FLAT FILE FLEX: Joseph Velasquez

Ever wonder what printmakers consider the pride and joy of their print collections? Love a nosey look inside the studios of artists? Want to learn more about print shops and meet the printmakers that run them from the comfort of your own home? You’re in the right place.

Welcome to our third installment of FLAT FILE FLEX; a series in which printmakers and print shops from all over share a few favrorite prints from their collection. Today we’re excited to explore the flat files of a friend to the studio, masterful woodcut artist, and educator, Joseph Velasquez.

If you’re a fan of The Outlaw Printmakers, woodcuts, or have spent any time in the South Florida print scene, then you’ve probably run into Joseph Velasquez. Joseph’s practice has focused on community outreach, education, and activism. He co-founded Drive by Press, a completely mobile printmaking studio built to promote the growth and democratization of art through printmaking. To date, Drive by Press has traveled over 200,000 miles across the country and has been to 145 Universities spreading the good word of print.

Velasquez currently lives in South Florida and is Assistant Professor and Head of Printmaking at Florida Atlantic University where he teaches Bookmaking, Relief, Screen Printing and Intaglio. In his own words, “As a Latino Veteran of the US Armed Forces, I have lived in California, Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida, and these diverse geographic locations have shaped my experiences and my expression. Printmaking as activism and as a tool for both educating in the classroom and in the public, continues to fuel my practice – I find inspiration in sharing the fragmented combination of my life experience. The power of the multiple and the ability to share techniques and their histories are also major influences in my practice to continuously explore expression and connection.”

Below are some hard-hitting intaglio and lithograph highlights from Joseph’s collection, gathered while touring as Drive By Press.

“This is a multicolor stone lithograph by Kathryn Polk. Kathryn has an amazing drawing style and way of building her narratives. Her color application and style of color lithography is both unique and compelling. More of her work can be seen on Instagram @onechair”

“Michael Krueger is a painter and printmaker who teaches at Kansas University in Lawrence Kansas. His Intaglios and etchings have such delicate line drawings and, coupled with his color choices, they make his narratives so unique. This image is from a suite of prints about Quantrell and the history of the Wild West in Kansas. More can be seen on Instagram @Michael_krueger_studio”

“This is a four color etching by Tom Huck. Tom is super well known and regarded as one of the greatest living woodcut artists. Few people have ever seen this etching and it was published and printed by Theresa James of WhiteWing Press in Chicago. His crosshatching and linework translates so well to etching. Zoom in on the details and you can really see his great style and drawing ability. Toms woodcuts can be seen @evilprints”

“This Fred Stonehouse lithograph is a highlight to my collection because of my knowledge of Fred’s work as a painter. Fred is super well known as a painter and this color Lithograph was editioned at my Alma Matter, the University of Wisconsin Madison by the UW Print Club. Check him out at @fredstoney1960”

What an all-star lineup of intaglio and litho works. Knowing Joseph, these prints just scratch the surface of a personal collection jam-packed with print powerhouses. We’d like to thank Joseph for inviting us into the FAU print studio and his print collection. If you are a print shop and/or printmaker interested in participating in a future FLAT FILE FLEX feature, please email sammi@isprojectsfl.com for more informaiton.