Royal Academy Schools’ students use Epson printers to push artistic boundaries

The Royal Academy Schools are staging their annual exhibition of final year postgraduate students’ work profiling the work of 16 artists until 1st July. Several of the works on display include those produced using large-format Epson printers and projectors, accessible to the students in the on-site Epson Digital Media Suite. Epson provides the very latest in large format printers and other technologies to the RA Schools so students can experiment with different materials and designs and to produce their final artwork.

The Royal Academy Schools offer the UK’s only three-year, full-time, postgraduate course and is regarded as a Centre of Excellence in the art world. The graduation exhibition provides visitors with a rare opportunity to view the finished artwork across a range of media from painting to photography, sculpture, digital print and film.

All the students have worked with Epson’s large format printer and/or projectors at some time during their course. Included in this year’s exhibition are:

• Chris Mew: who has combined digital printing with painting to produce atmospheric panoramic canvas pieces created by feeding raw cotton canvas through the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 printer.
• Pio Abad: has created an installation using the large-format Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, the Stylus Pro 11880 and Stylus Pro 9900 printers. Often using high gloss papers and vinyl transfer materials, his works often also include found objects, clothing, posters, photos and prints.
• Jolanta Rejs: has used Epson’s printers to create transparent films of details of engravings by Albrecht Durer, which she then uses as guides to produce atmospheric hand cut printing blocks.
• Adele Morse: has used Epson technology to help create her installation which includes her study of the mythical beast “Orang Pendek”. Within the installation is a mock gift shop selling merchandising celebrating this creature produced on the whole range of Epson printers, including T-shirts, badges, rulers, pens and posters. Surrounding this are two projected film “mockumentaries” that fill the entire exhibition space via the  EB- Z8000, one of brightest and technologically advanced of all Epson’s projectors.

Mark Hampson, Tutor of Material Processes, Royal Academy says, “The RA Schools graduation show demonstrates the wonderful creative outcomes of our collaborative relationship with Epson. All the students have worked in the Epson Digital Media Suite while researching, preparing and producing their artwork and their involvement with Epson technologies has influenced their final show tremendously.”

Nick White, Sales Manager, ProGraphics adds, “As a leading supplier of technology to the fine art market, Epson is very keen to support young artists.  Through our partnership with the Royal Academy Schools, we are able to offer the students the opportunity to test Epson’s equipment to its limit and experiment with their creative ideas.”

Opening hours and admission:

Open to the public: 20 June â€" 01 July 2012, 10am â€" 6pm (last admission 5.30pm).  Admission is free

For more information, please visit www.royalacademy.org.uk

[Image caption: Pio Abad, 1986-2010, 2012. Final Show at the Royal Academy Schools - the large print on the wall is printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 11880]