PROFILE:

Nick Beason - Urban Imprints ©,

Nick was first attracted to print making while hanging out at the Zeller 9 Gallery on the Fulham Road in Chelsea, situated (some would say fortuitously) opposite the Goat In Boots pub. After sessions at Winchester Art College studying etching, he was truly hooked.

Pursuit of an opportunity to live and work in the U.S.A brought Nick to the San Francisco Bay Area, and an intersection with the Pacific Arts League of Palo Alto (PALPA).

It was here that Nick switched allegiance from etching to monotype print making.

The catalyst was artist Adele Seltzer, who studied and worked with the amazing Nathan Oliveira. Nick printed under Adele’s adroit direction and generous encouragement both at PALPA and at Adele’s studio in Portola Valley.

The move to northern New Mexico (Taos, and then Llano de San Juan) came some time after his first, spellbinding visit in 1990.

Nick met Michael Vigil in Taos, and enjoyed the opportunity so generously given to print at his studio Graphic Impressions, and also to absorb the qualities of Michael’s own inspiring work and palette.

Monotype printmaking is the most painterly method of printmaking techniques.

Of the  major attractions for Nick is the spontaneity of the medium, and the quality of light created, which is different from a painting on paper, and contributes a surface that is unlike any other art - truly a combination of printmaking, painting and drawing media.

Since each is unique and hand executed, the technique generally yields only one strong impression from each prepared plate. Any subsequent prints will differ from the first, because variations in repainting and printing are inevitable.

Consequently a key characteristic is that no two prints are alike; although images can be similar, editioning is not possible - hence the prefix mono.

What Nick feels strongest about the monotype’s painterly method is the enablement of an individual’s choice of direction, and the complete freedom of expression in the application of that method; structure, analysis of movement, and most importantly, pursuit of very personal intuition.