Paul Catanese, Hybrid Media Artist

CELESTIAL WORKSHOPS 001 – 004
2007 | Open Series of Digital Relief Prints

Celestial Workshops Series
About this Series of Images
Celestial Workshops is a major, expanding series of images that describe imaginary constellations initially inspired by translucent objects suspended in the fluid within my eyes. These diaphanous objects appear to me as playing the role of ones’ personal, ephemeral constellations forced upon the sky. The four Celestial Workshops images, 001 through 004, are among the first completed in this major series of prints. These first four prints in the series were completed during a residency at the Prairie Center of the Arts in Peoria, IL in collaboration with Master Printer Oscar J. Gillespie at the Cradle Oak Press of Bradley University. The 20x20" relief blocks are printed on 27.5x39.5" Magnani Incisioni paper.
About the Digital Relief Process
Since my fellowship residency at the Kala Art Institute in 2004, I have been experimenting with several different printmaking techniques within my art practice. I find that there are a great number of similarities in the processes of printmaking and the techniques that I use in creating digital images. Inspired by the resonance between handsetting lead type for letterpress and individually programming each pixel for black and white animations on a Gameboy Advance, I began to experiment with developing the Digital Relief Process as a hybrid of custom drawing software, industrial machine control and traditional printmaking techniques. [ Learn more about the Digital Relief Process ]