Exhibitions

This show will focus on the monotype and the ‘unique more one-of-a-kind impressions’ one is able to make. Salmagundi artists often use the historical monotype press machine that still resides in the Rockwell gallery on-site, or a new one that is beside it.

Both considered and spontaneous, monotypes are created by placing ink on a plate and running it with paper through a press. A unique impression is produced and can be left as-is or expanded on however one wishes.

At the Salmagundi Club, NY, in the late 19th century, monotype parties were a tradition of spontaneous art-making and camaraderie. In 2010, current Salmagundians revived the practice, and the monotype party has once again become a monthly occasion.

This show will focus on the monotype and the ‘unique more one-of-a-kind impressions’ one is able to make. Salmagundi artists often use the historical monotype press machine that still resides in the Rockwell gallery on-site, or a new one that is beside it.

To create a monotype, the artist draws or paints on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. Traditionally, this was a smooth copper plate, but today it can be made of other things such as glass. Normally the drawing or design is applied in printer’s ink onto this smooth flat surface with a various tools such as a pen or a brush, without reference to a previous sketch.

The plate’s design is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two together, usually through a press with rollers. The ink can be black or colored; it is typically oil-based, but now be water-based. Different papers with various textures can be used. As with all printmaking, the artist needs to draw the original image “backwards” onto the plate, because it will ultimately be reversed as it passes through the press and then appears on the paper.

This exhibition, steeped in tradition, will be held in, the historical Rockwell Gallery of Salmagundi’s landmark Fifth Avenue clubhouse. As the last surviving mansion of its kind in New York City, it has been transformed into a vibrant showcase of juried fine art, to be available for purchase and enjoyed by the public, by collectors, and by the broader Salmagundi member & artist communities.