The Hand Print Workshop International: Process & Innovation
June 5 – July 18, 2021
Location: Don Russell Clayton Gallery
Dennis O’Neil [1946 - 2020] founded the Hand Print Workshop International [HPWI] in 1984 with a vision of furthering the innovation of screen printing through establishing
international collaborations with artists. Dennis was an inspirational artist and
collaborator who dedicated his life to this endeavor. In 1989 at the fall of the Soviet
Union, the workshop embarked on a unique journey in partnership with Russian artists
in Moscow. What began as a risky endeavor to conceive the Moscow Studio would ultimately
become the center for collaborative screen printing in Russia for nearly a decade,
featuring some of the most renowned Russian artists of the past twenty-five years.
The workshop returned to the United States in 1997 and continued to support an active
artist residency program locally, nationally, and internationally— including artists
from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Chile, Israel, and Cuba. The experiences and lessons
cultivated from the Moscow Studio influenced the studio’s work and role as a model
for the future of contemporary printmaking practices. By creating support and opportunities
during uncertain times, HPWI provided artists with a platform and a voice to express
individuality and perspective on critical social justice and human rights issues.
The Hand Print Workshop International: Process & Innovation, presents a dynamic selection of twenty-five collaborative prints by sixteen artists.
The exhibition visually chronicles a studio committed to experimentation and discovery,
and to contesting the boundaries of contemporary screen printing through innovative
new practices that embrace the artistic potential of the medium. Dennis was a champion
of silkscreen printing, establishing a legacy of cross-cultural connections and advancing
printmaking as a powerful contemporary art form. The works on view exemplify Dennis’
visionary acumen, commitment to mutualism, and love for the medium. Moreover, through
these works his legacy endures.
Dennis O’Neil, Moscow Revisited, 2011, cold wax medium and oil paint, unique print, 26.5 x 32 Inches.