Ambos Lados International Print Exchange: Taos Talk -- Part 2

PART 2

TAOS TALK

DESERT TRIANGLE PRINT CARPETA

The Desert Triangle Print Carpeta was conceived at the Chalk the Block exhibition in 2014, before the trip to Oaxaca. Thirty artists from Tucson, Albuquerque and El Paso contributed large prints to show at Chalk the Block the following year. However, by good fortune, we showed the prints at the El Paso Museum of Art instead, in 2016.

The catalog for the Desert Triangle Print Carpeta

Almost half of the prints were produced in Mexico.

Pavel Acevedo opened the doors to Oaxaca for us. From Oaxaca originally, he was living in Riverside, California, so we invited him to contribute to the Desert Triangle. He then arranged for Francisco Delgado of El Paso, to make his Desert Triangle print at Taller Grafica Libre in Oaxaca.

2015

Pavel Acevedo in Riverside, with his Desert Triangle print

(we sent that press out to him there)

Pavel Acevedo

Pavel Acevedo participated in both the Oaxaca Carpeta, and the subsequent Desert Triangle Print Carpeta. He has participated in the Horned Toad Print Exchanges, as well as the Ambos Lados print exchange. Pavel introduced us to Taller Grafica Libre, and therefore was our connection to working more intimately with Mexican printmakers.

We were inspired by the Oaxaca Carpeta,

organized by Irving Herrera

Pavel Acevedo also participated in the Oaxaca Carpeta

(pictured with Irving Herrera, to the left)

TALLER GRAFICA LIBRE

IN OAXACA -- 2015

Pavel Acevedo connected Francisco Delgado, of Horned Toad Prints in El Paso, with Taller Grafica Libre in Oaxaca (they were located in the city of Oaxaca at that time). Francisco Delgado made his large print for the Desert Triangle Print Carpeta then, with Adrian Aguirre and Beatriz Rivas. This was our first interaction with Taller Grafica Libre.

2015

Adrian Aguirre of Taller Grafica Libre,

working with Francisco Delgado in Oaxaca

LA CEIBA GRAFICA

IN VERACRUZ -- 2015

In Oaxaca we heard about the lithography studio near Jalapa, Veracruz, and sent Manuel Guerra down there to make his large Desert Triangle print at La Ceiba Grafica. This was Manuel Guerra's first print adventure deep inside the country of Mexico.

La Ceiba Grafica is an old plantation building, now devoted to the craft of lithography. They source almost all of their materials from the Mexican state of Veracruz, including the Mexican marble stones that the artists draw on. It is run partly by Per Anderson.

2015

La Ceiba Grafica

an old plantation devoted to lithography

Per Anderson, the director,

supervising the printing of Manuel's lithography print

HENRY MORALES MAKES HIS OWN PRESS

The Desert Triangle Print Carpeta also included artists from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Karl Whitaker is from, and moved back to. Henry Morales of Albuquerque opted to make his own press to print his large Desert Triangle print edition. Henry also then participated in many Horned Toad Print Exchanges.

2015

Henry Morales made his own press

to print his large Desert Triangle print

Henry Morales

TALLER 75 GRADOS

OF MEXICO CITY

The Desert Triangle Print Carpeta project also lead us to Taller 75 Grados of Mexico City. There Arturo Negrete produced 10 serigraph editions for the Desert Triangle, a 3rd of the prints in the portfolio. While Taller 75 Grados did not contribute to Ambos Lados, they have worked closely with us on other print projects, and gave us our first print shows in Mexico.

2015

Taller 75 Grados in Mexico City

prints 10 serigraph editions for us

2015

The first showing of the Desert Triangle

was at a party in the studio of Taller 75 Grados,

featuring a band from Oaxaca

2015

Pop-up in Oaxaca

showing the Desert Triangle

THE SECOND

HORNED TOAD PRINT EXCHANGE

2017

All this print momentum inspired Manuel Guerra to organize the second Horned Toad Print Exchange in 2017. He invited several artists from Oaxaca to participate. This print exchange was shown in Oaxaca and Monterrey, Mexico, and preceded Ambos Lados.

Catalog for the second Horned Toad Print Exchange

2018

The last showing of the second Horned Toad Print Exchange

at the Southwest Print Fiesta

was a big success

2018

Before then we showed the second Horned Toad Print Exchange

in Monterrey.

10 artists from Monterrey then participated in the Ambos Lados exchange

Beo Hake

After showing the second Horned Toad Print Exchange in Oaxaca in 2017, both Manuel Guerra and Taller Grafica Libre (Adrian Aguirre and Beatriz Rivas) resolved to co-sponsor another print project, which turned out to be Ambos Lados.

2017

At the exhibition in Oaxaca for the second Horned Toad Print Exchange,

Ambos Lados was conceived

MEXICAN PRINT SHOWS

Meanwhile, we had been collecting prints from Mexican artists, and exhibiting those prints in Albuquerque and El Paso. In this way we began to reciprocate.

2017

Showing Mexican prints at Remarque Print Workshop

in Albuquerque

2017

Showing our Mexican print collection

at the El Paso Museum of Art

IT BEGINS!!!

AMBOS LADOS STARTS IN 2018

The Ambos Lados International Print Exchange starts in April, 2018. Takach Press in Albuquerque, cut down packages of printmaking paper for us, into 8 x 8 inch sheets, which we then sent to Mexico. Good paper is harder to come by in Mexico. Aaron Bass of Takach Press, and professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, also participated in Ambos Lados.

2018

Cutting paper at Takach Press in Albuquerque,

to send to Mexico

Aaron Bass participated

of Takach Press

HABANA, CUBA

Tanya Rich made her Ambos Lados print in Cuba, when she and Karl Whitaker went to Havana. This was the first print edition submitted to Ambos Lados. We also solicited two excellent print editions from two Cuban printmakers as well.