Man of arts and letters: Cottingham recreates alphabet as art

Tandem Press artist in residence Robert Cottingham, internationally renowned as one of America’s most important photo-realist painters, has been working on his latest round of lithographs in the series “An American Alphabet.” A, D, K and F limited editions are now on sale through Tandem; Cottingham hopes to sign off on M, T, V and J during his residency. The prints, “An American Alphabet,” which are color lithograph on Rives BFK white paper, 31 by 23 inches, sell for $1,850.

 

Cottingham talks with associate master printer Joe Freye about a lithographic print proof of T. (Photo: Jeff Miller)

 

Cottingham uses drafting tools to draw shapes and lines that artisans will use to produce printing plates for the lithographs. (Photo: Jeff Miller)

 

An artisan sponges water onto a printing plate of J. The plate’s negative area absorbs the water; when oil-based ink is applied, only positive areas of the plate print to paper. (Photo: Jeff Miller)

 

Graduate art student Lenore Thomas, a press staffer, mixes ink used to produce the prints. (Photo: Jeff Miller)

 

Tandem Press artisans indicate chosen ink colors and print plates sequences in handwritten notes. (Photo: Jeff Miller)