Date: June 24-28, 2024, 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 pm | Presenter: Paul Mullowney and Unai San Martin

The introduction of photogravure in the second half of the 19th century swiftly changed the nature of visual communication by means of the photomechanical reproduction of images.  Over recent years, Mullowney Printing has worked with an array of visual artists on gravure projects that have pushed the boundaries of the process through experimentation and innovation.

This five-day intensive workshop is an ideal chance to for photographers and printmakers alike to explore deeply the beautiful continuous tone process of copperplate photogravure. It is designed for artists with some working knowledge of either analogue black and white photo processes, and/or traditional copper plate etching. Working from black and white film positives or hand drawn positives on film, participants will learn the step-by-step process from concept to etched and printed plates.  Students can expect to come away with a solid working knowledge of the gravure process and will be able to realize the completion of plates for editioning.

The workshop will be led by Mullowney Printing Director Paul Mullowney along with Unai San Martin, one of the leading photogravure artists working today.  Combined, Paul and Unai have over three decades of experience exploring and teaching the process.  They will be assisted by Mullowney Printing Co-Director Harry Schneider, along with studio interns.

The course fee covers instruction, and all necessary inks and solvents, etchants.  Copper, photogravure carbon tissue, film and paper will be charged at cost.  Prospective participants are encouraged to reach out by email info@mullowneyprinting.com with questions and ideas, and we can help you decide if this workshop is right for you.

Presenter Bio: Paul Mullowney operated Mullowney Printing in San Francisco since 2011 until moving the business to Portland, Oregon in 2019. After becoming a master printer at Crown Point Press in San Francisco in 1990, Mullowney went on to run studios in Japan and Maui, Hawaii. He has taught at Pacific Northwest College of Art and San Francisco Art Institute, as well as at numerous printmaking workshops in America and Japan.

Presenter Bio: Unai San Martin (b.1964, Basque Country) is an artist and gravure printer. Painters and writers of the romantic era have strongly influenced his work. Although he sometimes explores current digital techniques, he often does so in combination with historical processes such as photogravure. He exhibited in the Spanish pavilion of the International Biennial Fair in Ljubljana (Slovenia) in 1999, the Cameron Gallery in San Francisco and Foto España in 2000, Kln Art Fair in Cologne in 2001, The AIPAD Photography Show in New York and SFMoMA. In addition, his work is represented in numerous museums and collections in the United States and Spain, such as the Reina Sofía Museum, the Congress of Deputies, and the National Library. In 1991, he received the First Prize for Engraving at the Gure Artea contest, the residency scholarship at the Kala Art Institute of Berkley in 1997, in 2001 an Honorable Mention at the National Engraving and Graphic Art Award, and in 2002 he won the National Award for Printmaking of Spain to the best work by Figure.

Event Image: Photogram direct gravure by Paul Mullowney