Our printmaking instructor Nikki Barber has been printing posters in her basement for protest rallies and marches. “I feel responsible to stand up for my friends who are Black and my friends who are Brown, since I white-pass so easily, but am not white.”
Nikki Barber, printmaking press
Nikki has been active in the social, political, and art in Seattle for years. She helped write this statement for racial justice with the Seattle Print Arts board. Any time there is a need for social justice or reform, Nikki thinks about this quote by 20th century American journalist A. J. Why: “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” (New Yorker, May 14, 1960, p. 109, paywall)
Nikki Barber, edition of posters
Nikki also named José Guadalupe Posada for his influence in shaping print arts for the people, by the people [There will be a V. Note about Posada tomorrow]. When asked about applying her print arts as activism for the people, Nikki said “I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.”
“Intersectionality is often overlooked when talking about racial and social justice. It should not be.” Nikki continued, “Black lives matter. Black trans lives and Black women’s lives fit into this as well. Women often get spoken over, looked over, or forgotten about, so I chose Breonna Taylor and Charleena Lyles to highlight their murders that happened before George Floyd’s. Breonna Taylor was 26 when she was murdered. Charleena Lyles was pregnant when she was shot in North Seattle two years ago.”
“I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.” – Nikki Barber, League Printmaking Instructor
From the Latin (via Italian) fumare (“to smoke”), sfumato describes a painting technique with no harsh outlines. Areas blend into one another through tiny brushstrokes, which makes a hazy, atmospheric depiction of light and color. An early example of sfumato can be seen in Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. A more modern example is in Y.Z. Kami’s giant meditative portraits. Pronunciation: sfoo·mah·toe ” img_size=”full Xandy Peters : Sfumato …
People posted hundreds of drawings for our 30 day January challenge, in which artists are invited to respond to a daily prompt posted on our V. Notes blog. Unlike other drawing challenges, these prompts are wildly varied, open to non-typical materials around us, and are designed to feed a broad spectrum of creative skills at …
Aurore de la Morinerie began as a fashion designer in Paris. She then spent two years studying chinese calligraphy, and traveled in Japan, India, China, and Egypt. She says that through calligraphy she learned concentration, strength and rapidity of execution. She now illustrates for clients like Hermes and Le Monde, with a parallel career as a fine …
Hope Gangloff is an American painter living and working in New York City. Born 1974, she is one year older than me. The picture of her painting in her studio, black overalls and climbing on a ladder, my mother mistook for me in my studio, black overalls, climbing on a ladder. The patterns in these …
Print Arts and Activism
Portrait of Charleena Lyles
#saymyname
Our printmaking instructor Nikki Barber has been printing posters in her basement for protest rallies and marches. “I feel responsible to stand up for my friends who are Black and my friends who are Brown, since I white-pass so easily, but am not white.”
Nikki has been active in the social, political, and art in Seattle for years. She helped write this statement for racial justice with the Seattle Print Arts board. Any time there is a need for social justice or reform, Nikki thinks about this quote by 20th century American journalist A. J. Why: “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” (New Yorker, May 14, 1960, p. 109, paywall)
Nikki also named José Guadalupe Posada for his influence in shaping print arts for the people, by the people [There will be a V. Note about Posada tomorrow]. When asked about applying her print arts as activism for the people, Nikki said “I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.”
Say My Name
Portrait of Breonna Taylor
Portrait of Charleena Lyles
“Intersectionality is often overlooked when talking about racial and social justice. It should not be.” Nikki continued, “Black lives matter. Black trans lives and Black women’s lives fit into this as well. Women often get spoken over, looked over, or forgotten about, so I chose Breonna Taylor and Charleena Lyles to highlight their murders that happened before George Floyd’s. Breonna Taylor was 26 when she was murdered. Charleena Lyles was pregnant when she was shot in North Seattle two years ago.”
“I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.” – Nikki Barber, League Printmaking Instructor
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Printmaking class starts June 16.
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Sfumato
From the Latin (via Italian) fumare (“to smoke”), sfumato describes a painting technique with no harsh outlines. Areas blend into one another through tiny brushstrokes, which makes a hazy, atmospheric depiction of light and color. An early example of sfumato can be seen in Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. A more modern example is in Y.Z. Kami’s giant meditative portraits. Pronunciation: sfoo·mah·toe ” img_size=”full Xandy Peters : Sfumato …
30SAL Faves: Week 3, Part 1
People posted hundreds of drawings for our 30 day January challenge, in which artists are invited to respond to a daily prompt posted on our V. Notes blog. Unlike other drawing challenges, these prompts are wildly varied, open to non-typical materials around us, and are designed to feed a broad spectrum of creative skills at …
Aurore de la Morinerie
Aurore de la Morinerie began as a fashion designer in Paris. She then spent two years studying chinese calligraphy, and traveled in Japan, India, China, and Egypt. She says that through calligraphy she learned concentration, strength and rapidity of execution. She now illustrates for clients like Hermes and Le Monde, with a parallel career as a fine …
Hope Gangloff
Hope Gangloff is an American painter living and working in New York City. Born 1974, she is one year older than me. The picture of her painting in her studio, black overalls and climbing on a ladder, my mother mistook for me in my studio, black overalls, climbing on a ladder. The patterns in these …