The past and present of screen printing

The roots of silkscreen printing can be traced back to ancient Chinese silk printing. The earliest silkscreen printing was not printmaking in the modern sense, but rather the dyeing and printing of Chinese silk and textiles. This openwork technique, also known as jiahua, originated in the Qin and Han dynasties and became widely used during the Tang and Song dynasties.

Ancient clamping tools

Bai Juyi's poem "Playing with Half-Bloomed Flowers and Presenting them to Doctor Huangfu" says: New paper-mache from Chengdu, broken rouge from Liang and Han.

Flower and Bird Painting Folding Screen, Silk, Shosoin Repository, Japan

The "Namo Shakyamuni Buddha" (Paper-lined silk) was discovered in the underground palace of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shanxi Province, China.

Silkscreen technology was introduced to Japan from China. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Japanese craftsmen and artists began applying this silkscreen printing technology to fabric and paper, developing a more sophisticated silkscreen printing technique, the perforated plate printing method, which was also the early form of silkscreen printing. It was then introduced to Europe and began to be used for textile and wallpaper printing.

In the early 20th century, this technology began to gradually move from the industrial field to artistic expression in the West, especially in the United States and Europe.

Contemporary silkscreen printing emerged after the advent of photoengraving. Around 1914-1915 , photosensitive emulsions began to be used in silkscreen printing. At that time, photosensitive emulsions were still very simple, primitive, and unstable. This was the true beginning of silkscreen printing.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s , the US federal government, through the WPA ( Works Progress Administration ) Public Art Program, commissioned artists to produce public artworks. This spurred the transformation of silkscreen printing into an artistic medium, and it began to gain prominence in the American art world. Although initially used primarily for commercial advertising and industrial printing, artists' experimentation gradually brought the technique into the realm of artistic creation. Artists were eager to find an economical and expressive means of expression, and silkscreen printing fulfilled this need. During this period, silkscreen printing was primarily used for social, political, and propaganda posters. Although artists had not yet developed it into an independent art form, it demonstrated its potential in creative practice. In 1938 , the term " serigraphy " was officially introduced to the art world, with Anthony Velonis and others coining the term to distinguish it from commercial printing.

Empire of Decoration, 1939, Anthony Velonis

In 1940 , the National Serigraph Society was founded, promoting silkscreen printing as a fine art form. Serigraphing gradually gained greater attention in the American art world. Especially in the postwar era following World War II, artists began to utilize this technique more extensively. Renowned American artists such as Ben Shahn and Jackson Pollock used silkscreen printing to create numerous works imbued with political critique and social reflection. During this period, artists combined silkscreen printing with styles such as abstract art and social realism, furthering the artistic development of this medium. Furthermore, as a cost-effective and efficient technique, silkscreen printing enabled artists to reproduce their works in large quantities, enabling widespread dissemination and further expanding the boundaries of artistic creation.

Untitled, 1951, Jackson Pollock

The most significant turning point came in the 1960s , when silkscreen printing reached its peak of status and influence. It became a core medium of the Pop Art movement, where artists used the technique to reflect on consumerism, celebrity worship, and mass culture. Andy Warhol was undoubtedly a key figure in this transformation. Through silkscreens, he transformed images from popular culture, such as Campbell's Soup Cans and Marilyn Monroe, into works of art. Through repetitive imagery and vibrant colors, he portrayed the vulgarity and hypocrisy of consumer culture, challenging the nobility and refinement of traditional art and establishing silkscreen printing as a crucial tool for exploring social and cultural phenomena. Warhol's " Campbell 's Soup Cans" and "Marilyn Monroe Series" are not only classic examples of Pop Art but also established silkscreen printing as a signature medium for depicting modern consumer society.

Campbell's Soup Cans 1962 Andy Warhol

Marilyn Diptych 1962 Andy Warhol

At the same time as Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein also forged a unique artistic style through the silkscreen technique. He combined comic book art with silkscreens to create visually striking works such as "Look Mickey ." These works employed vibrant colors and bold lines, mimicking the pointillist style of comics, creating a unique interpretation of popular culture. His work not only demonstrated the versatility of silkscreens in artistic creation but also imbued the medium with new cultural connotations, gradually transforming it into a tool for self-expression and rebellion against tradition.

Industry and Art II 1969 Roy Lichtenstein

Entering the 1970s , artists continued to experiment, driving the diversification of this technique. Minimalist artists like Frank Stella used silkscreens to create geometric abstractions that explored the relationship between form and space. Meanwhile, other artists like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg combined silkscreens with other art forms through collage, layered images, and mixed media, creating works of greater depth and complexity. Silkscreens of this period not only exhibited a greater visual impact but also achieved breakthroughs in the freedom of artistic expression, becoming a crucial avenue for contemporary artists to explore new media and forms.

Retrospective II 1963 Robert Rauschenberg

Through this medium, artists not only reflect their personal emotions and thoughts, but also explore broader issues such as society, politics, and economy, gradually becoming a pioneering force in the rise of contemporary art!