About
MATRIX Press was founded in 1998 by Professor of Art James Bailey at the University of Montana for the purpose of education, development and promotion of printmaking and fine art prints while remaining dedicated to supporting the development of artists working within the printmaking discipline.
MATRIX Press brings in nationally and internationally known artists to bring in new voices and perspectives, while also producing limited edition prints in collaboration with students and printmaking faculty. As a teaching tool, students are given the unique opportunity to work along-side an artist throughout the creative process, collaborating and interacting with them to see how they develop an idea, and then help them create their image, while learning new techniques and conceptual approaches to print media. Prints produced during these often-week long intensive workshops are distributed between the artist, students and MATRIX Press.
As part of its educational goal, MATRIX Press maintains an active print collection of works by visiting artists as part of its teaching collection for classroom use. Additional prints are used for exhibitions and sales which allow us to continue to offer these types of experiences for students.
For more information please contact: James Bailey at: james.bailey@umontana.edu
MATRIX Press brings in nationally and internationally known artists to bring in new voices and perspectives, while also producing limited edition prints in collaboration with students and printmaking faculty. As a teaching tool, students are given the unique opportunity to work along-side an artist throughout the creative process, collaborating and interacting with them to see how they develop an idea, and then help them create their image, while learning new techniques and conceptual approaches to print media. Prints produced during these often-week long intensive workshops are distributed between the artist, students and MATRIX Press.
As part of its educational goal, MATRIX Press maintains an active print collection of works by visiting artists as part of its teaching collection for classroom use. Additional prints are used for exhibitions and sales which allow us to continue to offer these types of experiences for students.
For more information please contact: James Bailey at: james.bailey@umontana.edu
The Nature of Collaborative Printmaking
The story of printmaking was originally one of collaboration between many different artisans, from the traditional Japanese wood- block printing (mokuhanga)-a collaboration between publisher, artist, carvers, printers and papermakers-to early European print studios based on a guild system. Often in such studios, an artist would draw an image onto a block of wood, and then turn the block over to master carvers and printers whose job it was not to translate the image, but to carve it as accurately as they could. Sometimes referred to as facsimile woodcuts, these early relief prints established the role of printer as primarily that of a technician. By the mid-1940s, print studios were cultivating an evolution of this role from pure technician to a true collaborator in the artistic process.
Printmaking is not merely a set of methods and tools; it is at heart a communal effort of creative collaboration and studio dialogue. The role of the master printer is to be a facilitator, evaluating an artist’s body of work, and making suggestions as to how images and ideas might translate into the media of print. The master printer works closely beside the artist to help achieve the artist’s artistic vision. Each artist comes in with certain ideas, and through the process of printing a visual synergy of new ideas and aesthetics emerge that transform and offer up new possibilities-a cross pollination of concepts and styles that the artist must continually respond to in a dynamic way. The master printer makes it clear to all of the artists that at the end of the day, the work they create needs to be authentic to the themselves.
Instagram / montana.matrix.press
The story of printmaking was originally one of collaboration between many different artisans, from the traditional Japanese wood- block printing (mokuhanga)-a collaboration between publisher, artist, carvers, printers and papermakers-to early European print studios based on a guild system. Often in such studios, an artist would draw an image onto a block of wood, and then turn the block over to master carvers and printers whose job it was not to translate the image, but to carve it as accurately as they could. Sometimes referred to as facsimile woodcuts, these early relief prints established the role of printer as primarily that of a technician. By the mid-1940s, print studios were cultivating an evolution of this role from pure technician to a true collaborator in the artistic process.
Printmaking is not merely a set of methods and tools; it is at heart a communal effort of creative collaboration and studio dialogue. The role of the master printer is to be a facilitator, evaluating an artist’s body of work, and making suggestions as to how images and ideas might translate into the media of print. The master printer works closely beside the artist to help achieve the artist’s artistic vision. Each artist comes in with certain ideas, and through the process of printing a visual synergy of new ideas and aesthetics emerge that transform and offer up new possibilities-a cross pollination of concepts and styles that the artist must continually respond to in a dynamic way. The master printer makes it clear to all of the artists that at the end of the day, the work they create needs to be authentic to the themselves.
Instagram / montana.matrix.press
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Es mistéʔes qe es lʔ, ci łu l ,T,atʔ̓ ayaqn u Qlispélixʷ sqlixʷúʔulexʷs t Nłʔaycčstm Kʷtis Snacx̓ ̣łqe̓ ym̓ ín. Qe es putʔem łu Sqélixʷ m̓ im̓ éʔeye̓ ms x̣ʷl ,olqʷštulexʷ łu x̣ʷl ,qł sqlqelixʷ.
(The University of Montana acknowledges that we are in the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people. We honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come.)
Es mistéʔes qe es lʔ, ci łu l ,T,atʔ̓ ayaqn u Qlispélixʷ sqlixʷúʔulexʷs t Nłʔaycčstm Kʷtis Snacx̓ ̣łqe̓ ym̓ ín. Qe es putʔem łu Sqélixʷ m̓ im̓ éʔeye̓ ms x̣ʷl ,olqʷštulexʷ łu x̣ʷl ,qł sqlqelixʷ.
(The University of Montana acknowledges that we are in the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people. We honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come.)