Graphics MTG 2015: International Print Triennial Krakow 2015

International Print Triennial Krakow 2015
Merrill Shatzman
2015
The International Print Triennial in Krakow is a tradition that spans almost half a century that has continually developed, evolving according to the newest trends in printmaking and offering an indispensable platform for the exchange of experiences, as well as a place for encounter of various movements, styles and traditions.  The Krakow Triennial is much more than an important  competition: it is also an event that involves tens of exhibitions, workshops, debates, and publications that introduce the viewer to the present condition of contemporary printmaking. 
Prof. Jacek Majchrowhki - Mayor of the City of Krakow
 

Miswired: MCI a silkscreen print by Merrill Shatzman included in The International Print Triennial in Krakow (Miedzynarodowe Triennale Grafiki in Polish, abbreviation MTG).  The exhibition, September 18-October 28, 2015 is located in the Contemporary Art Gallery Bunkier Sztuki in Krakow, includes works by 104 artists from throughout the world.  Shatzman is one of nine Americans whose work is included in the exhibition. This print exhibition, one of most important events for the world’s graphic arts, offers a special opportunity for the viewers to explore recent trends in printmaking and to get insight into its cultural and artistic diversity. It provides proof of the remarkable variety of creative impulses sparked by printmaking, a medium undergoing constant changes and, at the same time, preserving its separate position in terms of the medium, the idea, and the technique. Seeking to open up to the changes within contemporary art, organizers of the MTG – Krakow 2015 decided to eliminate limitations in respect to the size of submitted works, as well as accept works that combine printmaking techniques with other means of artistic expression and other creative tools.  

Miswired: MCI is part of a series of silkscreen prints based on memory loss in reaction to her father’s failing health and eventual demise in January 2014. Miswired:MCI  (Mild Cognitive Impairment) conveys through abstract imagery the different obstacles and aspects of his deterioration and confusion that can be interpreted through graphs, marks, maps and lines. This print technically explores the layering parallels between the image development in photo-silkscreen and digital imaging (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop), in addition to the variety of color effects achieved by printing with transparent inks on different tones of paper.

Shatzman with print