part of a small edition. It is also an example of how all the problems and solutions in printmaking come together to produce an effective print.