20th Century Prints: Works from the Permanent Collection

About two-thirds of Dalhousie Art Gallery's permanent collection holdings are works on paper, and over half of these are prints. These comprise a range of historical, modern and contemporary prints including woodcuts, etchings and aquatints, wood and metal engravings, lithographs, serigraphs, relief prints and monotypes. This exhibition marks an opportunity to examine and celebrate the often overlooked fine art medium of printmaking, to consider its various processes and histories, and to view the range of visual expression encompassed in modern and contemporary printmaking.

David Armstrong and Dan O'Neill, both printmakers who currently teach in the printmaking department at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, were invited to provide commentaries on selected images from the collection that hold particular interest for them, and to offer individual perspectives on printmaking in general. David chose to raise the question of the validity of printmaking in an era of digital technology, while Dan chose to consider the importance of paper and the development of specific printmaking technologies. Their passion for their chosen medium is evident in their writing, and I would like to thank them both for their informative texts and for agreeing so readily to participate in this project.