Print

The Print Department at NCAD fosters learning by students that critically and philosophically explores print as an open ended, moving field of research constantly evolving and co-evolving with new technologies. With a large fully-equipped workshop that sits parallel to the undergrad studios, we have resources that cater for all traditional printmaking technologies including etching, screenprint, lithography and relief print. The William Walsh Workshop- a college-wide resource with state of the art equipment such as laser cutting, CNC routing and 3D printing– provides an opportunity for our students to explore and expand their idea of printmaking through a contemporary lens with the capacity for these older technologies to enter into radical critical dialogue, through making, with the new. The broad philosophy of print as a means of democratic image and text dissemination, combined with a fusion of traditional and new technologies, provides for a dynamic and challenging creative space where individual ideas and aspirations are fostered, enabled and encouraged.

With an equal emphasis on the acquisition of skills and the development of conceptual enquiry, our students develop an independent studio practice that draws from daily experience and current social, cultural and political issues. For many, their creative ideologies are influenced and enabled by print’s historical legacy as a powerful means of mass communication. Supported by a team of staff who are research active and experts in their field, the range of work presented this year, emphasises the diverse scope of forms, processes and ideas that our students explore in the expanded field of Printmaking. On graduating, our students are equipped with a range of transferable skills and knowledge that supports their chosen career pathways. Many go on to postgraduate study at NCAD or further afield; others pursue their creative careers in arts organisations nationally and indeed internationally as curators, teachers, artists, technicians.