We just launched something special – a limited-edition, hand-printed publication.
It’s the very first edition of Screen Printing Basics, a labour of love put together by our master printmaker, Wim Legrand. As Wim says, “This first edition isn’t just about screen printing – it is screen printing.” Every page has been meticulously hand-pulled by Wim himself, making each limited-edition copy a true reflection of the process it describes.
Part instructional guide, part collectable, this book is a celebration of the craft and its community of enthusiasts.
Buy your copy on our website under the "Special Projects" tab.
@blackriverstudio
📸 @skinnylaminx
Studio visit with Wim Legrand from @blackriverstudio . Our 3rd years got to see some screenprint examples with discussion on process and print production.
Ahead @investeccapetownartfair , we spent time with spaces shaping the conversations beyond the convention centre.
Third stop: @50ty50typrints .
50ty/50ty prints is an art initiative and gallery-associated project based in Cape Town. It operates from @blackriverstudio - a print production space specialising in fine art screen printing. The focus is on limited-edition screen prints created in collaboration with local artists, illustrators and designers For more conversations like this, listen to @arttoartnatasha Podcast with @natashanormanart , by @latitude_podcaststudio — link in bio. New episodes dropping soon.
You can also download our Art Fair map via the link in bio. Visit a few of the featured spaces over the next few weeks, then show us your map and an in-person gallery interaction at @hugosocialclub for a complimentary glass of bubbles.
Lizette Chirrime's countless colours
(1 + 1 = 3)
We were priviledged to have Lizette Chirrime back in the studio collaborating on a new piece, which is now, after countless iterations of colour testing, finally ready for release.
The reason for all the testing is more apparent when you're familiar with Lizette's work and the nature of the screen printing process. Her fabric collages combine fragments of materials in vivid colour and intricate stitching.
Translating this approach to screen print poses an intriguing challenge; in particular, it demands the careful overlapping of layers and varying opacity.
To do justice to this complexity, we used eight individual colours (and therefore eight individual screens), which means that for every new colour introduced, an exponential number of additional hues is created – due to the layered, overlapping nature of the screen printing process.
Of course, one wants to balance complexity with cohesion, which is where the all-important iterations of colour testing come in. Enter Wim Legrand, our master printmaker, and his technical expertise, love of the process and commitment to the collaborative to-and-fro with the artist to get just the right result. Which is what we have with this brand-new beauty, The Fluid Dance.
#50ty50typrints #screenprinting #lizettechirrime
@lizettechirrime
50ty/50ty x Michael Taylor | An unscripted dialogue
Michael Taylor’s off-the-cuff and unrestrained approach works beautifully with our own – it makes for a screen printing collaboration that epitomises the 50ty/50ty vision: the process, the conversation, the unexpected magic that results.
The whole dynamic is something to behold – and something quite behold-able, really, in the finished result 👉 👉 👉 now available online.
#screenprinting #limitededitionprints #originalprint #michaeltaylor #michaeltaylorstudio
Githan Coopoo | Collaborative magic
Screen printing’s vivid colour & history of accessibility suit Githan’s style & sensibility wonderfully.
But it’s not just about the finished work; it’s everything that happens in between – the magic of the collaborative process
Artists are invited to stretch the boundaries of their practice while engaging with the technical & conceptual nuances of printmaking
– which then feeds back into their oeuvre.
It’s especially rewarding for us when the artist enjoys the process as much as we do!
In Githan’s words: “In trying something completely new, the process was incredibly affirming, calm, guiding and a real gift.”
POT OF GRIEVANCE
Githan Coopoo is back with his inimitable brand of tragicomedy – this latest offering a delicious follow-up of his first collaboration with us last year. And while we’ve only just released this latest original print online, it has flown off the proverbial shelves due to its smashing debut at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, where more than half the edition was sold in just a few days.
The takeaway? Bag yours now before its gone
#githancoopoo #screenprinting #artonpaper
@githancoopoo@blackriverstudio
Collaborative magic
When it comes to screen printing, it’s not just about the finished work, but everything that happens in between – the magic of the collaborative process. Artists step into a dialogue with us and with the medium, to stretch the boundaries of their practice while engaging with the technical and conceptual nuances of printmaking.
The rewards of the process continue beyond the finished work as well, as the new territories explored feed back into the artist’s oeuvre as a whole. What’s more, it’s especially rewarding when the artist enjoys the process and the medium as much as we do, which is why Coopoo’s description of the experience are so edifying: “In trying something completely new, the process was incredibly affirming, calm, guiding and a real gift.”
@githancoopoo@blackriverstudio
#screenprinting #limitededition
This one reminded me of the the nineties MTV aesthetic in combination with old school comics and a little SpongeBob energy. Lovely to work with @thegerhard as usual.
Making marks in a different way. Screen print monotype today at @blackriverstudio - flexing an idea sideways to fill a spectrum.
#southafricanprintmaking #kristenmcclarty #printmaker #woodblock #woodblockprintmaking #woodcut #theprintinggirls #kristenmcclartyart #asenseofplace #headunderwater #screenprint #screenprinting
