Tamarind Touchstones: Fabulous at Fifty

The project is Tamarind Institute's 50th anniversary catalog, which will accompany a traveling exhibit that will open on Sept. 10, 2010.

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For the past fifty years, Tamarind has breathed life into the once-underappreciated art of lithography. From Josef Albers and Philip Guston in the 1960s, to Ed Ruscha and Kiki Smith in recent decades, contemporary artists have teamed up with professional printmakers at Tamarind to create an archive of exceptional lithographs.

In 1960, in an effort to generate interest in lithography and make it accessible to artists, June Wayne founded Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Inc., in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fifty years and many thousands of prints later, it is difficult to imagine what lithography in the United States would be without the influence of the renowned Tamarind. Showcasing the broad aesthetic capabilities of lithography, Tamarind Touchstones demonstrates the diversity of the artists who have embraced lithography and their increased facility and comfort with the medium.

Highlighting the ninety lithographs in the exhibition, reproduced in full color, this catalogue also includes glimpses into the recent activities of Tamarind, the psyche of the professional printmaker, and the curatorial perspective that guided the selection for this National Endowment for the Arts--funded traveling exhibition.

With its trademark passion, Tamarind enters the next fifty years committed to its original goals to invigorate and fortify lithography and to expand its reach throughout the world.