Outlaw Printmakers/ A Movement in the Making

Outlaw Printmakers  * Post 1*

Possum Prominade by Tom Huck
from google image

When I see the word Outlaw I have images of bandana's and masked faces riding after Roy Rodgers, one of  my favorite Western heroes.

google image
Then I think of the 1930's and Bonnie and Clyde

Outlaw Motorcycle Gang

Bonnie and Clyde

 with the FBI  and J. Edgar Hoover in fast pursuit. Lastly the image of the Outlaw Bikers Gang  with wild tattoo's and motorcycles comes to mind.   I decided I best look up the word Outlaw to see its basic meaning.  So it can mean fugitive from the law, habitual criminal, and/or social non-conformist.  I think they probably all apply in this genre if you think about it...a fugitive from the laws of printmaking art, a habitual criminal of breaking basic printmaking basics, and social non-conformisism needs no explanation with this group or most artists.  Sean Starwars kindly led me through the history of the group.  So with a little added research I will give it go at outlining this group for you.  I think they are quite wonderful! I love the energy of Outlaws, but I just don't want anybody messing with my Roy Rodgers and Trigger! I need to find my Roy Rodgers badge!!

Tom Huck 

Bill Fick 

Richard Mock 

Tom Huck, Bill Fick, Richard Mock are names that are at the foundation of the movement.  I have provided links for each artist, so you can get a more in depth look at their art and history coming into this group.  I also will include a couple of videos that give more insight into the group and how a movement in art begins(or at least that is how I see it).  Each artist has a distinct style, the common expression is evident, as well as, a passion for printmaking. 

Big Boss Cat by Bill Fick      from google image

 This a grainy sort of iPhone film in a dark bar and you here these excited voices talking about the beginning of a movement and the artists who are at the center of it.   I was reminded of Black Mountain with Rauschenberg, Twombly, Cunningham and Cage.  The grainy dark film in a bar with artists deep into conversation almost adds to the movements mystic beginnings.  There is an excitement and passion you can feel about starting something new almost as if you just walked in and over heard the challenging the status quo of the art establishment!  It also harkens back to Dadaism or the Impressionists...movements begin in reaction to the time, culture and staid rules of the art establishment(whether that be, galleries, museums, schools, or art critics).

Family by  Richard Mock     from google image

Tom Huck mention influences of Daumier and Albrect Duer, but also R. Crum who did illustrations and cartoons for early films. 
We will end here for this post and continue on for section two to look more in depth to the artist and movement of the Outlaw Printmakers.

Early influencer of Outlaw Printers... R. Crumb  from google image

  

Sean Starwars, Outlaw Printer

SEAN STARWARS

One of the treats of the Printpalooza was being introduced to a new artist, Sean Starwars.  Sean's work stands out and almost hits you smack in the face when you walk into a room.  It can not be ignored. It is bold and dynamic.  His work calls out to you as if a tv set that is on and sending out cultural sos signals and images of  Darth Vader Mississippi,  dinosaurs, Mountain Dew cans, robots and guns. His work is edgy funky modern, but hailing from a printing past of rich tradition from the Japanese Wood Block Prints. Sean's work has humor and hints of fun behind a deeper message of cultural icons and myth.  
Sean is generous warm engaging and passionate about his art and printmaking.  He is productive and energetic in his approach to his work.  He recently committed himself to a project doing 52 wood block carvings and prints...one a week!  And he did it!  Sean teaches high school art, is married and has 4 children.  With all that he finds time to be a productive artist.  I admire that.  I have heard many a teacher say that don't have time to do art because they are teaching art.  I think it is essential to do both.  One makes you a better artist, the other makes you a better teacher, and both make you a better human being.
Sean told me about the history of Outlaw Printmakers which I was clueless about.  So I decided to dedicate myself to researching about the Outlaw printers that started in the 1990's and write an article for you.  That will be our next post, the history of Outlaw Printing.

