s3e40 Luther Davis, director, Powerhouse Arts Printshop

Platemark

In s3e40, Platemark host Ann Shafer talks with Luther Davis, master printer and director of Powerhouse Arts, Brooklyn. This is a two-parter. For this interview, Platemark collaborated with its sister podcast Hello, Print Friend. Miranda Metcalf, Hello, Print Friend’s host and creator interviewed Luther about his background and early career; Ann Shafer spoke with Luther about the present and future at Powerhouse Arts, a new non-profit arts center in a renovated transit power station on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. Both Hello, Print Friend and Platemark’s episodes will be available on both podcast channels.

Luther has been in the biz for a long time and has great stories about the printing industry in Brooklyn. We talk about industrial printing and ask what the differences are between "art" and everything else. We talk about how important accessible shops are for artists to fabricate large projects (in addition to a print shop, Powerhouse has a ceramics studio, and a large sculpture fabrication shop). We talk about the state of print publishing today.

Luther has brought his prodigious experience to bear at Powerhouse Arts, a fairly new player in the field. He is taking the reigns of the Print Shop and running with it.

Episode image: Dana Zinsser.

Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Pulled in Brooklyn, exhibition curated by Roberta Waddell and Samantha Rippner. IPCNY, April 4–June 15, 2019.

Industrial map of New York City showing manufacturing industries. New York Public Library. Printing industries are marked in orange.

Grand Hall, Powerhouse Arts, Brooklyn.

Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Inaugural artist-in-residence Ivan Forde working at Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Jasper Johns (American, born 1930). Leo from The Leo Castelli 90th Birthday Portfolio, 1997. Color etching. Plate: 17 11/16 × 11 13/16 in. (45 × 30 cm.); sheet: 36 13/16 × 27 in. (93.5 × 68.6 cm.). Published by Jean-Christoph Castelli; printed by Noblet Serigraphie. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Ed Ruscha (American, born 1937). News from the portfolio News, Mews, Pews, Brews, Stews & Dues, 1970. Screenprint. Image: 18 1/16 x 27 1/16 in. (45.8 x 68.8 cm.); sheet: 23 1/16 x 31 7/8 in. (58.6 x 81 cm.). Published by Editions Alecto; printed by Alecto Studios. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Peacock Visual Arts’ Risograph color chart.

Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Printer Zaire Anderson coating screens for Avram Finkelstein’s Who Died. Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

With backs turned, left: Chris Kinsler; right: Dennis Hrehowsik. Facing camera, left: Zaire Anderson; right: Dana Zinsser. Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Nellie Davis and Kyle Goen working on his giant rainbow roll at Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Printer John Bartolo working on a screenprint by Aziz and Cucher at Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Powerhouse Arts Print Shop, Brooklyn.

Donald Baechler installation shot. Galerie Forsblom, 2014.

Kara Walker (American, born 1969). The Emancipation Approximation, 1999–2000. Portfolio of 26 screenprints. Sheet (each): 45 3/4 x 45 3/4 in (116.2 x 116.2 cm.). Published by Sikkema Jenkins Editions; printed by Jean Yves Noblet. Phillips Auctions, New York.

Fourth Estate www.fourthestate.com

Alex Dodge (American, born 1977). Unread Messages, 2017. Screenprint. 20 x 30 in. Haystack Editions.

USEFUL LINKS

Poster House www.posterhouse.org

Jungle Press Editions www.junglepress.com

Avant Arte www.avantearte.com

Radix Media & Graphics

NY Printing & Graphics www.nyprintinggraphics.com

Du-Good Press www.du-goodpress.com

Carousel’s Press www.carouselpress.com

Kayrock Screenprinting www.shop.kayrock.org

Bushwick Print Lab www.bushwickprintlab.org

Ulano Corp. www.ulano.com

KIWO Inc. www.kiwo.com

Guerra Paint & Pigment www.guerrapaint.com

Labor statistics on fine artists from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271013.htm#nat