"Current Impressions," prints by contemporary Indian printmakers, offers the unique opportunity to view modern India through the eyes of its artists.
It has been on display for nearly a month and will continue to be on display at the Frank Art Museum until June 6. After which, it will return to India.
Not only does the exhibition showcase the work of various modern Indian printmakers, but it also allows an avenue for commentary about the social structure and rich cultural traditions currently found in modern India.
"The exhibition consists of 29 Indian artists, representing different regions of India, and illustrating the diversity of ideas and points of view being expressed in contemporary Indian art," said art department chairperson Nicholas Hill.
Although prints can most commonly be associated with images that have been mass produced, like a poster of the Mona Lisa or Starry Night, "Fine art prints are original pieces of art," Hill said.
Hill explained the advantage of printmaking, as opposed to drawing or painting a picture, by saying, "Beyond the point that one can make multiples, one can make distinctive marks."
For many of the pieces in the collection, the artists used more than one type of printmaking process to produce the final work. Some works can take up to several months to complete, depending on the design and coloring of the work.
To help understand the amount of detail that goes into producing a fine art print, the art department has made a glossary of the terms and different types of printmaking that will be available to visitors upon entrance to the Frank Museum.
"You will notice that there is not a lot of color used in a printmaking," said guest artist Kavita Nayar.This is due to the extensive process that is involved with the intricacies of this style of art.
The colors that are used in the prints are carefully chosen because a separate template is used for each color.
If you wish to experience this exhibit, the Frank Art Museum is located at 39 S. Vine Street and is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. A professional staff person is always on hand to offer any needed assistance or information about the current exhibits.
The location of the museum is very convenient for any Otterbein student. It takes about 10 minutes to walk uptown and just two minutes to drive from campus.
If the current printmaking exhibition whets the artistic appetite, visitors can anticipate the museum to show more prints from around the world in the future.
"We usually have two major exhibitions throughout the year. Next fall there will be a Japanese print exhibition coming from New York City," he said. t&c;
