Ancestors by Marta Baumiller

My practice often centers on labor-intensive processes—stacking, weaving, sewing, and fabricating—to study the intersections of function, social structure, and craft. Printmaking plays a big part by using repetition and materiality and it is a deeply satisfying medium. Its rhythm and textures invite viewers to pause to feel the weight of physical process. Printmaking is a direct dialogue between the hand and the physical world. For me the labor of carving and pressing blocks transforms each plate into a record of memory and time. In some of my series monoprinting captures nature’s wanderers through singular, non-identical impressions that mirror the fragile shifts of changing ecosystems. This practice extends into my use of repurposed materials and hybrid systems and forms. By transforming surfaces—from floating silks or rice paper—printmaking challenges hierarchies between fine art, graphic communication, and utilitarian craft. I’m interested in the strong connection to democracy because prints can be easily reproduced. Printmaking carries both democratic accessibility and intimate individuality. I plan to continue using printmaking in my work to explore social issues as well as identity.