Stratography: Letterpress Monoprinting

By combining stencils and low-relief collages with letterpress printing, artists can make textural images reminiscent of rubbings and collagraphs. With Stratography, or pressure printing, variants in the pressure from cut paper, string, plants, and other relatively two-dimensional items disrupt the even pressure applied by the cylinder of the press, creating a rich imagery on the page. In this full-day workshop, students will work individually and collectively to create a variety of stencils, then experiment with the stencils, composition and the printing process to tell a story, create a mood, or illustrate a phrase or short text. Each student will leave with a collection of samples and a completed broadside. Letterpress printers, both new and experienced, as well as artists and illustrators who like to work with monoprinting, stencils, or cut paper, will benefit from this class.