Situated in Chicago's historic Printers Row, this luxury apartment building called for an art collection that connected the area's printmaking and publishing legacy to the modern moment. Curators drew inspiration from printmaking's rich heritage, crafting a story about the medium's evolution from traditional woodblock techniques to today's cutting-edge digital experiments.
A JOURNEY FROM PRINTMAKING'S PAST TO PRESENT
Upon entry, guests are met with a recreation of an early printing press by mixed-media artist Scott Troxel. Throughout the corridors, Natalia Navarro Puglie's painted pinewood cubes gracefully echo the woodblock printing process. Meanwhile, visitors to the lounge discover Caralarga's circular textile pieces, which honor the tactile origins of print with a contemporary spin. Together, these pieces serve as a physical timeline, representing the shift from mechanically intensive print methods to those that are more cerebral.
Thanks to printmaking, influential literary works have enjoyed widespread circulation, and artists in the Straits Row collection acknowledge this symbiotic relationship. Nicole Pietrantoni's multi-stepped installation, "Concertina for Printers Row", consists of inkjet prints handbound into 75 antique accordion books and reflects the neighborhood's deep roots in the publishing realm.
