Top picks: Contemporary Printmaking Prize
Fen Ditton Gallery have opened the second edition of their Contemporary Printmaking Prize, with 40 original prints selected from over 600 entries, by a panel of esteemed judges. The exhibition is an exciting display of the diversity and skills in both printmaking and subject matter.
Original prints are a great way to start a collection, often more affordable than other art forms, but each one still created by hand.
Here are a few of my top picks for new and aspiring collectors from the exhibition. You can view the full collection at fendittongallery.com or visit the exhibition in person at Fen Ditton Gallery on Saturdays and Sundays until 2nd April.
Amber Jesson: Deep Within
The winner of the Contemporary Printmaking Prize 2023, Amber Jesson’s photogravure etching is evocative and dream-like, drawing you in deep into the trees. Amber is completing her MA in Printmaking at the Royal College of Art, and this print is one that has been the catalyst for her new direction and body of work. An edition of just 5 works, this is well-worth a place in your collection.
Photogravure etching, edition of 5
Framed £ 500 / Unframed £ 300
Jenny Dingwall: River Bathers
The detail in this linocut is astonishing! But unsurprising when you find out that Jenny is currently at Cambridge University doing her PhD in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics… a mathematician by day and printmaker by night, as she describes herself. The mark marking in the trees and the simplicity of the figures creates a beautiful depiction of a summers day. And, if you’re from Cambridge, you might recognise it too!
Linocut, edition of 150
42 x 30cm
Framed £ 240 / Unframed £ 120
Zelga Miller: Don’t Tell
This woodcut is so fresh and uplifting - the lines are fluid and gentle, and it projects the warmth of summer and friendship. Zelga’s works are representations of people, but they are not intended to be portraits – rather a metaphor for something more universal. The figures act as a means to communicate and her intention is to express something of resilience, vulnerability and experience of the human condition – what lies beyond the initial impression, expression or simplicity of the scene.
Woodcut on Japanese Hakuraku, edition of 10
74 x 54cm
Framed £ 950 / Unframed £ 550
Laura Boswell: White Rock, Black Rock
A returning artist to the Contemporary Printmaking Prize, we are delighted to have another of Laura’s coastal works at Fen Ditton Gallery. Through linocut, Laura skilfully captures the light and movement of the water and transports the viewer to the cliff edge - you can almost feel the sea breeze!
Reduction linocut
Edition of 15
54 x 73cm
Framed £ 485 / Unframed £ 350
Rachael Neale: Mimodrama
This quiet depiction of an intimate moment is beautifully sensitive. The foregrounding of the arm chair gives a sense of privacy - the viewer has happened upon the tangle of bodies, and calls to the emotional ramifications and pleasures of intimacy. It is ambiguous, yet recognisable, tender and tense. Rachael uses monoprint and multi-layer etchings, driven by the tactile, painterly processes of these printmaking techniques.
Monoprint and etching, artist proof
63 x 76cm
£ 890 (framed)
Yvonne Walters: Barren Moor
This delicate monoprint is full of texture and movement. A small work, at just 30 x 30cm, but has a big impact. The perfect piece for a cosy corner that will transport you to the wild outdoors!
Monoprint, 1 of 1
31 x 31cm
£ 195 (framed)
Veta Gorner: Gilded Butterflies XL
Getting up-close to this lithograph in person adds a whole new dimension. Printed onto very fine Japanese handmade paper, the textures of the paper and Veta’s mark-making are delicate yet refined. The form is unusual and distinct, and speaks of life and a reflection upon its high and lows, and tensions in between. It is concerned with the thoughts and emotions that move us into action.
Plate lithograph, edition of 20
60 x 60cm
Framed £ 420 / Unframed £ 340
The Contemporary Printmaking Prize exhibition is currently open at Fen Ditton Gallery until Sunday 2nd April. Opening times are Saturdays and Sundays 10am - 5pm, other times by appointment by contacting info@fendittongallery.com.
You can view the full exhibition online at fendittongallery.com