British art magazine writer and printmaker Richard Noyce’s presentation on “The New Ecology of Printmaking” discussed the constantly evolving field of printmaking, which relies on both traditional techniques and advancing technology. Students, faculty, and members of the St. Louis community gathered in Washington University’s Givens Hall, where Noyce defined the art of printmaking. He connected it to the modern world by relating printmaking to the field of ecology, which is the study of life and interactions between organisms and their environments.

The connection of printmaking to the modern world was an essential piece of Noyce’s presentation. Noyce demonstrated this connection through visual representations and references to the globalized world. Our modern, connected world and new technology were points in the presentation that related to Noyce’s thoughts on modern printmaking. Developments in the field prove that technology creates new opportunities for artist expression. However, Noyce noted that traditional printmaking techniques would still remain prevalent, despite common inclination to prefer new techniques to old ones.

Noyce mentioned the state of our modern economy as another piece that affects printmaking today. The global financial crisis jeopardizes international printmaking events because governments cannot afford to finance them. Symposiums, print fairs, and exhibitions are now limited, challenging the international network that connects artists. However, printmakers remain connected through specialized magazines, blogs, and websites, offering a variety of means for learning and sharing printmaking techniques.

Mentioning Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Noyce discussed the power of printmaking to serve as a democratic means of social and political interaction. He explained that art should be accessible to the public, and throughout their existence, prints have been some of the most powerful images in art. They also serve as social commentary and propaganda. Noye referenced curator Bozidar Zrinski, who claimed that because prints can be widely disseminated at a certain moment in time, they are an important part of the modern environment. Former President Bush and newly elected President Obama have been the subjects of many prints, proving printmaking’s ability to comment on society and have political influence over the public. With the Bush regime came a network of prints expressing political frustration. Prints of Obama, popularized by Shepherd Fairey’s HOPE design, serve as both artistic and political expressions (Noyce believed that this was one of the abilities of modern printmaking).

Richard Noyce uniquely compared printmaking to ecology and the evolution and combination of old and new printing methods. However, he may have chosen to include more visual examples. I believe that specific works could have supported Noyce’s discussion more by demonstrating elements in prints that connect people and act as commentary on our modern world.

Printmaking has expanded from woodcuts and etchings to rubber stamps, public art, and instillations combining prints, three-dimensional elements, and even sound. Just as with ecology, the field of printmaking will continue to develop and evolve. Noyce’s presentation gave audience members a look at how printmaking has evolved, and gave a greater sense of the prevalent role that printmaking plays in communication throughout international society.

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