Glen Alps was a printmaker, who is known for developing the collagraph. He was born on 20th June 1914 and died on 3rd November 1996. In 1947 Alps graduated from the university of Washington in Seattle with a masters degree in fine arts. Alps studied with the printmaker Mauricio Lasansky.
By the 1950s he was internationally recognised for his innovations in printmaking being one of the first artists to exhibit a “collagraph” printmaking process that he developed and then named.
Alps never left the university of Washington as he became a teacher of printmaking and watercolours. He then went onto become a professor at the university in 1962 and retired in 1984.
Alps artwork was extensively exhibited in the United States, Europe and Japan, during his lifetime.
Space tensions 1956
This black and white collagraph called space tensions has been printed onto paper. It has been made from a collagraph plate/block which has lots of layered shapes and textures. The layering in this print makes the print look slightly 3-D. This piece is abstract so allows each individual to have there own personal interpretation on the message and design that Alps is trying to portray thorough this collagraph print.
The Three Chickens 1958-1959
This collagraph is black and white and has been printed onto paper. This collagraph print depicts 3 chickens, this piece is abstract but you can clearly define the shapes and details of the chicken.
Alps has even created some darker shaded areas on his collagraph, this helps give the print a depth perception so it looks 3-D, whilst still being a 2-D print.
This is definitely my favourite print of Alps’s as it is so detailed and as it has a lot of texture and shape.
Trees 1985
This is a colour collagraph print on paper. I like this collagraph print as Alps has used load of small lines that do not link and that have clearly been particularly placed on his collagraph block/plate to create an abstract print of a tree.
Each line goes in a different direction and is a completely different shape this adds a lot of interest to this colour print as it is not made up off loads of lines that are the exact same size and shape.
Bibliography
askART – Glen Earl Alps Biography
Link : https://www.askart.com/artist/Glen_Earl_Alps/104140/Glen_Earl_Alps.aspx
Smithsonian American Art Museum – Glen Alps
Link : https://americanart.si.edu/artist/glen-alps-6252
Annex Galleries Fine Prints – Glen Earl Alps Biography
Link : https://www.annexgalleries.com/artists/biography/37/Alps/Glen
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