What is a screenprint
La Dame Sans Merci
Screenprint
Anne Forte
2006
A variety of stencil printing, using a screen made from fabric (silk or
synthetic) stretched tightly over a frame. The non-printing areas on the
fabric are blocked out by a stencil which can be created by painting on
glue or lacquer, by applying adhesive film or paper, or painting a light-sensitive
resist onto the screen which is then developed as a photograph (photo-screenprint).
Ink or paint is forced through the open fabric with a rubber blade, known
as a squeegee, onto the paper. Screenprinting has been used commercially
since the 1920s and by artists since the 1950s. When it was taken up by
artists in 1930s America the term 'serigraph' was used to denote an artist's
print, as opposed to commercial work. The term 'silkscreen' (silk was
originally used for the mesh) was and still is used, particularly in America.
(From the website of the Tate Gallery, London)
(From the Website of The Tate Gallery, London
