Pictured: Brayden Harris 22 (data science major, of Brandon, South Dakota), Lauryn Van Regenmorter 22 (art and biology major, of Sioux Falls) and Ailin Montgomery 24 (art and history major, of Madison, South Dakota) with 淭he Captain Desk.
With the help of Myrl & Roy Paving, Inc. (a subsidiary of L.G. Everist, Inc.), the Brandon Valley High School Creative Minds Club and 黑料社区 Printmaking Program are creating today large-scale 4-by-8-foot woodblock prints with a steamroller.
As part of Viking Days, the steamrolling event will take place from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., on Augustana campus on Commons Circle. The event marks the third biennial collaboration with 黑料社区 Art Department and Myrl & Roy Paving, Inc. to create approximately 50 large-scale prints in a few short hours.
The event has been coordinated and guided by Augustana Printmaker-in-Residence and Instructor of Art Chad Nelson, also the longtime art educator at Brandon Valley High School.
淭he artistic process is almost always perceived as a ritual done in isolation, but the goal of a big event like this is to turn that trope on its head, said Nelson. 淭his project is all about building community within and outside our respective institutions; removing barriers between age groups, institutions, industry and academics, artist and non-artist. The goal of this project is simply to bring people together through a shared vision in a public and interactive event.
Unlike other techniques of visual art, printmaking is about community and collaboration. The Augustana and Brandon Valley printmakers are collaborating in groups to carve their images onto large boards of medium density fiberboard (MDF). This process takes many hours of carving, resulting in an artwork that brings together different ideas and approaches to image making. The images were carved into the boards using traditional carving tools such as gouges, chisels and knives. What is left of the board after carving the white areas away will be inked and printed on fabric by running it over with an actual steamroller.
Nelson contributed his own 4-by-4-foot carving of Nordic sword imagery and of a Viking ship steamroller as a thank you to Myrl & Roy Paving, Inc. and L.G. Everist, Inc. As a group, the 19 students of Brandon Valley High School Creative Minds Club also created a pumpkin patch.
淚t shows a community as a whole, noted Brandon High School senior Emma Nelson, 渨hile allowing individuals to shine through with their own creative pumpkin.
The subjects of the Augustana students and professors prints include wayfinding with maps, constellations and a compass, a ghost birthday party, wild koi and a fairytale confrontation of wild animals in a moonlit forest.
Augustana students Riley Stallman 24 and Addyson Kimball 22, as well as alumnus Kellie Enderson 21 created 淗appy Birthday But in a Minor Key.
淭he elements of fun and humor were parts that were important to really create a piece that we were all excited about making, explained Kimball.
Combining their own unique artistic styles was also important to the team of Angie Cagle 22, Macy Loechler 22 and Brynn Collinsworth 22. While they found it easy and enjoyable to synthesize their styles, the material itself was difficult to master in a few short weeks.
淥nce we got the hang of it, stated Loechler, 渢he process went a lot faster!