To thrive in graphic design, a passion for art is essential, as one must cherish and admire it deeply.
The digital world minimizes the tangible appeal of artworks, as any painting can be viewed on a screen. But in doing so, it steals the physicality, the significance, and the unique essence of the artist. Digital copies, while making art accessible to the masses, cheapen the value of it.
Mass-produced graphic art, which involves multiple copies of an original piece created with various methods, has been a bridge between high art and the public for years. It lowers production costs, speeds up creation time, and keeps demand high among contemporary art enthusiasts, collectors, gallerists, and designers.
In recent years, mass-produced graphics have gained traction in the Russian art scene, particularly in St. Petersburg where limited edition prints are popular among both artists and buyers. However, opportunities for creating these prints are scarce - as of 2021, there was only one workshop in St. Petersburg that provided screen printing.
Elizabeth Orlova, a graphic artist, understood the predicament. Unable to find a suitable workshop, she established her own studio in St. Petersburg, using screen printing, a versatile modern technique.
In an interview with our website, Elizabeth, the owner and director of Community print & gallery, spoke about her studio's inception, the hurdles she faced, and why artists from Moscow started traveling to St. Petersburg to print their work.
Hailing from Moscow, Elizabeth gained her education from a construction technical college, with a focus on restoring architectural monuments. Later, she decided to pursue art, enrolling in St. Petersburg's esteemed Repin Academy of Arts. In her fourth year, she decided to open a workshop and took an academic leave to focus on her venture. By the time she returned for her fifth year, academic education no longer held importance. She had made her choice.
Despite opening just four months before the start of a special military operation, the studio thrived and survived the challenging year. Elizabeth managed to invest in her workshop with the help of her parents, selling their Moscow apartment in the process.
She felt that there was a gap in the market for small, limited edition prints, and the fact that there were no such workshops in St. Petersburg further cemented her decision.
The studio experienced two near closures – once during the special military operation, and another time during mobilization. However, it managed to recover and forge ahead. The studio's close-knit artist community played a significant role in its survival, as many artists from Moscow began traveling to St. Petersburg to print their work.
After a series of struggles and setbacks, the studio found success, consistently being booked without any downtime. The community's support, along with its unique approach to art, helped it establish itself as a valuable resource for artists in both St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Today, the Community print & gallery offers not just limited edition artworks, but also reproductions. It has become a popular destination for artists and collectors seeking experimental, affordable avenues to obtain art.
Printed graphics, though often seen as a secondary form of visual art, are gaining recognition as a valuable investment for collectors due to their more accessible price points compared to canvas paintings. Elizabeth's studio is dedicated to promoting this growing art form and supporting emerging artists. Its diverse portfolio features artists with a range of styles, emphasizing the versatility of screen printing.
In an effort to reach out to more artists, Elizabeth personally invited numerous artists to her studio, even though it initially felt like an imposition. Today, the studio collaborates with artists from across Russia and hosts "Open calls" for new talent. Its online print graphics store is another platform for promoting and selling these creations.
Like every artist, Elizabeth is protective of her work and values the input of her colleagues. She acts as a mediator between artists and collectors, collaborating with other art spaces, such as Yekaterinburg's Gutenberg space, to promote and showcase printed graphics.
The studio celebrates its birthday annually by hosting exhibitions featuring graphics from its own archive, with pieces from well-known Ural artists participating. This year, the exhibition travelled to Yekaterinburg. The studio's ultimate goal is to promote serigraphy across Russia and, eventually, beyond.
In essence, the Community print & gallery is standing strong in the face of adversity, democratizing access to printmaking techniques, elevating printed graphics in the art market, and fostering collaborations between artists and printmakers. It's safe to say that its influence within the Russian art community is significant and growing.
- Elizabeth Orlova, the owner and director of Community print & gallery, expressed doubts about the challenging process of setting up herscreen printing workshop in St. Petersburg.
- In the Russian art scene, there is a growing interest in limited edition prints, with many artists traveling from Moscow to transfer their works at Elizabeth's studio due to the lack of similar facilities in St. Petersburg.
- With the help of her parents'financial support, obtained by selling their Moscow apartment, Elizabeth managed to keep her studio afloat and thriving amidst the difficulties of its early years.
- As printed graphics gain recognition as a valuable investment for collectors, the Community print & gallery, with its diverse portfolio of affordable and experimental art, plays a significant role inpromoting and democratizing this growing art form in the Russian art market.
