Kerr Grabowski

Deconstructed Screen Printing

Course Description
In this class we will explore a different facet of screen printing on fabric: the unpredictable, the intuitive, the “happy accident”. Using fiber reactive dyes, deconstructed printing, discharge, and polychromatic printing, we will experiment with the silkscreen as a painting and monoprinting tool to create fabrics of depth, texture, and personal imagery. The resulting fabric may be used as an end in itself or a point of departure for further embellishment.

Artist's Biography
Known for her innovative approaches to dyeing and screening processes, Kerr Grabowski integrates her love of color, mark-making, and spontaneity with the challenge of creating one-of-a-kind, limited-edition, hand-painted/screened silk fabrics and art wear. Kerr is the developer of Deconstructed Screen Printing, a printing/monoprint technique allowing for a freer, more painterly approach to screen printing.

Formerly from Mississippi, Kerr moved to New Jersey as Artist in Residence at Peters Valley Craft Center. She now maintains a studio in Sussex, NJ and Pass Christian, Mississippi. In addition to her studio work, Kerr is currently working with the Monteverde Institute in Costa Rica to organize workshops and volunteers to work with local women of the area. A New Jersey Council on the Arts Fellowship recipient, Kerr has been published in Ornament, Fiber Arts, Surface Design Journal, Fiber Arts Design Book Six, and Silk Painting for Fashion and Fine Art. Kerr exhibits and teaches surface design, color, and design workshops internationally.

Artist's Statement
Marks - textures, lines, images, and symbols- have always been my way of relating to and interpreting the world. My work in textiles and clothing stems from my Mississippi background and an interest in all cultures where art is an integral part of daily life - where mark making is a natural activity, a part of the celebration of being.

One of the challenges of creating wearable pieces is that of leaving aesthetic space for the future wearer, allowing them to bring the work to completion, to give it life. It's a thrill to see the owners of my clothing - to know who helped complete the idea.