The Mixografia Workshop, the renowned downtown Los-Angeles based print workshop, will debut RUSTY SIGNS, Ed Ruscha’s new series of prints at the IFPDA Print Fair, which opens to the public on November 6 to 9 at the Park Avenue Armory.

Says Mr. Ruscha: "Since a very young age, my attention has always been on signs of every kind -- some that I have painted by hand and others that are blank or enigmatic.  These new editions are about neglected and forgotten signs from neglected and forgotten landscapes.”

According to Shaye Remba, whose father established Mixografia in Mexico City, in 1973, this group of six prints are further expressions of a consistent theme that runs throughout the artist’s work: the passage of time. Once again filtered through the language of common American objects, the prints appear to be rusted signs that read “DEAD END,” “CASH FOR TOOLS,” and “FOR SALE 17 ACRES.”

Mr. Ruscha has chosen to produce multiple variations of each sign, giving the impression that they have been weathered by time in varying ways, as if they came from different locations or were subjected to a different set of circumstances. Some have gunshots and some are missing sections, while others have acquired thick layers of rust and grime. In this way, each seems to contain an independent story, their histories, though only implied, having literally formed their present state. And yet the observer is confronted with simply the physical effect of time upon them, a blunt reminder of its inescapability, even on steel.

This project also marks a transformation of some of Ruscha’s aesthetic concerns; having painted and photographed signs and signage throughout his career, this suite of prints signifies the first time in which he is not merely representing the image of the sign, but actually recreating the sign itself.

Says Mr. Remba, whose print workshop has collaborated with Mr. Ruscha for 20 years, “No longer do we see a fictionalized representation (e.g. the Hollywood sign ablaze), or a limited one (the carefully cropped photos of Some Los Angeles Apartments), but we actually see the sign itself, and its physicality is a part of its essence.”

“At the same time,” he continues, “having been removed from context, they still share the sense of disconnection that permeates many of his depictions of signs. Ruscha asks us to consider these components of visual culture as independent objects, as if their introduction into the world was not merely an accident or result of inevitable forces, but an act of creation, a work of art.”

IFPDA Print Fair General Information

Featuring nearly 90 international galleries, the IFPDA’s Print Fair opens with a benefit preview for the IFPDA Foundation, at the Park Avenue Armory, Park Avenue & 67th Street, on Wednesday, November 5, from 6:30-9:00 PM. Tickets are $85 and includes a one-day pass.

The Fair opens to the public on Thursday, November 6 -9. Hours are Thursday to Saturday, Noon to 8:00 PM and Sunday, Noon to 6:00 PM. Daily admission is $20.   Group admission can be arranged through the IFPDA Office. For more information, phone: 212.674.6095) or visit www.printfair.com.

About IFPDA

Founded in 1987, The International Fine Print Dealers Association is a non-profit organization of expert art dealers dedicated to the highest standards of quality, ethics and connoisseurship. The IFPDA Print Fair was established in 1991and has run every year with the exception of 2001. Proceeds from the Fair support its educational programs and the IFPDA Foundation, which provides grants to museums and cultural institutions worldwide to support a greater awareness of prints as an artistic medium.

About Mixografia

Mixografia produces and publishes handmade paper prints, multiples and sculptures in all media that expand the language of traditional editions by allowing the artist greater choice. Since its inception, the workshop has aspired to help the artist realize a vision through the production of artwork they may not have thought possible. With our processes, the artist is not limited by the boundaries associated with traditional techniques or by the selection of their materials. Our processes accommodate the unique working style of each artist, and preserve the identifiable traits of their artwork. This collaborative environment is an exciting and freeing experience, while at the same time challenging and gratifying.

The Remba family has been involved in the art business for three generations. Luis Remba learned the basic printing techniques from his father who owned a commercial printing firm in Mexico City. These skills eventually evolved into the Mixografia Workshop and gallery where fine art handmade paper prints and sculptures have been produced and published for nearly 50 years.

In 1968, Luis was presented with a special project, to print a portfolio for Mexican artist Pablo O'Higgins, for an exhibition at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Due to the high quality of the work and the lack of art printing shops, O'Higgins suggested that the Remba's should start a workshop for fine graphics.

With the help of his wife Lea, an open studio was started at the workshop and they soon began publishing lithographs with artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Leonora Carrington and Gunther Gerzso.

In the early 1970's, the Rembas approached Rufino Tamayo to produce a series of lithographs. Tamayo was interested, but he made it clear that he was looking for new horizons within the medium - particularly seeking ways to get more volume and texture into his prints. This artistic challenge was the impetus for the invention of the Mixografia® technique.

To accommodate Tamayo's needs, a printing process was developed allowing for the printing of images in relief and with fine surface detail. The technique not only registered the texture and volume of Tamayo's design, but it also granted him the freedom to use any combination of solid materials in its creation. Tamayo was delighted with the process and results, leading to the printing of 80 editions with the artist in over 17 years of collaboration.

Due to the inability of commercial paper to withstand the stress of the new three-dimensional printing technique, more resilient handmade paper was also invented. Luis and Lea's son, Shaye, designed and constructed the second generation of papermaking machines in 1982. Since then, Shaye has invented new techniques, enhancing and improving many aspects of the production operations. Today, he oversees all the production at the workshop.

Throughout its history, the Mixografia Workshop has been a reflection of spirited creativity, which is the hallmark of contemporary art practices. Working in partnership with major figures in contemporary art, the Rembas have experimented with, and developed new techniques that expand the realm of expressive possibilities. Through their innovations they have assisted in the creation of multiples that exceed the expectations both of the artists and the public.

Mixografia prints and Mixocast sculptures have been exhibited at many of the world's most prestigious art institutions including the Staadliche Kunsthalle, Berlin, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Hermitage Museum, Leningrad, Instituto de Arte Contemporaneo, Lima, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, Wight Gallery, University of California, Los Angeles, Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Edvard Munch Museum, Oslo, Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, National Museum of Art, Tokyo, Museo de Bellas Artes de Caracas, Caracas, National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Mixografia Worshop is located at 1419 East Adams Boulevard in the downtown Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.mixografia.com or phone 323-232-1158.