Sean talking to Betsy Wood who brought her University students to the even

  Printpalooza  at the Leepa Rattner Museum

varying carving tools

Carving tools Set

laying out the design

Working on Birch Wood

Just love the simplicity of this photo

Fox in the Hen House

stack of wood block carvings ready for printing

demonstrating for the kids

Portrait of Sean without Sean

Printpalooza a Big Success

A Small Museum that Makes a Huge Splash, Leepa Rattner Museum, Tarpon Springs

There were print makers of all kinds from every where! There was printing on clay, wood carving, linoleum carving and drawing on stryafoam printing plates.  There was mono printing on a grand scale as you have never seen before and famous printers brought in from other areas and states.  Just being around that reminded me of my days of printmaking long ago at the university and later with kids and adults.  Now the creating printing juices are flowing.  I have got to Print!!!  I have got to Etch!!!  I have got to carve!!!

This week in clay class I am going to explore printing on clay....now for all the fun we saw and  people we met!

Printpalooza Advertising

 

Printing T-shirts from woodblocks

Wood Carving of Car ready for Printing

Putting on wood block for printing 

Finished image of Print

Printmaking Press

The inks used were a regular oil pasted printers ink.  They will stay on through washing and remain permanent.  The press was a small press and rather unique, the handles for turning were make of welded together chain links.    There is always magic when an image jumps from one surface to another.

I will continue with post of the separate events following this one.  And a post about a wonderful printer by the name of Sean Starwars, yes, that is right SEAN STARWARS.  A wonderful artist and a great person.  Look forward to more post on Printpalooza today!

Printpalooza and the Leepa Ratner Museum

Leepa Rattner Museum(click for link)

                                                                                                                                                                                from google image

Today I will meet friends at the Leepa Rattner Museum in Tarpon Springs, Florida.  Tarpon Springs is a delightful Greek Community that makes one feel they are in another country while there.  Today is the printpalooza event.  Printmaking was my major in college, so this should be particularly delightful for me.  
Leepa Rattner is a small museum that is large, in that it has a big effect on the community, not only for Tarpon Springs, but St. Pete and Tampa as well.  We call these combined areas Tampa Bay which has a total population of 2 or 3 million people. People love this little museum and its reach is wide.  I will take pictures today of the event and share them with you.  I am meeting a friend who is an art therapist there and another friend who takes adult students for art appreciation classes.  It should be a wonderful art outing and I look forward to sharing the day with you.  

from google image

Welcome Iran!!!

Welcome Iran it is so nice to have you with us!  We look forward to learning more about Iranian art(click for link) and culture, such a rich and ancient culture.  

Detail of Iranian Ceramic Tile

Welcome Finland!!!

It is so nice to have you aboard.  We look forward to learning more about Finland and your arts!

Kari Caven/ Famous Finish Artist
from google image

This Weeks World Visits in Review/See Who is Checking in This Week

Photo from Google image...its source is Rawlins College, U.K.
Give them a google and see what they are about!

It was a banner week for us at Rabbit's Moon Studio breaking two readership records in one week!  


Your readership and loyalty humbles us.  We feel so fortunate to have a large world art community and such loyal readers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  So let's look at who in the world checked in this week in our global art community! Betsy


United States
U.K.
Canada
Russia
Germany
Italy 
Netherlands
Sweden
Switzerland
Gabon
Malaysia
Singapore
China
India
Ukraine
Slovenia 
Bahrain
Pakistan
Brazil 
Thailand
Argentina 
Mexico 
Norway
Bulgaria
Portugal
Columbia
Australia 
Dubai 

Posting instructions from my Peruvian Friend

You know how people who understand technology


think the rest of us are a bit dense...maybe 


dumb?  Well my Peruvian techi friend Monica


is willing to explain this to us in simple terms


but not without a bit of sarcasm.  But throwing


wheel keeps her humble as it does us all.  There


have been so many people having problems that 


wanted to post comments that I am posting this


again.  Monica's explanation is pretty simple


and straight forward.  Give it a try and make


a Peruvian Techie feel good! 

Smart Peruvian Techie friend and Potter Monica

Ok, here we go again, its not so hard to do it people!!!  (note the tech sarcasm!)

