Norman Akers, artist
Blank Visitors, 2020
Photopolymer relief print

The studio experience can be different for many artists. As a painter, I find the activity of making a painting to be private and somewhat contemplative as I make decisions about the direction of the work. In contrast to painting, my work as a printmaker involves working in a shop environment and collaborating directly with a master printer. The collaborative work environment of the shop, has become a valued part of my studio practice.

Prior to the COVID pandemic, I was working at Interbang Press, print shop in New Mexico on a new series of monoprints. This series of work involved working in tandem with the master printer to complete the prints. When the pandemic took hold of the country, travel and access to the shop was not possible and this project was put on hold. In order to stay productive, the printer and I decided to start a series of photopolymer relief prints. This allowed us to work from a distance communicating via, email, phone calls, and sending hardcopy proofs to complete the project. While this was not the most optimal way of working, it was another way to collaborate with the printer and continue to develop new work.