On September 27, the de Menil Gallery opened its doors to the tactile world of printmaking. Formed by Impression: A History of Printmaking gathers the work of six artists from the Rolling River Printmakers of New England (RRPNE)—Cara Gonier, Diane Francis, Noriko Fox, William Hays, William Mitchell, and Elise Morissette—whose shared practice celebrates both the craftsmanship and the resilience of an art form shaped by centuries of repetition and reinvention.
At the gallery’s reception, RRPNE Executive Director Cara Gonier traced printmaking’s lineage from ancient carved stones to wood-carved imprints on handmade paper: “the Xerox machine of ancient times,” she joked. For Gonier, the dual nature of printmaking as both fine art and a tool of communication remains unmatched. “Painting, sculpture, drawing, and writing don’t come close to capturing the essence of that power,” she said. “We get to appreciate it as a true collectible fine art, but it was also a necessity for communication, information, and education.”
That duality of form and function sits at the heart of Formed by Impression, an exhibition that connects the delicate pressure of a press to the broad imprint of history. The works span an array of techniques, from monoprints and linocuts to woodprints, each demonstrating how a single carved surface can provide infinite interpretations. Together, they remind viewers that even in an age of digital reproduction, the physical act of transferring ink to paper carries a particular intimacy—a dialogue between material, memory, and human interaction.
In conversation, Gonier reflected on her own journey into the medium. “I was painting landscapes, mostly acrylics, when I went to a printmaking exhibition in Boston about 10 years ago,” she recalled. “I was so impressed by the range of what I saw—some prints were incredibly realistic, others just with color. My fascination was piqued, and I had to give it a try.”
Her friend encouraged her to experiment with monoprints, a process she describes as “the most unique form of printmaking, a one-and-done.” Once the plate is inked and pulled, it cannot be repeated. The spontaneity of the technique hooked her, as it allowed her to create something “painterly and expressive,” yet still grounded in the tactile process of printing. Even with technological advances like digital art and artificial intelligence, there is something fundamental about working with our hands, leaving a mark that is both deliberate and unpredictable.
For artist William Hays, the path to printmaking came after decades as a painter and sculptor. “I was a good painter, sometimes a very good one, but my work lacked personal voice,” he admitted. At his wife’s suggestion, he began experimenting with linocuts, a printing technique where a design is carved into a block of linoleum and the uncarved areas are then inked and printed, as a more accessible medium, at first adding color with watercolor washes. Mr. Hays’ discovery of color reduction printing—carving away a single block in successive stages—changed everything. “It was more complicated than anything I’d ever tried,” he said. “I printed with a spoon for months until my arms gave out. But once I bought a press, everything shifted. After about five years, I realized I’d finally become a printmaker.”
This transformation—from imitation to authorship, from repetition to revelation—echoes the exhibition’s title. To form by impression is both to create and to be changed by the act of creation. Printmaking, the artists suggest, is not merely about reproduction but about the persistence of artistry, the pressure that transfers not only ink but intention.
As visitors move through the de Menil Gallery, they trace the evolution of printmaking techniques: from the earliest woodblocks and engraved plates to today’s innovative monoprints and reduction linocuts. Each work reflects the balance between technique and experimentation, tradition and reinvention. Every impression captures not only the image itself but also the rhythm of the artist’s hand. Formed by Impression: A History of Printmaking runs through November 21, inviting viewers to witness how this centuries-old medium continues to leave new marks on the present.
