Inside the Tandem Press studio, a hub for collaborative and artistic experimentation just outside the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, artists, printmakers and curators from across the U.S. work side by side to create limited edition fine art prints.
The studio works with the artists from all over the U.S. to develop pieces through a collaborative printmaking process bringing their ideas to life.
“We invite the most important contemporary artists working today to come to our studio and make fine art prints,” Tandem Press Director Katie Geha said. “[The artists] come into our studio, and they work with our collaborative printers who have all of the printmaking knowledge and can help the artist realize their work.”
Many of the artists who visit Tandem Press are not primarily printmakers and instead come from backgrounds in painting, sculpture and other mediums. The studio printmakers guide artists through various techniques like lithography, screen printing and engraving, helping translate the artist’s vision into a finished print.
For Tandem Press, collaboration is central to the printmaking process and the studio’s identity.
“The printers and the artist are in constant dialogue, working through ideas, looking at techniques, thinking about the design, all of the fun stuff that happens in the studio,” Geha said.
When an artist starts a project at Tandem Press, the process begins before they even arrive in Madison. Printers meet with the artist virtually or at their studios to discuss ideas for the print. The artist then arrives at the Tandem Press studio and begins the 10-day process of creating their print.
Artists work closely with the printers, testing ideas and experimenting with techniques to develop the final print.
“We start making the image, mixing colors, printing it, putting it on the wall, letting the artist look at it and having them tell us what they want to change about it. You work through that process until you get to a point where they are happy with the image,” printmaker Jason Ruhl said.
Once the artist is satisfied with the final version of the print, they sign what is called a “right to print.” After that, the printers produce the rest of the limited editions, typically two dozen of them, unless it is a monoprint.
The experimental process of creating the print often involves combining different processes of printmaking within a single piece. According to Geha, the flexibility the artists have during the entire process is what sets Tandem Press apart.
“I think the fact that we're so experimental and willing to try anything creates really strong relationships with our artists,” Geha said. “When artists come, we make it a goal to never say no. Whatever idea they have, we are going to work on it and improvise and problem solve in the studio to realize that project for them.”
Founded nearly 40 years ago by William Weege, Tandem Press has grown into a nationally recognized center for printmaking, attracting artists from all over the U.S.
Sable Elyse Smith, a New York based artist, came to Madison last June to create her first print edition at Tandem Press. Working closely with the studio’s printmakers, Smith created two prints that were then layered and laser cut to produce a final interwoven art piece.
According to Ruhl, the studio in many ways functions like a research environment, constantly experimenting with printmaking.
“[Tandem is] very much like a research facility, in the sense of trying to work with contemporary artists and pushing the boundaries of what printmaking is, and seeing where we can go with that,” Ruhl said.
While the studio collaborates with artists across the U.S., Geha says Tandem Press hopes to strengthen its connection with students on campus.
The studio currently supports two graduate students each year, one working in the print studio while the other assists with curatorial work. In addition, Tandem Press hosts artist talks, exhibitions and open house events where students and community members can go and learn more about the printmaking process.
Even though Tandem Press is slightly off campus, Geha hopes students will visit and explore what the studio has to offer.
“We are really eager to share what we do with students. And I think sometimes, because we're a little off the beaten path, it can seem intimidating or not for students, but we are absolutely for students,” Geha said.
