Our local masters of all things print, Luddite Press, have launched a two-week pilot residency programme for printmakers near and far. The first group of residents will be international printmaking collective Verbatim who will visit the island from 23 September to 7 October 2023.
“We’re pleased we were able to secure such a high calibre of artist for the pilot programme,” says Tim Le Breuilly of Luddite Press. He adds that he wanted to bring award-winning printmaking talent to Jersey to complement the existing workshops and teaching that Luddite Press offers.
The workshops, exhibitions and artist talks will take place at Luddite Press’s two studios in Grève de Lecq and St Peter and will present an opportunity for local printmakers, students, and the general public to work alongside these celebrated artists. While here, the printmakers get an opportunity to benefit from Jersey’s buzzing artistic community, unique history and stunning land and sea vistas.
The four award-winning printmakers who make up Verbatim are Maite Cascón, Jake Garfield, Thomas Gosebruch and Ellie Hayward.
Maite Cascón (b.1991, Madrid) is an artist-printmaker based between Madrid and London. On her website, she cites psychoanalysis and folk tales as “important references” in her work and claims that she creates “impossible scenes happening simultaneously.” Her etchings have an extremely detailed and blur the lines between fantasy and nightmare.
Jake Garfield (b.1990, London) creates muralistic, multi-panelled woodcut prints. His latest works respond to artists such as painter Frida Kahlo and sculptor Jacob Epstein. In his video about his extremely detailed piece Man Wrestling with the Angel, which is based on a sculpture by Epstein, he claims that he likes working with wood because it’s something that was once a living thing. The “Man” in the piece wears boxing gloves and wrestling boots whilst the angel appears to be a Narnian White Witch who hasn’t completely materialised.
Painter and printmaker Thomas Gosebruch’s (b.1951, Munich) most recent monotypes feel futuristic and concurrently throwbacks to another era. There is motion that conjures jazz improvisations and lines that evoke music video animation. Imagine if Billie Holiday covered Pink Floyd. They are sometimes minimalistic and elegant; other times scribbled and frantic.
The aquatint etchings of Ellie Hayward (b.1996, London) are powerfully influenced by her work as a sculptor. Some of the prints look like designs for children’s climbing frames or impossible buildings while others could easily be sketches for her sculptural practice. The greyscale etchings play with dimension and shadow, and many of her pieces intertwine play, danger and symbolism.
Tom Parker from Luddite Press says, “each member of Verbatim is an artist making exciting work in the field of printmaking. We’re very excited to welcome them to Jersey.”
Luddite Press is a local non-profit organization run by fellow artists Tom Parker and Tim Le Breuilly, dedicated to promoting printmaking techniques and artistic expression. This exciting initiative is supported by the Jersey Community Foundation and aims to foster cultural exchange and creativity by inviting talented printmakers to engage with the local community.
www.ludditepressci.com
