Durrmu Arts

Basil Hall Editions held a collagraph workshop in November at Durrmu Arts, and it  produced the most amazing images! The prints are all based on weaving designs and the artists used their actual weavings (merrepen dilly bag stitch) to impress marks into the board. Artist Regina Pilawuk Wilson’s collagraph-in-progress is seen below.

Patsy Marfura’s etching Fi has just come hot off the Basil Hall Editions press. It sold very well at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, and there are some left - contact Nomad Art in Darwin or Caruana Reid in Sydney for sales details (contact details under ‘galleries and exhibitions.)

With the assistance of ANKAAA, the artists of Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti, completed a printmaking workshop in October 2007 with Basil Hall Editions.

Printers Basil Hall and Jacqueline Gribbin led the three-day etching and silkscreen workshop in late October.

Margaret Kundu and Regina Wilson were the first to tackle the etching medium. Using bitumen paint, both artists transferred their distinct styles onto their zinc plates.

Kevin Gilbert and Patsy Marfura also tried this process, with great success. A sugar lift technique was used on Patsy’s fi (sand-palm twine) design, and was then highlighted by a wash of acid, giving it a varied effect that better emulated her paintings (Patsy can be seen bravely applying the acid below).

On the second day, most of the artists braved the heat to try out silkscreen. Using familiar acrylic paints, Regina produced a traditional syaw (fish net) design of an entirely new composition - as seen above.

Linda Gilbert, Teresa Lemon, Rosina Tirak and Annunciata Wilson made a start on their silkscreen designs too, drawing on their tradition of weaving as well as durrmu (dot) body paint designs.

On the final day of the workshop Basil and Jacqueline prepared their mobile printing press and printed a couple of the artists’ finished plates.

This was undoubtedly the highlight for all involved. As the paper emerged, the women were awestruck by the results and congratulated each other on their new work.

As well as introducing a new medium to push the artists into new creative territory, the workshop was a significant communal event for the artists, and attracted great interest from the wider community.

As a result of the workshop, Regina Wilson has travelled to Basil Hall Editions in Darwin to observe the studio at work and learn more about the printmaking process, and taken part in the print projects Republic Unlimited and Custodians.

The prints are available from Nomad Art in Darwin and Michael Reid in Sydney.