Code of Ethics for Original Printmaking
From the time you become a student in printmaking, you notice that you are held to a code of ethics around how to handle materials, operate a press and structure your editions by your instructors (and eventually your peers). This code of ethics often is often passive-agressively enforced and it's origin is scattered and vague. Periodically you find some organized information. But usually not all of it at once. If only someone would write a book about it so we could see what standards we are being held to...
Oh. Someone did? Well surely that text must be accessible right?...
Oh. So that book is long since out of print and the circulating copies are either incredibly expensive when they become available or accessible only through academic libraries? Seems like someone should figure out how to ensure the masses have consistent access to the most comprehensive material available about the widely lauded democratic field of printmaking...
Great news. That's what this project is. Spoiler: I don't hold fast to a code of ethics in printmaking ( ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). But I do like to know what is standards are being invisibly held against me. So, in the true spirit of democratic reproducibility, I digitally scanned the English language version of Nicole Malenfant and Richard Ste-Marie's publication, Code of Ethics for Original Printmaking. I have made the pdf of these materials available in the link below. I have also set up a post card that is free to be lasercut into acrylic with a qr code which will lead you to this destination for this exact purpose (if you're reading this, hello!). For information on how to produce these, see the second link below. This project is part of the first round of New American Objects, curated by Jake Lahah.
Enjoy.
View or Download Code of Ethics for Original Printmaking