Choose to Challenge begins on Friday at Edinburgh Printmakers (EP) to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March.
The curated digital exhibition shows rare or unseen prints from the archives where there are over 4,000 prints. The prints on show are from the artists’ residencies in Fountainbridge, and aim to harness printmaking for social justice and reframe the use of photography in print.
The work of five leading contemporary artists Maya Hollis, Kristin Nordhøy (a Norwegian artist who is exhibiting at EP for the first time), Jenny Pope, Ruth Ewan and Moyna Flanigan will be featured online until the middle of April.
Hollis explores the ocean and its relationship with the female reproductive body, and Pope’s metaphorical tools look at the mental process of handling change and uncertainty which is even more relevant now.
Nordhøy meanwhile pushed the boundaries of her artistic practice by working within a new medium, translating her drawings into print for the first time. Vibrant colourful works by award winning Scottish artist Ruth Ewan are joined by a rare collection of prints by celebrated painter Moyna Flanigan created in collaboration with Edinburgh Printmaker’s Studio Director Alastair Clark.
Moyna Flannigan Foxglove 
Ruth Ewan Mist Lewis block type and screenprint paper 
Moyna Flannigan painting tusche wash on stones 
Kristin Nordhoy at EP 
Jenny Pope Panic Button
CEO Shân Edwards said: “Like many visual arts organisations with studio facilities we have remained closed to the public, members and artists in 2021. The latest lockdown has highlighted not only the value of access to workshop and studio facilities for artists but the vital role art plays in helping us all deal with the challenges of this pandemic and its place in our collective recovery. In addition, more than ever we want to ensure the work of artists is still as visible as possible so we are delighted to have the opportunity to curate a selection of works to mark International Women’s Day 2021.
Although great progress has been made in championing women and other minority groups in the art world in recent years, there is still a long way to go to achieve equality in the industry. Today, less than 14% of living artists represented by galleries in Europe and North America are women, and only 4% of art sales at auction between 2008 to 2019 accounted for work made by women.
From Ruth Ewan’s striking statement in Principles, to Moyna Flannigan’s subversive Femme Fatales with their dangerous allure and poisonous plant names, we hope this collection plays its part in raising the profile of women artists working in Scotland.”
All prints are available to buy from the Edinburgh Printmakers viewing rooms with prices from £120 upwards. The original fine art prints are published in limited editions. Each print is signed and given an edition number written as a fraction. The number to the right is the edition size and that on the left is the individual print’s number. The paper is embossed EPW to mark its origin at EP.
Galleries at Castle Mills remain closed to the public until later in 2021 subject to Scottish Government guidelines.
Choose to Challenge
5 March 2021 to 11 April 2021
Online at www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
