Collection: 150 Collaborative Prints: Jeanette Cook, Nancy Magnusson, Kathe Noe

Our collaboration grew out of Covid isolation. Everyone needed ways to connect with other people, so we came up with the idea to collaborate on artwork while remaining physically separate. The ‘rules’ were that each of us would work on every piece and that no piece was finished until all agreed it was finished. To exchange work that was not complete, we met at the Isleta Pueblo parking lot; masked women exchanging baggies of papers from the trunks of their cars - interesting! To decide if pieces were finished, we would meet on Zoom for a critique. Once all agreed, we would put our first initial on the back, creating a string of initials which then became the title of the piece. For example: KNJJNKJNK.

When covid diminished we rented space at Remarque Print Workshop. Working together in the same space, our process changed, moving to larger 12x12 format for our monotypes. No more suspicious dealings from the trunks of cars, and no more Zoom. We continued ‘the rule’ that each of us work on every piece. After all, it was a collaboration! At Remarque, we could see what the others were doing, discuss things we might want to try, instantaneously evaluating one another’s efforts as pieces rolled through the press. There was – and continues to be – a lot of laughter. Some discouragement, but comfort knowing there were three collaborating artists to fix a piece that befuddled. We have never given up on a piece, no matter how cluttered, dark and disjointed. None was discarded or cut up for collage materials, a sign there is always hope with our work.