The Experimental Printmaker of Paula Roland

Paula Roland, Language of Beauty XII (detail), 2012, Encaustic print,Shikoku paper

The experimental printmaker Paula Roland will soon be on view at the Anya Tish Gallery. An expert in encaustic wax printing, Roland originated many of the techniques used in this method of making art. By combining the historic practices of encaustic painting and printmaking, a new form of art is developed: encaustic wax printing. As paper and wax are combined, Roland navigates the sea of shifting shapes, colors, depth and translucency in each changing encaustic print.

Fascinated by environmental extremes, Paula Roland chooses to surround herself with contrasting terrain and variable weather. Due to the process, her prints share an unpredictability and unique similarity to the New Mexican landscape that she calls home. The interplay of the heated wax and colorful pigments move in diverse ways slowly revealing an artistic narrative that is then transferred onto environmentally mindful Shikoku paper. Although Roland is in charge of each print she creates, the underlying level of uncertainty brilliantly creates monotype prints that can never be re-created or foreseen.

Paula Roland has been the recipient of multiple grants, awards and fellowships for her innovative printmaking. She has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, two installation grants from the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, two artist residencies from the Santa Fe Art Institute and two fellowships from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. She has participated in over 60 group exhibitions and over 18 solo exhibitions since 1984.

Opening Reception: June 22, 2012, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

On view: June 22 - July 21