Sightlines: Printmaking and Image Culture

Thomas M.F. Gerry is a professor of English at Laurentian University.

This beautifully produced book presents images and essays from an
international symposium on printmaking and image culture held at the
University of Alberta in the fall of 1997. The term “sightlines” is
used by architects to designate a person’s views from a particular
place. This book is intended to open up a line of sight on contemporary
printmaking.

Topics include Polish, Thai, Japanese, and Canadian printmaking, as
well as aspects of the theory, techniques, and teaching of printmaking.
Full-color illustrations abound.

Several essays examine the spiritual aspects of printmaking. A
noteworthy example is Stanislaw Fijalkowski’s “Some Timid Remarks on
Transcendency,” which contains the statements “Born first as
animals, we are born a second time as spiritual beings when we enter the
realm of symbolism” and “The artist’s work is part of a ritual
that validates another reality. The final finished piece of art is a
symbol of that reality.”

This book offers much on many levels.