Printmaking: In a Transforming South Africa

By Elizabeth Rankin and Philippa Hobbs

Accessible to artists in well-equipped studios and to those with few resources, printmaking has enjoyed less popular acclaim and scholarly attention than other art forms. This title offers a fuller understanding of the print by providing an introduction to the complex processes of printmaking, and focusing on contemporary works by South African artists to illustrate the expressive character and potential of the different media. From bold black-and-white relief prints and vivid screenprints, through the delicate line or lustrous tonal contrasts of etching and lithographs, to innovative multi-media and electronically generated pieces, their work demonstrates the richness and diversity of printmaking in South African art. The print has been important in South Africa for its social role, as a means of livelihood developed in community workshops, and as a form of resistance by both black and white artists during the liberation struggle. Today printmaking remains a vehicle of social commentary during post-apartheid transformation, affording insights not only into art, but into the very fabric of South African life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0864863349
• ISBN13: 9780864863348
• Release Date: November 1997
• Publisher: D. Philip
• Length: 204 Pages