Test Print
Even though printmaking is one of the earliest art forms and used to be hugely popular in the history of art, print works are rarely seen featured in today’s art exhibitions, particularly in Malaysia. Although the subject of printmaking is still being taught in many art education institutions, it is less appreciated and very seldom used by recent art graduates as well as practicing artists compared to painting, drawing, sculpture and other media. Perhaps due to its requirement for high levels of discipline and commitment in order to create quality works, or owing to its rather limited range of formalistic potentials, printmaking has become increasingly marginalised these days.
Test Print is an exhibition of a series of print works employing conventional techniques, such as woodcut, linocut, acid etching and silkscreen printing, produced by a group of young artists who are making a dedicated effort to revive and re-popularise the art of printmaking.
‘Test print’, or T/P, is a printmaking term referring to the preliminary print runs or trials that a printmaker has to carry out to get good, perfect final prints. In the context of this exhibition, the term aptly reflects the artists’ incredible desire in attempting to found a collective of printmakers.
Cetak Kolektif
It is a collective of young printmakers and artists who are interested in creating artworks by means of conventional, traditional printing techniques, and in exploring and learning printing methods no longer practiced currently. The main aims of this collective are to make printmaking popular again among young generation artists, and educate the society about the art and beauty of printmaking.