The contemporary art world has exploded to be pluralistic and expansive in nature, and the field of printmaking has kept pace with that evolution. The printmaking media have the ability to synthesize various forms of imagery and emerging technologies, while still allowing for the development of an artist’s individual conceptual concerns. Lithography, screen printing, etching, relief printing, the collagraph and the monoprint are the mainstays in what has become an ever-expanding array of approaches to print making. The printmakers in the Advanced Printmaking class at the University of British Columbia Okanagan have chosen to work with the variety of processes available to them, and the resulting works demonstrate the emergence of individual ideologies and the development of proficiency in print media.

Rather than creating an exhibition centered around a single thematic concern or a specific form of printmaking, these artists have decided to bring together a collection of their best works to show the diversity of thought and individual creativity that is continually being exercised at the university. Even the title for this exhibition was arrived at collaboratively by combining individual thoughts and ideas. Each artist brought forward a number of words that described their own practice or something to do with their idea of what printmaking can be. The words were all mixed together and rearranged at random. The resulting exhibition title, Scratch and Screen (printmakers in progress) was the combination of words that best resonated for the class. Much like the world of printmaking, the title defies simple definition but enthusiastically suggests the endless possibilities available through these forms of exploration.