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French printmaker's of 19th century to be exhibited

Saturday 18 August 2012, 3:30AM

By Waitaki District Council

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OAMARU

On Saturday, 18 August Oamaru’s Forrester Gallery will welcome artworks from some of the most renowned French artists of the 19th Century.
                 
Géricult to Gauguin: Printmaking in France 1820-1900, a Te Papa toured exhibition, will include work by Géricult, Gauguin, Manet, Pissarro, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Exhibitions Curator, Alice Lake-Hammond, said the exhibition illustrates the revival of printmaking that occurred in France in the second half of the 19th century and highlights the rediscovery of printmaking as a medium for creative expression.

“Géricult to Gauguin illustrates an exciting time for the medium of printmaking between the years 1820-1900. Before this period, printmaking was not considered an art form but rather a means of communication. It wasn't until the 18th century that art prints began to be considered as originals and not until the 19th century, with the invention of steam-powered printing presses, that artists began to embrace the more traditional printing techniques, such as etching, woodcuts and lithographs, and produce limited edition works.”

In addition to the French masters, the Forrester will be showing a selection of print works from the Gallery's permanent collection, demonstrating the continued use of printmaking for creative expression and fine art in Otago.
  
“Since it’s rediscovery in the 19th century the medium of printmaking has never looked back. And, in recognition of this we've selected a number of print works from our permanent collection to demonstrate its continued popularity as a means of artistic expression. Work by artists such as Graham Sydney, Barry Cleavin, Audrey Bascand, Hilda Edgar and John Mitchell will be on display to illustrate the longevity of the medium and its application in the Otago context”, Ms Lake-Hammond said.

“The French prints are a real treat to have at the Forrester - a beautiful collection of works, which capture a certain French eloquence. And, it has been a pleasure to delve into our own collection to select an equally as inspiring group of works from the Otago region, which hold their own quite comfortably alongside the masters.”

Géricult to Gauguin: Printmaking in France 1820-1900 opens in the Forrester Gallery's Basement Gallery on Saturday, 18 August.

Impressions of Otago: Prints from the Forrester Collection opens in the Side Gallery on Saturday, 1 September.

Both exhibitions run until Sunday, 30th September.