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What do you imagine when you hear someone mention the craft and art of screen printers and screen printing designs? If you are like most people, your mental picture is that of a T-shirt with pun of some sort, a design, or cartoon rendering. You will probably be surprised to know that screen-printing has been around for thousands of years and has an important place in the history of art and clothing. Andy Warhol was just one of many acknowledged artists who practiced the art and medium of screen-printing. His legacy is one of extreme visions and colorful effects, and his artistic achievements are well remembered. However, he can also be remembered as a chief contributor to a twentieth century phenomena, the decorative clothing industry. Our current practitioners of screen-printing as an art usually specialize in either decorating clothing or other items; or, using the screen printing techniques to produce works of art. Very few individuals know anything at all about the history of screen-printing. In fact, the process we in Western cultures call screen-printing can trace its roots back to two diverse sources. On the one hand, early techniques of stencil making were part of the developing process. On the other, the combined techniques regarding the use of ink and fabrics also contributed to the screen-printing process. Stenciling as a way of artistic expression can be traced to approximately 10,000 BC. Discovered in an ancient cave were images that must have been created by a person blowing an early form of ink or paint from a reed past an open hand. This made a stencil in reverse. During the Middle Ages, reverse stenciling was made using tar on a cloth. The cloth portions that were uncovered caused paint to seep into the intended material. This material, in turn, ended up as the banners and Crusader uniforms we see in images depicting the Crusades. Approximately 150 years ago, the Japanese use of mesh cloth mounted on wooden frames began to be used in the Western art world. This cloth was made of high quality fabric that made the reproduction of intricate designs much easier. Then, just a century ago, the use of a diverse collection of fabric and the refinement of inks led to the screen-printing process that we would recognize today. The final step in the evolution of screen-printing as we know it were the cultural changes that began to occur in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When the era of individual expression and personal freedoms took hold, this was fertile ground for the development in the use of clothes and art to express one's thoughts and beliefs. Thus, the predominance of screen-printed T-shirts, designer clothes, and all manner of apparel is our modern way of personal expression. This can be proven by a casual shopping trip to any local mall clothing store. Anyone can easily express themselves by simply buying and wearing a shirt of our choice.
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C Lee Nowell has a very large collection of screen printed t-shirts. Your group will find out how easy it is to express yourself through the use of a custom designed t-shirt. Find out how your organization can start its very own collection of screen printed items, including favorite logos and sayings, at virginiascreenprinters.com
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