Petite Format showcased works from all over the country.
The Association of Pinoyprintmakers have recently collaborated with Art Lounge Manila to present an exhibition titled “Petite Format.”
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It featured works from Marz Aglipay, Melai Arguzon, Psalm Astejada, Pandy Aviado, Diana Aviado, Luigi Azura, Benjamin Torrado Cabrera, Kristen Cain, Salvador Ching, Joey Cobcobo, Fil Delacruz, Janos Delacruz, Noel El Farol, Tish Hautea, Angelo Magno, Gabi Nazareno, Jone Sibugan, Suchin Teoh, Carmel Torres Lim, Anton Villaruel.
Printmaking began with woodcut where knives were used to carve patterns and designs for textile. Leaving behind woodblocks, paper began to be manufactured thus new tones and textures were explored, and printmaking was part of the creative artists’ hearts.
In the 19th century, printmaking processes dramatically changed the access to art through new methods of circulation. As traditional means demand folding, stamping, coloring, flipping, carving, peeling, cutting, and painting, printmaking offered a way to easily reproduce works, and was revolutionary for artists who wanted to be able to widely disseminate their work.
Through printmaking, we are able to learn information. Newspapers, books, and magazines are examples of where we can source. Additionally, printmaking is indeed an innovative discovery, which greatly helped artists make multiple copies of their artwork. Imagine how convenient it is for artists to recreate their art without having to start from scratch.
The significance of miniature works has been acknowledged all over the world. Held annually to showcase works on paper, particularly prints, Triennial Mondiale d’Estampes Petite Format (World Triennial of Small Format Prints) in Chamalieres, France is an example of an international exhibition that allows mixing of cultures with art as an extraordinary means of communication.
Throughout the year
The Pinoyprintmakers initiates an exhibition of small prints collected from various artists from different regions of the country. These artists have been, in one way or the other, exposed to the medium of printmaking through the efforts of the association throughout the years.
More than a skill, printmaking is also a form of artistic expression, an intimate process between the printmaker and his or her medium. The process of creating prints is very meticulous, almost meditative and complex, yet unpredictable. To a printmaker, each print he or she produces is unique in its kind.
Even a limited edition holds nuances in each print. The intimate scale of viewing small works results to a more personal kind of gesture, almost like communicating privately to a friend. Viewers will have the opportunity to contemplate on the intricate details of each work through an intimate process of close viewing—a better way to present the richness of this art form.
Since the founding of Philippine Association of Printmakers by Manuel Rodriquez Sr. 50 years ago together with his first students, the PAP continues its mission of teaching printmaking to promote the art form and subsequently democratize art.
It has since become the prime mover of graphic arts in the country. The organization has established connection all over the Philippines, proving that printmaking is alive and dynamic in contemporary art practice in the country.
For the Pinoyprintmakers, promoting printmaking will always be a lifelong vocation of its members. Petit Format intends to showcase printmaking as a progressive medium for artistic expression in contemporary art practice all over our country.
Banner: “The Gaze,” by Benjie Torrado
