Printmakers’ Scrim - a ‘silent’ collaboration.

Utilitarian objects often evoke memories or create connections between the past and present. ​Working in the print workshop, I noticed how interesting the used printers’ scrim was.  Intaglio printmakers use scrim to wipe ink from printing plates, I was attracted to the colours and textures they had left behind.

Impregnated with ink, the drying scrim held the collective memory of past use – finger pressure marks, holes, creases, and even the smell of ink. The ink and textures left behind are little works of abstract art. 

For me, the used scrim represents an ongoing dialogue between printmakers and a collective memory of past work. I will never know the images each individual piece was used to create, but the not knowing adds to the appeal. 

To continue the conversation, I decided to connect and consolidate the scrim with running stitch, picking up and carrying the ink colours across the cloths with matching threads. The threads blur the lines between the individual sections, as well as adding interest to the piece. The repetitive stitching feels symbolic of the process of rubbing away ink from printing plates and the rhythm of connecting ink and paper.  

As a large textile piece, the connected cloths can be hung and displayed in a variety of ways, making new connections as sections drape down and overlap. I intend to continue collecting and connecting used scrim until my obsession ends.