Silk Prints

A popular method of creating elegantly patterned silks, silk printing is one of the most versatile printmaking techniques that allows the printmaker to experiment and play. In contrast to traditional oil paintings on canvas, silk prints have vibrant colors and fine levels of detail. Aside from offering a variety of surfaces for production and bridging the gap between consumerism and the fine art world, screen prints are continuing to play a significant role in intaglio printing. You might wish to highlight your home with images of graceful women wearing silk gowns or smiling seductively behind diaphanous veils or fans. As smooth and irresistible as silk itself, silk artwork features Asian-inspired ink images of natural landscapes and paintings of beautiful women by master artists. You can choose between framed and unframed silk prints for sale at Bidsquare's online auction to update your space with awesome art in a variety of ready-to-hang variations.

The screen printing technique, one of the most recent types of art in the West, is a twentieth-century variation on stenciling, as well as one of the oldest forms of duplication of graphic art, used by many merchants and manufacturers all over the world. In contrast to traditional techniques, major artists of the 20th century embraced screen printing production as an innovative method of producing flat areas of vibrant hues, giving them the opportunity to experiment with colors as well as to use collage techniques and a variety of print combinations.

A recognizable printing process for centuries, Silk screen printing can be traced back to early prints, woodcuts, and block prints from the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). As a modern art medium, screen printing was first used in 1938 by a group of artists (called the Federal Art Project) in New York who developed the method and explored its potential. As a result of their exploration and experimentation with screen printing media, these artists produced some of the most memorable print images of the twentieth century that had a major impact on silkscreen print production, graphic design, garment printing, and poster works today.

As Pop Art gained popularity in the 1960s, screen printing took on a whole new dimension. Colors and textures that could not be reproduced in other artistic mediums were explored by artists of the time. Andy Warhol is one of the artists who introduced sophistication to the aesthetics of screen printing, which was unrealized before the Pop Art movement. Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein are noted for incorporating screen prints from mass media into their works. In Europe, artists like Alain Jacquet and Gerd Winner used the medium's ability to produce large-scale prints to incorporate screen prints from mass media into their work.

The silk screen printing technique continues to be popular today among fine artists, commercial artists, fashion designers, commercial printers, and manufacturers. The ability to print on almost any flat surface, including paper, plastic, glass, textiles, ceramics, metal, and wood makes screen printing a popular method. With digital prints becoming increasingly popular, artists and collectors alike are seeking original works of art. In addition to the quality and saturation of the colors, silk print has its own specific characteristics that draw people back to this fascinating artistic medium.