The Nohr Gallery began hosting the printmaking-focused art exhibition, “Palimpsest: A Collection of Prints,” on Sep 17. The noun “palimpsest” has two meanings, both of which are printed on the gallery walls. It can mean “a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text,” or “something that has a new layer, aspect, or appearance that builds on its past and allows us to see or perceive parts of this past.”

The prints in this exhibition use four of the primary printmaking techniques: relief, intaglio, screenprint, and lithography.

Relief printmaking involves cutting and carving into a surface to create a design out of the untouched surface. Ink is then applied to the surface, with the carved spaces remaining untouched, and is then stamped onto another surface to create the print.

Intaglio printmaking involves using metal plates (or alternatively paper plates) and etching lines into the surface. The plate is then coated with ink, ensuring the etchings are covered. The plate is then wiped clean with the exception of the etchings, which still contain ink. The plate is then pressed with great pressure into wet paper to create the print.

Screenprinting involves cutting out a design from a stencil which is then placed under a frame of fabric. Ink is then spread through the fabric using a squeegee, which transfers through the stencil onto a surface below, such as a t-shirt, which this practice is commonly used for.

Lithography is the most complicated of the four. It uses flat stones or metal plates as surfaces and uses grease or grease-like substances such as ink to create the design. The surface is then buffed with gum arabic to create a mask over the surface, but it does not stick to the greasy areas. Nitric acid is then used to further allow the grease to wear down the surface. This is done multiple times over to further deepen the design. Later, the grease is cleaned from the surface, and asphaltum is thinly applied. After it dries, water is applied to the surface to dissolve the gum arabic. Water is once again applied before the surface is rolled with ink, which is then pressed into paper using a lithography press to create the print.