‘Sugar Lift’ technique of Print Making- Workshop by Mr.Vijay Kumar from Manhattan
Mr.Vijay Kumar, Print Maker from Graphic Arts Dept. of Manhattan, USA has been cordially invited by Faculty of Fine Arts Baroda to conduct a workshop on ‘Sugar lift’ technique for the Master’s students of Print Making. Faculty of Fine Arts Baroda has been always incorporating contemporary thoughts and new developments and been progressive in it’s approach. Morning of 19th of December 2016 workshop was inaugurated. Many a senior artists of Baroda, P.D.Dhumal, Naina Dalal along with the faculty members and students of the Dept. attended the inauguration ceremony addressed by Mr.Vijay Bagodi, Head of the Dept. He also offered the members attending the inauguration that the workshop is open for those who want to work on this new technique along with the students and teachers of the Dept. Result was a vibrant activity at Graphic Arts Dept. of Fine Arts Faculty from 19th to 21st December 2016, and I too had an opportunity to attend the workshop being an alumni of this Faculty.
As part of my Master’s curriculum in Art Criticism I was learnt the practical work of every Dept., Painting, Sculpture, Print making, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed print making though the techniques were very elaborate. In the process I have started understanding how the aesthetic of print making is different from other mediums.
Vijay Kumar is adept at traditional as well new techniques, etching, dry point, aquatint, non-toxic photo etching, Viscosity medium, multi color printing, many experimental techniques. He migrated to USA in 60’s from Lucknow, one of the founder members of Manhattan Graphic arts Centre and continues to teach there. He exhibited, extensively in USA, Europe and Asia, received highest prize in 2002, in an exhibition of prints by Royal Society of London Painters and Print Makers. His works are in the collection of prestigious institutions like New York public library, Museum of Modern art in New York, Brooklyn Museum.etc. His drawing is spontaneous has an antique Egyptian sort of intricate and graphic quality of lines and combinations, displaying abstract meanings.
Vijay Kumar is very communicative. Students thoroughly enjoyed learning new techniques. His principal demonstration was on Sugar lift technique for printmaking. Sugar solution is used for making a drawing on the Zinc plate. Those drawn lines are processed for etching. It’s a process of mirror image printing method of etching. This is a positive print technique for positive image. He also demonstrated couple of interesting techniques further. One is hot plate transfer of photo copy print of images and photographs to Zink plate, transferring the image by serigraph screen as a stencil, drawing with thick line of gloss pencil, etc. These techniques work with similar methodology of positive printing. Vijay Kumar was playing with the techniques as a gulp of the water.
Many senior faculty, Mr.Vinod Shah, teaching faculty of painting Dept. Vasudevan Akkitam, Indropramit Roy were working and it’s an opportunity for the students to learn more. Special effect of this workshop was acclaimed artist Mr.Dattatreya Apte from Delhi who accompanied Vijay Kumar to Baroda and guided the students on this workshop. I had a great opportunity interacting with stalwarts of Print Making Mr.Vijay Kumar and Mr.Dattatreya Apte along with the teaching faculty of this Dept. Mr. Vijay Bagodi, Mr. Sunil Darji, Mr. Debraj Goswami.
