Rewriting The Master Narrative

Printmaking has always been revolutionary as a technology and an art form. As technology, it transformed the way we share information and democratized literacy and education. As art, it has become a platform for different people to make their voices heard and expand our definitions of culture.

Printmaking has always ridden the line between works crafted by hand and works done by replicable form. There is inevitable tension in the power that print can give. On the one hand, it gives access to many people to tell their rare and special stories. On the other, it requires a template in order to share widely with the masses. For this reason, we must be mindful of the stories we elevate and emulate. From religion (Jesus, Buddha), to mythology (Odysseus, Hercules), to pop culture (Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins)—names and faces may change, but stories (and storytellers) often stay the same.

When the stories we share begin to look alike, what’s the role of the maker of the matrix? When we live in an era where we need not just different faces, but different story arcs that prove different outcomes, what is the role of the storyteller who creates what others will share?

Artists are invited to submit two and three-dimensional artworks based in printmaking that explore and expand the boundaries of storytelling. Books, installation work, traditional, and non-traditional printmaking forms are all welcome. Themes include but are not limited to mythologies and myth making, history and current events, systems and systemic change, and social commentary.