My full Flatstock 16 preview will be coming shortly, but to whet your appetites I wanted to first post an interview with screen printing extraordinaire Andy MacDougall.
Starting in 2006, Andy MacDougall of www.squeegeeville.com, and www.tmiscreenprinting.com began setting up printing demos at Flatstock. Andy resides on Vancouver Island, but works with printers all over North America and contributes written material to a variety of trade magazines. In 2007, he was elected to the Academy of Screen Printing Technology for his work promoting screen printing, only the 2nd Canadian to join the international group. A lifelong interest in music and posters drew him to the gig poster movement in 2003, where he discovered there were hundreds, if not thousands of others like him all over the world. Some of his earliest posters date from the early 70’s mostly for bands he was in. “We may have sucked, but we had the best poster!” After spending a few decades printing commercial work, he has returned to what he loves: making art and posters, teaching people how to screen print, and fooling around with equipment design. He is also the author of Screenprinting… The Basics, a modern tome of screen printing info and how-to’s. There’s no one better to talk about the demos at Flatstock, so I caught up with Andy over email and asked him a few questions about the printing this year.
Andy Stern from Dieselfuel demonstrates proper strokage as he lays down one of 5 colors on a Mike Fisher image in Seattle.
Drymount!: When did you start doing print demos at Flatstock?
Andy MacDougall: I attended a couple of the Seattle Flatstocks in 04 and 05 first as a reporter for Screenprinting Magazine, then as a participant when I figured out these were my kind of people. I was encouraged to do a printing demo at the next one by Dan MacAdam (Crosshair) and Geoff Peveto and others, so in ’06 I shipped a portable press down to Austin, and with the assistance of Andy Stern from Dieselfuel and Paul Fucik and Peveto from Decoder Ring we set up a 4 color t-shirt carosel and the vacuum table. We printed a beautiful Michael Motorcycle image, and on the shirts a classic Flatstock image by Bobby Dixon. That was also the one where I walked around printing tattoos with a small screen, this image was by Johnny Theif, the noted tattoo artist. I printed arms, legs, backs and even a couple of bum cheeks on two people who shall remain nameless.
Last year in Austin, the Squeegeeville/Dieselfuel demo print kiosk was located outside the Flatstock show. Andymac prints while super volunteer Dustin Slater catches. The poster they are working on is by Mike Martin for Joan Jett and Blackheart.
DM!: What was your goal or reason for doing demos at Flatstock?
Andy Mac: Part of the API mandate is education about posters. As so many are screen printed, we felt showing the process live was a good way to promote gig posters, and help the public understand the work that goes into them.
DM!: What kind of projects have you printed at Flatstock in the past?
Andy Mac: Each year since then, we have printed posters by a wide variety of GP artists, in many different styles. Some of the artists include Billy Perkins, Allan Lorde, Paul Imagine, Jay Ryan, Marty Boe, Lil Tuffy, Mike Fisher, Mike Martin, Print Mafia, Jared Connor, Stainboy, and Bobby Dixon. Last year in Seattle, we even had people draw on site, then Brian Taylor from Patent Pending burned me some screens overnight, and we printed the images the next day. Last year Toyota sponsored a number of the GP printers including Billy Bishop (Obsolete Industries) Steve Walters (Screwball Press) Ron Donovan and Chuck Sperry from Firehouse, and Andy Stern and myself (Squeegeeville/Dieselfuel) to set up in kiosks outside the Convention Centre. We all printed 500 posters each day, handing them out to passers by, and promoting the Flatstock Exhibition inside the Convention Centre. That was a lot of fun, and I think it helped boost the traffic inside.
DM!: What kind of screen printing set up will you have in Austin?
Andy Mac: I’m going to use a portable vacuum table we make at TMI Screen printing Equipment that belongs to Jamungo (Clay Ferguson) We have a small rack and floor space to dry the prints between colors. I’m bringing some new adjustable clamps we have been developing, if they arrive in time we will test them out.
A preview of Dan Grzeca’s print that will be produced this year at Flatstock 16
DM!: What kind of projects do you have lined up for this year? Any hints as to which artists you’ll be printing?
Andy Mac: Well, I don’t want to jinx anything, but we are hoping to print images by Billy Perkins, John Howard, Guy Burwell, Dan Grzeca, Dan Springer, and Neil Havers, a designer I work with up here in Canada, who is coming down to Austin to help print. There are a few others, we think we may be printing 9 different posters, which will all be available for purchase. Also, Mig Kokinda will be demonstrating his unique brand of stenciling and spray painting. Anyone who has seen his work knows how distinctive and original it is – he will be there to show how its done and answer questions.
As far as print projects at Squeegeeville this year, I’ve got a whole slate of courses and workshops scheduled on Vancouver Island, and in-house training in NY state, Wisconsin, Atlanta, etc. We will be printing the next installment of the GP Calendar for 2009. The 2008 edition sold out, it was a great project and helped raise cash for the continued operation of gigposters.com
Billy Perkins’ “Angus” poster that Andy Mac will be printing at Flatstock 16
DM!: Will you be printing all three days of Flatstock? And when will the demo prints be available for purchase?
Andy Mac: We should be starting right in on Thursday afternoon. As soon as the prints are finished, the artists will be signing and numbering them, and they will be available for purchase. We have a few prints left over from previous demos which will available too. Not sure when Mig’s demo is happening, people should just check in, we will know more Thursday once the show starts.
Lil’ Tuffy took over the squeegee and laid into the printing of his 3 color homage to Art Chantry at last fall’s Seattle Flatstock.
DM!: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about your printing demos, or what they can expect in Austin?
Andy Mac: Well, we’ll be going continuously, so people are more than welcome to stop by and ask questions, either about the process, or more specific technical stuff. We will try to show progressive proofs as the multicolor prints are created, so if people drop back, they can see how the posters are built color by color. I’m happy to share what I know, my main goal is to have some fun with all my friends I only see 2 times a year, and produce some nice art. Oh yeah, and check out some music, drink a few beers, and sample some world famous Texas BBQ.
Just a shout out to the people who are making this possible – Andy Stern from Dieselfuel, who helps with supplies and spiritual guidance, the API and Geoff Peveto, who has done great work setting up the space and rounding up my list of materials, Clay from Jamungo for the loan of the table, and Billy Bishop for a rack. The Austin poster people and the API member artists really do the bulk of the work to make this happen, I’m just the squeegee dragger.
