As Master Printer Kevin Garber walked me through his Bozman studio, my naivete about this art form and its versatility quickly became apparent. There is much more to the medium than I ever imagined, and after visiting with this talented artist, I have become a true fan.
Although several of Kevin’s prints hang on the walls, many are leaning against shelves full of art books, lying on table tops, neatly tucked away in levels of deep drawers, or propped up randomly throughout the sunlit room. There are prints in various sizes, colors and techniques. Some are monochromatic, some multi-colored. They range in subject from people to wildlife. None, however, lack in interest or creativity. “I love nature,” says Kevin. “Especially birds. This is my Valdez Crane; you know, from the oil spill.” He points to a large, somewhat dramatic image of the oil-soaked bird. It is extraordinary in its sheer uniqueness. Not all of Kevin’s feathered friends are recreated in such large scale. “I’m working on a series of smaller birds lately and it is great fun,” he says.
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What soon becomes apparent is Kevin’s versatility. Eyes wandering, I am intrigued by some beautiful, somewhat abstract, figure work. They turn out to be watercolor prints; Garber’s medium of choice. “I will work the image on a piece of grained Plexiglas, drop a piece of paper on top, run it through the press, and it transfers the image. The “guide” or drawing is underneath the glass.”
Beneath this artist’s humble persona lies an impressive background. Kevin’s art career began at the York Academy of Art in Pennsylvania (now known as the Pennsylvania School of Art) in 1976. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree at Millersville University and his Masters at the University of Nebraska. It wasn’t long after graduation that Washington University in St. Louis “snatched him up”, hiring Kevin as a Fine Art print instructor, lecturer, and Master Printer of their Collaborative Print Workshop.
For the next ten years, Garber found himself working alongside internationally known visiting artists as well as his students on all methods of printmaking. “The majority of my work at the University was to publish the visiting artists and help them with their presentations.” says Kevin. “The shop would make a small edition of prints, the artists would take home half and the school would retain the other half. Since the program was funded, it allowed us to do some pretty cutting edge stuff.”
As if mastering printmaking were not enough, add sculpture, ornamentals, murals, and other large scale work to this artist’s repertoire. “After opening Fishing Creek Studios in St. Louis back in 1996,” Kevin explains, “I began seeking out site-specific public work. It wasn’t until my affiliation with another sculpture studio that I had the space required to take on large scale 3-D projects.” Working mainly with the architecture and interior design trades, Garber’s commissions began to include sculpture and ornament work for mixed use developments and other public art spaces.
Twelve years later Kevin did what many artists find the need to do – reinvent themselves. He and his wife, writer and photographer Kathy Bosin, moved to the Eastern Shore and began looking for new studio space. Kevin found the perfect spot in Wittman and quickly befriended his new landlord and custom furniture maker, Jim McMartin of McMartin & Beggins. “One day, Jim told me he had some of his late father Philip Martin’s woodcuts from the early 60s he wanted to show me,” Kevin recalls. “He proceeded to pull out a bunch of these things. One by one, I watched him reveal wonderful, stylized black and white woodcut prints of local history – particularly the watermen’s way of life. I was blown away!” Each sugar pine plank had been remarkably crafted, beginning with a line drawing into which McMartin would carve his vision. What ends up being printed is nothing short of amazing.
Now the “official publisher and agent” of the McMartin woodcuts, Kevin is currently working on printing a special edition of them for shows and collectors. He offers to do a demonstration of one and I gladly accept, awaiting the reveal with childlike anticipation. Relying on his upper body weight, Kevin presses down and rubs the wood with a piece of glass block. “Philip McMartin actually used a wooden spoon” he says, smiling. “It’s funny; I find that the smell of the ink lifting off of that wood and on to paper still excites me.” I can certainly understand why.
Kevin’s work can be found in the Kemper Art Museum and Island Press at Washington University as well as in collections throughout the country, including the Whitney Art Museum in New York City. He continues to work on developing new techniques and shares his love of printmaking through lectures and workshops.
The Philip McMartin print edition will be exhibited at the Art Academy Museum in Easton beginning April 5th. They will be custom framed by Jim McMartin and offered for sale.
To learn more about Kevin’s work or to visit his studio, call 314- 497-4244.
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