Dimensions Variable

A tension - or rather a resistance - against merging with other artistic disciplines has perpetuated in printmaking culture, where a purist sensibility continues to reign. Pulling at this tether, Dimensions Variable, explores the materiality of contemporary printmaking, presenting works by artists Bea Buckland-Willis, Sarah Catania, Jacqui Driver, and April Phillips. Departing from convention, these artists navigate the shifting and expanding field of printmaking into a hybrid space; moving from static imagery to embodied forms by engaging with space and dimensionality, using unorthodox substrates, and stimulating interactivity. These transgressive outputs usurp traditionally accepted approaches to print-media, which prioritise works on paper and two-dimensionality with all formal attributions stemming from the printing process rather than post-production manipulation. For these artists, content and materials have become inseparable, with each work personifying traces of deeper associations and symbolism already embedded within their surfaces. The obligations of the ‘editioned print’ are removed, allowing for unique states and imperfect forms to be celebrated.

Something printmaking is rarely associated with is the activation or embodiment of space, a notion that is challenged as each work engages beyond the wall. Furthermore, these works foster an unfamiliar interactivity, opposing the convention of pristine paper that refuses contact. This new relational space is documented through alternate realities and temporalities - suspension, video, Augmented Reality, and tactility.

Navigating the juncture between traditional methodologies and formal innovations, Dimensions Variable explores the active disruption of the fundamental attributes of printmaking through installation, sculpture, and technological overlay. Tradition and innovation oppose, interact, and merge to present new ways of working with and understanding the potential of a resistant, yet increasingly malleable medium.

More Than Reproduction is a collective of Sydney-based emerging creatives with a passion for all things printmaking. We aim to celebrate and promote female artists, curators and creatives, with a particular focus on printmaking practices and themes of femininity, womanhood and equality. We strongly believe in equal representation and opportunity, with More Than Reproduction seeking to provide a platform for women in printmaking to have their voices heard and thrive.

More Than Reproduction produces monthly artist profiles, showcasing the talents and achievements of emerging Australian printmakers. They also provide news of upcoming exhibitions, opportunities and ‘ones-to-watch’, specifically through their weekly Instagram take-overs, Women Wednesday. More Than Reproduction has hosted a number of group exhibitions including: Edition One (2020) at Gaffa Gallery, and their first online exhibition, Print in Isolation (2020).

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land of which More Than Reproduction was founded and operates. We extend our respects to all First Nations people, acknowledging that sovereignty was never ceded.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Cammeraygal, and their Country on which White Rhino Artspace stands. We pay our respects to the Elders in the past and in the present and those that are emerging.