1. After you finished reading the new post go down and you will see a little enveloped and the words "comments" click there

2. Now you will see a white rectangular space where you can start typing.

3. Below the white square you will see

Comment as:...................... (and a littel arrow - click the arrow)

4. Find the word Anonymous and click on the word

5. Below that you will have 2 choices: publish and preview

6. If you choose preview you have the choice to see what you wrote and do some changes IF you want, then click publish

7. If you choose publish, well, you will publish whatever you wrote inmediately

8. Some bloggers have the option to read everything people submit before publish, but i think in Betsy case you can publish anything inmidiately 

9. If you do what i said, you will have your first comment published.

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work.  I told her I worked at the college - that my job was to teach people how to draw.  She stared at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"  

Howard Ikemoto

Answering a Request for How to Post Comments on our Blog

JUST CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

I have had a request from many people who want to leave a comment and can't for some reason or another.  There seems to be some difficulty.  So here is a video tutorial I found on you tube for everyone on how to leave a comment.  It takes you through step by step.  I look forward to hearing from you all.  Give it a test, even if it is just to say hi or I love art!  Thank you, Betsy 


Click on the highlighted sentence below and it will take you to the tutorial.  I look forward to adding a voice to the hundreds I see read our blog daily worldwide!


How to leave a comment on Rabbit's Moon blogspot, a video tutorial.  

RABBIT'S MOON STUDIO ARTS INITIATIVE

Rabbit's Moon Studio Arts Initiative 

EVERYTHING STARTS WITH AN IDEA!
photo by Elizabeth Gordon

We want to honor people who are using art as a basis for change in their community.  We also want to hear about ideas using art that can change the world for the better.  It can be a small idea or a large idea.  We will share those ideas here on this blog and we will highlight people who are making a change. 

 All you need to do is this:

*For Someone Who is Making a Change:

   Rabbit's Moon Arts Initiative 

  1. List their name and a bit of biography

  2. How they are making a change in your community using art 

  3. Add any photo's(attachments) of the project that helps people see what is being done.

 4. Submit your email and contact information

*For Ideas Using Art to Effect a Positive Change in the Locally or Globally 

   Rabbit's Moon Arts Initiative 

  1. List your name

  2. The name of your idea or project

  3. Write up your idea in clear and easy terms.

       A Paragraph about the idea and then an outline of the steps of  

       how the project can be achieved.   

       The more specific you are the more doable the project is.

E-MAIL YOUR SUBMISSIONS TO  RABBITS5@AOL.COM

Attention Rabbit's Moon Studio Art Initiative  

 We will review the ideas as they come in and then contact you by    

  email if your idea is chosen to be highlighted on the Rabbit's

  Moon Studio blog with an international audience.  

PEOPLE HELPING OTHERS HOLDS US ALL UP

 If it is chosen we will let you know when it will be published on line so you can share with your community and others.

We look forward to sharing your communities success and your ideas for using art to build a better world. 

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! Rabbits Moon Studio Broke Two Records in One Day!!

*THANK YOU !!!!!!!  THANK YOU ALL!!!*

City of Philadelphia Mural Project/ A Program Using the Arts for Positive Change

Yesterday was a double banner day for us.  We broke our record for number of readers for one day and a new
benchmark for readers since the start of the blog!!

  We are in awe of your readership and continued loyalty to the arts. 

We exist for the love of art and the good we believe it can achieve in the world today not only for societies, but individuals.  Your support helps us spread that message world wide.  Keep sharing our message with your community, friends, co-workers and family. 

Student in my art classes who fell in love with art

SO LET'S GIVE BACK,  LET'S BUILD A BETTER WORLD TOGETHER USING ART NOW! WE CAN DO THIS, AND WE CAN DO THIS NOW!

Philadelphia Mural Project/a project started to end gang graffti

As a teacher of 37 years I saw up close and personal how art changes lives.  I also saw how it could help a community bond and make positive strides.  Through the arts we can help this world be a better place for us, our children, and children's children.  We can work with science, ecology and social media...we can reach closed minds and societies.  The Arts are a Powerful method for positive change.  Reach out change the world...Reach beyond your studio, gallery, museum to individuals whose lives you can change...to young and old, to a community you can effect, to a world that needs a positive focus.  


Rabbit's Moon Studio Arts Initiative 

We want to honor people who are using art as a basis for change in their community.  We also want to hear about ideas using art that can change the world for the better.  It can be a small idea or a large idea.  We will share those ideas here on this blog and we will highlight people who are making a change. 


