Demonstrating Dan Flavin's Relief Aquatint Technique: Art Talk with Christina Taylor

Conservator and printmaker Christina Taylor demonstrates the relief aquatint printing technique that artist Dan Flavin used to create three incredible prints from the collections of the Harvard Art Museums.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:
+ Dan Flavin, "Untitled (Paper Disc) (Former title: Guggenheim Color Disks: Maroon/Green)," 1992, double-sided relief aquatint, printed in blue and warm violet, on handmade paper, M25122.A. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Margaret Fisher Fund. © Dan Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY. hvrd.art/o/149146
+ Dan Flavin, "Untitled (Paper Disc) (Former title: Guggenheim Color Disks: Purple/Yellow)," 1992, double-sided relief aquatint, printed in blue and warm violet, on handmade paper, M25122.B. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Margaret Fisher Fund. © Dan Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY. hvrd.art/o/101234
+ Dan Flavin"Untitled (Paper Disc) (Former title: Guggenheim Color Disks: Violet/Blue)," 1992, double-sided relief aquatint, printed in blue and warm violet, on handmade paper, M25122.C. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Margaret Fisher Fund. © Dan Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY. hvrd.art/o/101293
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Speaker: Christina Taylor, Assistant Paper Conservator, Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies Programs, Harvard Art Museums.
This video is part of our Harvard Art Museums from Home art talk series in which curators, conservators, fellows, and graduate students share short, informal videos that offer an up-close look at works from our collections.
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© President and Fellows of Harvard College. Video: Christina Taylor. For questions related to permission for commercial use of this video, please contact the Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at [e-mail].

[@gayoutlaw465]

These demonstrations are just incredible. Christina is clearly so gifted as a printmaker, a conservator,
and a teacher. I hope you keep these coming! (And give her a raise!)

[@jcalvertuiuc]

Christina's videos are wonderful--it's clear that a great deal of effort went into preparing the demonstrations. Christina's explanations are so concise!

[@harvartmuseums]

Glad you like them!

[@natasjavugts1022]

I just stumbled on these videos and absolutely love them! Printmaking can be a difficult artform, but Christina explains it very well. Thank you!

[@801thirduncle]

I just got a lino cut set from Jackson's and these videos have astonished me with how sophisticated print making can be.

[@samcollage7682]

Printmaking is my greatest joy.

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

This lady is a superb communicator. I totally enjoyed this ralk and demo. :-)

[@NickVenture1]

I learned something here. Thank you!

[@lya3562]

Excellent! Thanks Christina

[@bethireland5103]

very well explained! Thank You!

[@fishbulb00]

I appreciate your inspiring introduction to relief aquatint printing. Would you be able to recommend resources for learning this technique? Seems like relief aquatint is all but forgotten by modern printers.

[@KpxUrz5745]

I prefer prints with imagery. Speaking of Dan Flavin, I happen to have a very early handwritten communication from him directly to Frank Stella, presumably after first becoming acquainted with his art in the late 60's, in which he credits Stella with expanding the definition of art. This could be of intellectual value to some entity, but I don't know to whom.

[@jurgn]

Many collectors would, I believe, fancy such a piece of correspondence, and I presume various art institutions would as well. It has value. Perhaps you could inquire, without obligation, for advise one of the authors mentioned on Wikipedia, who seem to have published a book on precisely the material you seem to posess: "In 2010, artists Cindy Hinant and Nicolas Guagnini created the book FLAV, with primary archival texts and correspondence by and about Dan Flavin." Perhaps you can find their e-mail addresses somewhere.

[@KpxUrz5745]

@@jurgnThanks for the thoughtful reply. I actually have a sizable collection of Stella memorabilia and personal effects. Once I contacted such an organization and they simply said they are only interested in items "with intellectual value", without asking any further questions or expressing any actual interest to know more.

[@italitally2989]

She's hot.

[@twicebittenthasme5545]

Wonderful information and demonstration. Not a fan of flavin. I can not see the art in his stuff. Same for many abstract pieces. I just don't see it. Impressionism, I understand easily. Abstract, to my eye, is a waste of paint, ink, etc. Same for a lot of what is referred to as "pop" art. Some I can appreciate. Most, a waste of time and effort. My opinion. But in art, all of it is subjective so what I like someone else can't stand.
Anyway, thank you for sharing.

[@juljos9343]

im not really impress at all

[@neooneart]

Thank you for pointing that out, now everybody can rest knowing that you aren't "impress" at all.

[@juljos9343]

@@neooneart Dan Flavin is one the most boring artist I’ve even seen. I mean to get exited about a print of just a color on paper. It’s just too much.

[@neooneart]

@@juljos9343 agreed. But the art process is still something one can use for other art projects. I'm just grateful to learn new stuff that I can use for other projects. I too think as an artist he is as boring as a chess tournament

[@juljos9343]

@@neooneart I’m glad to say I agree with everything you say there and I don’t even play chess

[@italitally2989]

@@juljos9343 its great to help to fall asleep to. very relaxing when played at night.