ETSU graduates and instructors Laken Bridges and John Hilton share a love for print and ink media in “Paper and Ink: Prints, Drawings and Installations”
The exhibit, which opened back on Aug. 4 is on display at East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum.
“The title is the result of common ground between our individual work – the use of paper and ink as a primary medium,” said Hilton. “There is a rich tradition of paper tied to the history of printmaking. Paper has an incredible memory and is the perfect vehicle for recording the marks of each work.”
According to a press release, the idea for the exhibition is rooted in the artists’ shared passion for paper and ink media and that there is a “dialogue” between the two artists’ work, stylistically and conceptually. Both use symbolism and humor to establish critiques and narratives.
Bridges and Hilton have a lot in common. Both graduated from ETSU with Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and went on to earn Master of Fine Arts Degrees at Clemson University with concentrations in printmaking. And if these artists’ names sound familiar, it’s because they both teach art in the ETSU Department for Art and Design.
“I love that printmaking is a democratic process – it has a history of collaboration, mass communication and distribution of ideas,” said Bridges. “It has not always had the prestige of other fine arts media, but has proven itself to be a versatile medium that provides a platform for making art that is accessible to many.”
The Reece Museum will hold a reception for viewing of the exhibit and an artist talk with Bridges and Hilton. This event will be held Sept. 14 from 5-7 p.m and will be free and open to the public.
Reece Museum hours where visitors can view the exhibit at Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and will be on display until Sept. 22.
Also currently on display in the Reece Museum is “Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race” which is a traveling exhibit produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
For more information on the exhibit or the Reece Museum, call 423-439-4392 or find them online at www.etsu.edu/reece.