 All you need to do is this:

*For Someone Who is Making a Change:


   Rabbit's Moon Arts Initiative 

  1. List their name and a bit of biography

  2. How they are making a change in your community using art 

  3. Add any photo's of the project that helps people see what is being done.

 4. Submit your email and contact information

*For Ideas Using Art to Effect a Positive Change in the Locally or Globally 


   Rabbit's Moon Arts Initiative 

  1. List your name

  2. The name of your idea or project

  3. Write up your idea in clear and easy terms.

       A Paragraph about the idea and then an outline of the steps of  

       how the project can be achieved.   

       The more specific you are the more doable the project is.

E-MAIL YOUR SUBMISSIONS TO  RABBITS5@AOL.COM
Attention Rabbit's Art Initiative  

    We will review the ideas as they come in and then contact you by    

     email if your idea is chosen to be highlighted on the Rabbits

     Moon Blog.  If it is chosen we will let you know when it will be published on line so you can share with your community and others.

We look forward to sharing your communities success and your ideas for using art to build a better world. 

George Rodrigue, An Artist Giving Back by providing art supplies to schools and fellowships to individual students

Here a some ideas of communities and people who are have used art to help individual and communities using the arts.  Most of these are in the United States only because we have easy access to that information, but we look forward to hearing about projects and programs world wide to add to our list.  We hope this gives you a good idea of how people and communities are using art to build better lives and communities.


George Rodrigue Youth Art Development Foundation 

Rodrigue handing our a years worth of art supplies to Louisiana schools

Philadelphia Mural Project

Project Based Learning/Bill Strickland

A New Deal for the Arts/Roosevelt and the Depression

Art for Change

Using City Parks Programs for Art

American Organization for the Arts
an outline of a project for New Orleans


People Express/UK

Youth Art Corp/Pinellas County Florida


Hyde Park Art Studio's/A Tampa, Florida City Recreation Initiative

Monica's pots are getting larger and larger as she learns the art of wheel throwing

Carol using our new slab roller

Monica Throwing 

Carol and Betsy admiring a new pot

Maryann using the pottery extruder

Botero/An Artist of Immense Proportions

Botero

Botero/Columbian Artist  photo from google image

I was researching South American artists that interest me and Botero is one of those.  I can remember when I first saw prints of his fat people and thought how fascinating he chooses to do this and my next thought was why. Botero explains his use of these "large people", as they are 
often called by critics, in the following way:


"An artist is attracted to certain kinds of form without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; only later do you attempt to rationalize or even justify it"

Botero / Columbian Artist                         photo from google image

El Presidente by Botero

This spoke to me and goes back to our discussion of process versus product in our previous post. Botero is trusting his innate intuition as an artist without questioning it.  As I read more on his biography  it intrigued me even more....he spoke of staying free of the trends of modern art and called himself the most Columbian artist in the world though he lives elsewhere.  The reference was to staying free of others influences and styles.  His style has even been named it is so unique, Boterismo.   


"His works feature a figurative style, called by some "Boterismo", which gives them an unmistakable identity. Botero depicts women, men, daily life, historical events and characters, milestones of art, still-life, animals and the natural world in general, with exaggerated and disproportionate volumetry, accompanied by fine details of scathing criticism, irony, humor, and ingenuity." Source Wikapedia 

Still Life with Fruit by Botero    photo from google image

"Botero is an abstract artist in the most fundamental sense, choosing colors, shapes, and proportions based on intuitive aesthetic thinking."Source Wikapedia

Botero Sculpture for St. Petersburg Museum Exposition
photo from google image

 If I think about how I approach my art I hear some of the same themes...trusting my intuition, not questioning it, not judging it, but knowing it will guide me where I need to be. I think it will surprise some that Botero is an abstract painter in a sense when his works seem so realistic....but it is an exaggerated sense of realism as in literature we think of magical realism.  He makes powerful points about politics and human behavior in a classical style.  I find his Abu Ghraib series very captivating almost in the same way Picasso's Guernica is in relating the horrors of war and 
the worst of human behavior.

Botero/Abu Ghraib Series