Hot Off Our Presses: New Work by Remarque Members

Hot Off Our Presses: New Work by Remarque Artists
February 4th - 26, 2022

The pandemic has been a unique time for our studio members - in the first few months of Spring 2020, we all stayed home to "flatten the curve". Remarque was abandoned and silent for days on end. I would come in occasionally to do routine maintenance and cleaning, and find cobwebs on presses and counters that used to be in near-constant use. In the brief interactions I had with other members, we would talk about how the world felt like someone had hit the pause button, and how our creative juices seemed to have stagnated as well. Why focus on art when there was SO much else to worry about?

As time went on and the pandemic became more and more evidently permanent, we all slowly started making our way back here, joyfully but carefully rejoining the print community we missed so much. For many of us, the hiatus led to a change in direction - some of us switched themes, others switched mediums. The world has gone through an enormous transition, and so have we. The artwork in this show is all new work by our members. It reflects these changes we have gone through, but I think it also reflects the strong sense of joy we have all felt as our community here at the print workshop has begun to return to normal. When I come in to the studio now, I'm greeted with friendly hellos and enthusiasm, rather than silence and cobwebs. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to make art alongside your friends - if the pandemic taught me anything, it's that art, and I think a lot of human nature, relies on community - we need to bounce ideas off each other to keep our own ideas flowing. We need to laugh together to keep our own joy flowing.

- Holland Hardie

Co-owner, Remarque Print Workshop