Michael Gross

On Making Prints with Michael Gross 

Michael Gross and I began collaborating in printmaking in 2005 with his first limited editions of etchings on metal plates produced at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring MD. He quickly grasped the possibilities of using the plates to create an image on paper that would still convey the distinctive power of his line drawings and paintings. These etchings were pivotal, leading him into the monochromatic paintings and prints in this exhibition. The etching editions, as well as our subsequent printmaking projects, led to a significant advancement in his overall artistic growth. In this sense, the prints have helped the paintings and vice versa.

My job as the master printer is to understand where the artist wants to go and help him find the way there. This requires great respect for each other’s abilities. Since the etching projects, Michael and I have made a series of screen print editions in my studio, Lily Press. These prints also relate directly to the monochromatic paintings.  The interplay of lines, shapes, and colors might seem random and frenzied on first viewing. In fact, the process is entirely intentional. The paper is laid under a series of screens multiple times, building up the surface to capture the dynamic qualities of two-dimensional space. We work at this together until we achieve Michael’s ultimate aim: to create an energy field in equilibrium.