David Krut projects is pleased to welcome two interns ,Caroline Robinson and Oliver Dewey-Gartner who are currently completing their first year towards their BFA degree in Printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island.
The two will be spending the winter at the DKW and hope to learn many skills from our team at the DKW which will add to their journey as printmakers.
We sat down with them to to find out how their first two days in South AFrica and at the DKW have been.
DKW: What were your initial thoughts upon arriving in South Africa
CR: Everyone we met soon after arriving was incredibly friendly, and I couldn’t help but feel quite grateful for that, considering how I didn’t really know what to expect. Everyone seemed to genuinely want to help us navigate this new place, which I don’t always see back home in regards to receiving newcomers.
ODG: Like Caroline, I was amazed at how welcoming everyone was. The attitude of the people I have met upon arriving could not be described as just friendliness, but as genuine interest to get to know me as a person.
DKW: What contributed to your decision in applying for an internship at DKW?
CR: I had previously learned about DKW after becoming familiar with some of the various artists who worked with the printshop, like William Kentridge and Diane Victor. This mission of DKW also contrasted to what I was seeing in a lot of American print shops, who were much more exclusive in who printed in professional shops.
ODG: My professor, who previously worked with DKW, approached me one day and recommended that I get involved. His reasoning was not only to support my growth as an artist with professional print shop experience, but to immerse me in a unique place that he found to be an immensely enriching experience.
DKW: What was you immediate thought upon taking that first step into the workshop?
CR: I was immediately struck by the work hanging on the walls. The first thing I saw was a huge smoke drawing I had recognized by Diane Victor, an image I had only seen online. As a fan of her work, it was amazing to see in person.
ODG: I had previously seen images online of Arts on Main and the DKW Print shop, but was amazed to see it in person. The impact of walking through the beautiful courtyard and stepping into the shop was frankly an overload of amazing experiences. I wanted to immediately inspect every aspect of the studio including the equipment and the jaw dropping work hanging throughout the studio.
DKW: What knowledge do you have in printmaking and how do you hope to expand this while at the DKW?
CR: I’ve been studying Printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design for the past few years, so I’ve been deeply involved with various printmaking techniques such as Intaglio, Lithography, Relief, and Silkscreen. There are so many different approaches used by various print shops, so I hope to learn new ways of doing things that I can apply back home. Plus, it’ll be my first time working in a professional shop rather than the studio at a university, so theres an greater level of expectation from us.
ODG: Like Caroline, for two years I have been a Printmaking student at the Rhode Island School of Design. As time moves forward, my devotion to continue to develop as an artist in the field of printmaking continues to increase. Everywhere, there are printmakers who use brilliant and unique techniques that differ drastically from how others do it, in ways not even considered. Getting a chance to work at the DKW opens up an amazing opportunity to learn a variety of skills and techniques that I would not ever get a chance to learn otherwise.
We here at DKW look forward to the next two months with these future talents.