Material Innovation and Color Theory: Expanding the Boundaries of Contemporary

Printmaking

Michele Marra’s practice pushes the boundaries of what constitutes a print in contemporary

art. Through extensive experimentation at prestigious studios including Coriander and

Curwen Studio in London, and collaborations with master printers like Luther Davis and

Alastair Clark, she has developed a distinctive approach that merges classical techniques

with innovative processes.

Technical Innovation in Printmaking

Marra’s work demonstrates mastery across multiple printing techniques, from traditional

stone lithography to experimental UV printing. Her groundbreaking use of UV inks on

prepared substrates represents a significant departure from conventional methods. This

process, utilizing ultraviolet light wavelengths to define features, allows for unprecedented

texture and depth in printed works.

In her “Art Matter” series, executed at Coriander Studios, she explored the possibilities of

screen printing through sophisticated color registration and gradient techniques. The

process involves careful layering of inks through screens, with particular attention to color

separation that ensures nuanced tonal variations.

Color Theory and Material Exploration

Her approach to color is deeply informed by both classical and contemporary sources.

Drawing inspiration from Josef Albers’ “interaction of Color, “ her work explores how

adjacent colors influence visual perception. Marra’s sophisticated understanding of color

theory manifests in her use of CMYK and RGB color spaces, creating works that bridge digital

and analog realms.

The “Figures and Grounds” series demonstrates her masterful handling of monochromatic

surfaces, while her experimental work with natural pigments shows an environmental

consciousness in material selection. Notably, she avoids cadmium-based colors in favor of

natural alternatives, creating rich chromatic effects through careful mixing ratios of

pigments with solvents.

Artistic Lineage and Contemporary Context

Marra’s practice exists within a rich artistic lineage, drawing inspiration from diverse sources

including Michelangelo’s sculptural forms and Pierre Soulages’ innovative printmaking. The

influence of Abstract Expressionism, particularly Hans Hoffman’ s color relationships and

Adolph Gottlieb’s color field painting, is evident in her work.

Training at institutions including École des Beaux-Arts Paris and The Cooper Union has

informed her rigorous approach to material experimentation. Her work at Atelier Bordas in

Paris particularly advanced her understanding of pigmentation and color perception.

Current Practice

Recent installations explore the materiality of the printed image, with particular attention to

how light interacts with various surfaces. Her latest series combines UV printing techniques

with traditional monotype processes, creating works that challenge conventional definitions

of printmaking while maintaining a deep connection to the medium’s history.

Working between figuration and abstraction, Marra’s prints demonstrate how

contemporary technological innovations can serve traditional artistic concerns about form,

space, and color. Through this synthesis, she contributes to an expanded understanding of

printmaking in contemporary art practice.