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Ten
Frequently Asked Questions about Serigraphs:
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1. What is serigraphy?
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Serigraphy is a printmaking process that involves creating stencils for each proposed component of a desired image, then printing color-by-color, in succession, by forcing ink through a screen mesh. Each shape/stencil is printed and hand-registered until the serigraph is finished.
Hoss has printed serigraphs with as few as 10 colors and as many as 113. |
| 2. Where is the original? |
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| Martino’s serigraphs are not reproductions of another medium or copies of a single master image. They are original serigraphs.
Hoss prints his entire edition of approximately thirty prints, simultaneously. First he draws a detailed sketch that he uses as a template for his stencils.
Hoss also creates a “working proof, “ which helps him to create and register each stencil during the printing process. Each serigraph is hand-registered, in successive passes and varies slightly from the
next. Each Hoss Serigraph is a unique original. |
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3. Where are the screens? |
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| Hoss
prefers to build his own printing screens out of lumber and silk, rather than purchasing pre-manufactured screens. Between colors, he cleans his screen by removing the ink and dissolving each stencil, before preparing for the next. He re-uses his screens for multiple editions. After 2-3 editions of serigraphs,
Hoss destroys his screens and builds new equipment. |
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4. Who printed the serigraphs for you? |
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| Hoss
is his own master printer. Some artists will work with a printing expert to produce an edition.
Hoss prints his own serigraphs so he can maintain the spontaneity of his original vision throughout the printing process. As his own master printer,
Hoss is able to assess and adjust the direction of his pieces, while printing. |
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5. Are the stencils computer generated or photographic? |
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Neither. Hoss’s serigraphs involve so much detail, some have thought he uses photographic or computer-adapted stenciling techniques. This is not the case.
Hoss’s stencils are all created by hand, using any of three traditional stencil-making techniques. For larger, soft-edged, opaque shapes, he creates glue stencils. The tusche and glue process allows painterly, modeled images. Water-based film is used for the hard-edged and delicate stencils. |
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6. Why is Hoss’s edition size limited to 30 serigraphs? |
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| Hoss’s first professional serigraph was created in his grandmother’s studio. He built his drying rack with wire and bull clips, designed to span the width of the small room. Because of the limited studio space, he could only hang 30 prints. This is the real reason why
Hoss arrived at “30” as his standard edition size. Also, Hoss likes to keep his editions low so they are more valuable for the purchaser. |
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7. Is the #1 print more valuable than #30? |
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Intrinsically, no print in the edition is more valuable than the next. As Hoss prints an edition, the serigraphs get mixed out of order. At the end of the printing process,
Hoss stacks his edition, randomly, then signs and numbers each print. The numbering is used both to
show that the prints are all slightly different and to note the size of the edition. |
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8. Will Hoss ever reproduce an edition? |
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| Hoss
cannot reproduce an edition for several reasons. First, he dissolves his stencils in the process of printing each color. Also,
Hoss re-uses his screens from one edition to create stencils for another edition, so the only way to
"reproduce" a piece would be start over - in actuality, creating a new
piece. Because Hoss hand-mixes each color, he is not confident he would ever be able to re-create the precise colors or shapes of an edition in a parallel process. |
| 9. Why do the prints increase in price as an edition sells out? |
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When Hoss prints an edition, he only has thirty prints to sell. Of these thirty, he typically keeps five prints from each edition for his private collection. There are only twenty-five serigraphs available for sale from a typical edition. As the availability of serigraphs in an edition declines,
Hoss increases the price of each serigraph. On occasion he will re-introduce pieces from his private collection. |
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10. Does Hoss consider himself a realist? |
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| Martino
Hoss
is neither a realist nor an impressionist, although his work conveys elements of both. He strives to communicate the color, rhythm and emotion of his sensual reactions to nature. |
