Best of Boston Art (BoBA): Jim Stroud, Master Printer — CUBE ART BOSTON

I own primary works by each of the artists I publish and I get very excited seeing how issues in their primary work, in either painting or sculpture, are transformed or translated through the medium of printmaking. I am even more excited, as a master printer and publisher, in helping make that happen.

- Jim Stroud

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Throughout 2023 Cube is highlighting the Best of Boston Art (BoBA): local artists and members of the local art ecosystem that have made exceptional contributions and have unique insights that will help art enthusiasts discover and collect local art. We are presenting our BoBAs in the form of interviews so that true to Cube’s mission you can hear from the artists and art movers and makers directly.

Our first interview is with the extraordinary artist and master printer, Jim Stroud, owner of Center Street Studio and good friend of Cube. We tried to look up how many master printers there are in the country, but trust us when we say it is a small, esteemed group sought out by artists, art institutions, and collectors for their ingenuity and expertise. Recently, The Museum of Fine Arts called Center Street one of the region’s most important print studios. We love that print making is the ultimate “twofer,” where the artist and printer collaborate to make a work of art that neither could have produced on their own. www.centerstreetstudio.com

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L&B: Where are you spending the holidays? How will you spend your time? What are you reading?

We spent our holidays in Seattle with our oldest son, Ryder, who used to be my studio assistant but is now in charge of marketing, maintaining the website and social media for the Studio in his spare time. He is a professional mountain guide full time. We visited several museums while we were out there including the Seattle Asian Museum which was amazing. Reading? Coincidentally I am currently rereading a book gifted to me by Ryder, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, who insists aspects of astrophysics it contains relates to my painting. I am still scratching my head on that one.

Ryder Stroud and Jim Stroud finishing Richard Ryan’s *Nine Blue Poppies* woodcut edition

L&B: You were just at the NY Satellite Print Fair, what are some trends you are noticing?

Correction: I am not noticing any particular ’trends’ but there is an alarming number of “archival pigment prints’ being offered out there. To my mind, these are often reproductions of other works rendered digitally and then printed out on an inkjet printer (‘Command-P' printing I call it!). Often times they are ‘hand colored’ by the artist to give them some caché of authenticity or originality. They are signed and numbered just like traditional prints. I suggest ‘buyer beware.

L&B: You have been at this awhile, what have you noticed about the long arc of the market for fine art prints?

Yes, I have been at this for quite a while, almost 40 years. Original prints have definitely taken a higher place in the totem of contemporary art since I started. Major artists consider making prints an important part of their practice. Prints continue to serve as a great entry point for new and young collectors to acquire really good art at relatively affordable prices. But they also serve to broaden the scope of more seasoned collections, allowing for a deeper search into an artist’s ideas and images. I own primary works by each of the artists I publish and I get very excited seeing how issues in their primary work, in either painting or sculpture, are transformed or translated through the medium of printmaking. I am even more excited, as a master printer and publisher, in helping make that happen.

L&B: What projects are you working on at the moment? What are you excited about?

I am always excited about new projects as well as promoting old ones. Currently I am in the middle of editioning a new etching by my good friend Bill Thompson. It is one of his ‘reductionist’ forms superimposed on photo-etching of his great, great grandfather’s writings from 1854. The minimalist form is of an inkwell, and the background text is this beautiful script written with quil and ink. It is a slight departure from his previous prints as it includes personal content. The plates are printing beautifully and we will release the prints by the end of January. There will be a pre-publication offer available in the coming days so get onboard!

Jim Stroud and Bill Thompson discussing *Inkwell* during Cube event. (Bill’s *Gyro* and *Jig* on far wall), 2022/2015

L&B: What artists are selling well right now? Is there a reason?

Bill Thompson, Markus Linnenbrink, Eva Lundsager and Eva Mueller are all selling well right now. Richard Ryan ’nine blue poppies’ woodcut is also selling well! Just sold 2 impressions right before the holidays. And I just sold 3 George Whitman prints yesterday. Not sure why that is, there is always an ebb and flow of interest in my artists’ work.

Markus Linnenbrink in front of his newest monotype project *ALLTHINGSABLAZETHEDAYYOUBREAKYOURMOLD,* 2022

L&B: One of your most notable collaborations was the MLK prints by John Wilson. Can you tell us a little about that project that folks might not know about?

John Wilson’s portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr is probably one of the most historically important prints to come out of Center Street Studio over the years. It was made because a drawing of Dr. King, that was a study for Wilson’s bronze sculpture made for the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, was being removed from a traveling exhibition sponsored by the Smithsonian due to loan limitations imposed by the Boston MFA. Wilson’s drawing was already used for the exhibition catalog cover and advertising for the show. The etching became the drawing’s replacement for the remainder of the exhibition's venues. It was a win/win for everybody and I was happy to be instrumental in making that happen. Interestingly, Boston’s MFA purchased all 18 state proofs, the final print and the copper plate of the MLK print for its permanent collection.

*Head Study* by John Wilson, etching and aquatint with chine collé, 2002

L&B: What are museums interested in right now? How does this reflect our time?

Museums are currently interested in the Matthew Carter portfolio of 26 letters as well as Eva Mueller’s suite of 4 photogravures. I think there has always been a keen interest in great design and Matthew Carter is arguably the most important type designer of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Eva Mueller’s stunning black photogravure portraits make an powerful statement on race and color in contemporary America. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC currently has a set on approval for potential acquisition. Fingers crossed.

Eva Muller’s suite of 4 photogravures, *Un-Titled*

L&B: If you could work with any artist today, who would that be?

Martin Puryear. I have such respect for his work and would love to make prints with him. He has made several with other publishers over the years. I have reached out recently and hope to hear back someday.

L&B: What advice do you have for someone starting out collecting prints?

Buy early and often! Start at Center Street Studio. www.centerstreetstudio.com

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Jim received his MFA in painting and printmaking from the Yale School of Art and founded Center Street Studio after working with printmaker Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17 in Paris. Jim is particularly respected for actively seeking out emerging talent and pursuing projects with young artists. The studio specializes in all kinds of intaglio techniques but produces woodcut and monotype projects as well. Our BoBA interview with Jim Stroud took place at the start of 2023. Please contact cubeartboston@gmail.com to schedule a visit to Center Street Studio and to make discovery and collecting more accessible and fun!