LESLIE PARKE

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THE PRINT PROJECT

Corridor Presscp001

 In April I will be working with Tim Sheesley, the owner and master printer of  Corridor Press, a collaborative professional lithography studio in Otego, New York, where I will be creating a set of color lithographs. I haven't made prints since I studied with artist Richard Haas and master printer Catherine Mosley at Bennington College.  Cathy made many of Robert Motherwell's prints. At that time I was an utter failure as a printer. 

Richard-Haas-flatiron-building6DKkq5suemcGAbMR

Once I pulled one copy of the print, I didn't see the point in making another.  The very essence of printmaking escaped me. In those days, I took abandoned etching plates with someone else's images on them, to the sculpture shop, where I cut them into shapes and defaced them with an oxyacetylene torch.  With little regard to the damage such a plate might do to a press I made a print, and before making another I would alter the plate again. (Perhaps I shouldn't be sharing this information before I work with Tim.)

Parke Print a-1_edited-1

Moving to a new medium is never really about replicating what you do in another medium.  While there is imagery in my painting that I'd like to explore in lithography, I am not interested in replication, but in a conversation between these two mediums. Is there a painting of mine you would like to see re-imagined in print? I was thinking of working with the tree paintings, but I would be interested in what you think.  Drop me a line, if you have a suggestion.