Laura Crehuet Berman- The Ravel Suite
Hand-made ravels that inspired the Ravel Suite.
Flatbed is thrilled to announce the publication of a suite of color lithographs by Laura Crehuet Berman. Spanish-born artist Laura Crehuet Berman lives and works in Kansas City, Mo. Berman is the recipient of a 2023 Fulbright Award. Her work is widely collected and she has exhibited internationally at venues including the Dalarnas Museum (Falun, Sweden), Aspen Art Museum (Aspen, Colorado, USA), Center of Contemporary Art (St. Louis, USA), Muscarelle Museum of Art (Williamsburg, Virginia, USA), Duoro Museum of Art (Peso da Régua, Portugal), Ulrich Art Museum (Topeka, Kansas, USA) and Maui Arts & Cultural Center (Kahului, Hawai’I, USA). Her awards and residencies include Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (New York, USA), Frans Masereel Centrum (Belgium), Anderson Ranch Arts Center (Colorado, USA), Can Serrat International Art Center (El Bruc, Spain), Atlantic Center for the Arts (Florida, USA), Good Hart Artist Residency (Michigan, USA) and the upcoming Artist Print Residence (Barcelona, Spain). She has given over 35 artist talks and worked as a visiting artist around the world. Recent books that feature her work include “An Artist and a Mother” (Estrada: Demeter Press, 2023), “Color Theory: A Critical Introduction (Fine: Bloomsbury, 2021), “American Print Makers” (Standish & Rooney: Schiffer Publishing, 2014), “A Survey of Contemporary Printmaking” (Ehlers, Ehlbeck, Muise” Lazymuse Productions, 2012) and “Printmaking at the Edge” (Noyce: A&C Black, 2006).
Berman’s debut project with Flatbed Press is a suite of three lithograph prints created in her signature style of layered and luminous colors. The series “Ravel” is based on a series of drawings of small tangles of string, each of which she constructed by hand before creating the drawings. To Berman, these loose, handmade, and interwoven knots represent the wonderment of being an individual as well as someone connected to larger communities through family, friends and other meaningful associations. Throughout her life as an artist, mother, daughter, and teacher, Berman’s own connections to others weave far and wide. Alyssa Ebinger, lead litho collaborator and printer worked with Laura in March 2022 at Flatbed’s professional studio. Laura drew multiple transparencies that would become the multiple lithographic layers of ink that “build” the complex images. This project is a prime example of how Berman’s intention to create images that communicate a life of meaningful interconnections was dependent upon the close collaboration of Laura and Master Printer, Alyssa Ebinger. Alyssa’s skill at translating Berman’s color sensibilities using multiple colors in blend rolls on every run transformed and brought life to what is essentially ink on paper. The finished lithographs were hand-printed in editions of 30 and measure 25 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches and are printed onto Somerset White Satin, 200 gsm paper.
Enjoy a peek at the collaboration in the slide show below. Visit Berman’s Collection for more information.
