Printmaking is one of the most tedious and technical forms of art. Images with sharp lines are drawn on a zinc plate, which is then treated with nitric acid and black ink meticulously poured into these etchings. A crisp paper is then placed on the metal plate and passed through the printmaker. What emerges out of it is the beautiful print portraying the intricate workmanship characteristic of a printmaker. At the serene ambience of the Andhra University Department of Fine Arts, a fabulous blend of oeuvres in printmaking are being created by a mix of young and senior artists of the country at the printmaking workshop.
Padma awardee artist K. Laxma Goud, along with 16 other artists from across the country, is taking part in this one-of-its-kind five-day workshop. The place has been bustling with energy of a different kind as the students exchanging ideas and learning the techniques of printmaking from senior artists.
“Printmaking is an art form that involves a technique which is much more manual and tedious than painting. You have to engrave the image on a metal sheet, get a print to see if it’s fine, then rework the engraved sheet to make it perfect and more. The other thing is that while creating the image, the artist must keep in mind that the final product on the paper will be the mirror image,” says Vijay Bagodi, Head of Dept. of Fine Arts of Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda.
At one corner of the workshop, artist Laxma Goud carves on his metal plate even as a few students surround him waiting to clear their doubts on printmaking. Besides interactions and observing each other’s style of working, the artists also participate in talks and sessions with the fine arts faculty members.
“The place is buzzing with art. It is particularly special for me as participate in the workshop with my first mentor – artist Laxma Goud. He is a very disciplined person and I am greatly inspired by his works from a very early age,” says artist Sajid Bin Amar. He and artist A. Rajeshwara Rao, who is also taking part in the workshop, are from the first batch of students who studied under artist Goud.
Faculty members of AU Dept. of Fine Arts V. Ramesh and Ravi Shankar Patnaik say the workshop is a wonderful opportunity for budding artists and students to discover the world of printmaking and interact with senior artists. The workshop is being organised by Shaik Azghar Ali and A. Kiran Kumar, the alumni of the department.
