Pace Prints is pleased to present a monumental group exhibition of prints printed by famed silkscreen studio Brand X Editions. On the occasion of the studio’s 40th anniversary, the show will include works by Jennifer Bartlett, Vija Celmins, Chuck Close, Robert Indiana, Deborah Kass, Alex Katz, KAWS, Guillermo Kuitca, Glenn Ligon, Claes Oldenburg, Jacolby Satterwhite, James Siena, Philip Taaffe, Mickalene Thomas, Steve Wolfe, and Christopher Wool. The exhibition will be on view at our 521 West 26th Street Gallery from November 8 – December 20, 2019, with an opening reception on Thursday, November 7th, 6-8pm.
Founded in 1979 by master printer Robert Blanton, Brand X Editions began as a modest freelance operation and grew into a world-renowned printing studio recognized for its innovation in silkscreen printing. Over the past 40 years, Brand X Editions has established itself as a studio that masters and transcends the parameters of traditional techniques, continuously fostering the collaborative effort between master printer and artist.
As a graduate printmaking student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Robert Blanton began working at Styria Studio as a screen printer, working on such projects as James Rosenquist’s “F-111”, Robert Rauschenberg’s “Chow Bags,” and Roy Lichtenstein’s “Still Lifes”. He found the medium to be more direct than other printmaking techniques, and it was this immediacy of image making which nurtured the free-flowing exchange of ideas between artist and printmaker. Blanton states, “I have always found the process of collaboration between artists and printers to be at the root of a successful project.”
Still driven by invention after 40 years in the industry, Robert Blanton says, “Every project gives me a chance to be creative in a new way”. Through established trust and respect, Brand X Editions has gained a unique perspective and a rare freedom to explore new territory with artists. Blanton’s commitment and dedication to the creation and preservation of relationships has built a studio that will continue to produce quality fine art prints well into the future. Works published by Brand X Editions are in both private and museum collections throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA, the Walker Art Center, MN, the Tate Gallery, London, and many more.
To celebrate 40 years of innovation, Pace Prints, in tandem with Brand X Editions, will exclusively release an anniversary portfolio, Brand X XL, consisting of eight silkscreen prints by artists Rashid Johnson, Deborah Kass, Robert Kushner, Joel Mesler, Troy Michie, Adam Pendleton, James Siena, and Mickalene Thomas, respectively. Each print stands alone as a singular vision, and together the portfolio is a tour-de-force, exemplifying Brand X Editions’ commitment to realizing the artist’s ultimate vision.