Prof Andrew Testa with his Printshop in Tow

If you happen to see Prof. Andrew Testa walking by with a lime green and orange "rig" in tow, there's a good chance he's on his way to a portable printmaking session. Where? Could be anywhere!

"Printshop in Tow is accessible and inclusive by bringing a fully functioning lightweight printmaking 'studio' into unexpected spaces and places," he said, adding that the destination could really be anywhere - someone's driveway, the park, a community centre or on a hike.

The "rig" consists of a light-weight printmaking press attached to a custom-made hiking trailer to accommodate printmaking on the go - being able to print wherever and whenever. Printmaking historically requires a print studio and dedicated equipment and space, creating a barrier to participation.

"This barrier can be space/place-based, such as the obstacles that exist from institutions and organizations through privilege and layers of denied accessibility, as well as larger city centres historically housing community-based studios leaving rural spaces without," said Prof. Testa. "A barrier can also be the intimidation that is often felt when experiencing large printmaking equipment for the first time or the steep learning curve associated with print processes and techniques."

Passersby in Norris Point, Gros Morne National Park, stop in to see what's going on.

He said Printshop in Tow is aimed at empowering makers at all skill levels/ages through "performative workshops." The project's processes and techniques are accessible to all ages, utilizing non-toxic materials, hand-made inks and exploring what it means to be "printerly." To be printerly, for Prof. Testa, is a term/phrase he began using that speaks to how he encounters the world. It thinks through the residues, the imprints, the brief, long, and/or infinite meetings between two of more "soft surfaces." A soft surface in this regard can be anything.

"I am a soft surface, the ground is a soft surface, a rock, an individual, a community, a history…by thinking of the world as soft surfaces it allows one to reflect upon how each thing imprints on one another," he said. "Printmaking, or, to think about what it means to be printerly, is to then explore, respect, listen to, and hold space for, the meeting place, the encounter, the gentle collision, the reciprocal and mutual relationships between soft surfaces."

Testa and Kelsey Street making art in Bartlett's Point Park, Corner Brook.

Beyond the eye-catching colours and innovative mode of transportation, there are important research questions at the heart of Printshop in Tow:

To answer these questions, Prof. Testa has been "all over" with his printshop tow-along. In 2023, he brought Printshop in Tow to an outdoor school, bike trails, a gallery and a farm, just to name a few.

Funding for Printshop in Tow has been granted by SSHRC Explore as well as AVPR-Grenfell Internal Start-up Funding. To learn more about the project or to reach out about potential collaborations, contact Prof. Testa at atesta@grenfell.mun.ca.