Tandem Press’ “Where My Girls At?” exhibition opened Oct. 4 at the Tandem Press headquarters. Named after a piece by Derrick Adams by the same name, it showcases the works of print artists from across the country and their diverse perspectives of the world.
Director of Tandem Press since May, Katie Geha sheds light on the gallery and its inner workings.
The “Where My Girls At?” exhibition created under the direction of Geha wishes to make printmaking a transparent and accessible process visible to the public as they drive the voices of artists in America to the spotlight.
A unique feature of the exhibit is that a spectator can view the prints being made. A visitor can observe the whole process from creation to display in the gallery.
“It is amazing,” Geha said. The actual production of the edition is still in process right now. So if you were to come, you could see one of our printers actually making [pieces].”
Tandem Press is an art gallery and publisher of prints. It is known for its expositions in Chicago and its participation in the New York Armory Show in the Miami Basel.
“We bring artists from all over the country to our studio. They come here and make prints with our printers,” Geha said.
These fine art editions of prints are then sold in art shows and online through the Tandem Press website.
Tandem Press is known for working with famous contemporary artists from across the country. With their new exhibition, “Where My Girls At?”, Tandem Press, under the direction of Geha, wishes to make the work accessible to the public before they are sold in art shows in New York and Chicago, amongst other places.
“We want to showcase the most recent works that we made with our artists,” Geha said. “Oftentimes we make these works and we sell them, but we are not able to share it with immediately with the community. We are doing that now.”
Tandem is also known for its connection to the University of Wisconsin, providing valuable resources to both faculty and students. It maintains a special relationship with the Chazen Museum to make its works accessible to students and faculty.
“We have a really amazing collaboration. All the prints we make go straight to the Chazen so that our entire archive is at the Chazen Museum of Art,” Geha explains.
The gallery includes Derrick Adams’ piece after which it is named. The piece, a portrait of a Black womna, celebrates Black identity in a fascinating spectrum of color.
“It is a really beautiful print made of 63 colors, which is a lot for a print,” Geha said.
Other exhibition pieces include Alison Saar’s “Mutiny of the Sable Venus,” a staggering spectacle of power rising against oppression, depicting a Black woman holding a sickle and shell horn. It depicts the strong and fierce calling for emancipation, according to Destination Madison.
“Mutiny of the Sable Venus” is one of the first works on display upon entering the gallery at Tandem Press. Made on textile, Saar’s piece echoes an iconic Renaissance masterpiece from nearly six centuries ago — Sandro Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” which is a painting housed at the Uffizi Gallery, depicts the birth of Venus arriving on the shore.
The stark contrast between the two pieces is apparent. Saar’s piece replaces the divine emotions and wonder of Botticelli’s work with the darker and less pleasant nature of history, focusing on the struggle against oppression and the multitude of struggles imposed by collective human action. It embeds the screams of generations and all those who find themselves oppressed.
The gallery also holds Indigenous artwork displaying a series of works by contemporary Native American visual artist Dyani White Hawk.
White Hawk’s art is characterized by intricate patterns, beading and quillwork reminiscent of traditional Lakota crafts, which she juxtaposes with modern minimalist aesthetics. White Hawk received the MacArthur Award in 2023.
White Hawk’s work frequently incorporates both Native and Western artistic traditions, breaking down the boundaries between them to challenge perceptions of Indigenous art. White Hawk’s pieces included in the exhibit display similar ideals.
“It really rounds out the arts at the University of Wisconsin to have the Chazen, and to have Tandem and to have the art school which is number one in the country for printmaking,” Geha said.
Geha praises Madison’s culture for printmaking and the resources available for students and others interested in its wonders. Tandem Press is open to anyone and everyone in love with prints or curious about their creation, opening the doors for one to discover contemporary art and culture through the lens of printmaking.
