Giclée Artist
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Atelier AskArt's Alexander S. Kabbaz took a
unique path
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| Giclée printing - for artists
- by artists. Quite rare is the combination of a reverence for art and
respect for artists with the knowledge and skill of an experienced
printer and computer pro that results in the true giclée printing
artist. Alexander S. Kabbaz - as he would say, "more by coincidence
than by design", epitomizes that rare talent. |
| The vast majority of today's giclée
printing operators stumbled sideways into the profession from the fields
of photography or lithography. Neither photography, a chemistry-based
reproduction, nor lithography, a formula-based machine process, are
ideal training grounds to marry the elements necessary for fine art
giclée printing. |
One of Kabbaz's recent giclées, 9/11/01
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A Unique
Multi-discipline Process
Giclée is a unique process, thoroughly computer software dependent. It
requires a wealth of knowledge about the use of a myriad of different,
often conflicting computer programs. Giclée is a unique process,
thoroughly printer dependent. It requires experience with pigmented
color inks, fine printing papers, and the mechanics of complex printing
equipment. Giclée is a unique process, thoroughly computer hardware
dependant. It requires in-depth familiarity with monitor, processor, and
network interaction and operational parameters. Alexander S. Kabbaz
uniquely brings thirty years of that wide ranging experience and
knowledge to the field. |
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Lucia circa 1930
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Kabbaz's grandmother, the
well-known surrealist Lucia, is widely credited with being the driving
force behind the establishment of the modern Hamptons' artists' colony.
Funded in part by Peggy Guggenheim, Lucia was encouraged in 1938 by
sponsors Sara and Gerald Murphy to embark on an important project. As a
long-time member of the Paris art colony, Lucia was to convince her
European artist peers that coming to East Hampton would save them from
Hitler's campaign against 'degenerate artists'. |
| Implore she did. The first
among a score of artists to arrive were Ferdnand Léger, Raoul Dufy,
Piet Mondrian and Marc Chagall. And so began the now world famous
artists colony. Thusly immortalized, the Hamptons became the avant garde
place for the likes of Pollock, the Ernsts, Krasner, DeKooning and the
rest who arrived right at the end of the War. The Hamptons became their
home . . . Lucia's Artists' Woods their central gathering place and
hangout. |
A Lifelong Love for Fine
Art
It was in this unqiue art-driven environment that Alexander spent his
formative years. "My entire life has revolved around various
manifestations of art. From the time I was five years old, my
grandmother Lucia began to instill in me an interest in design and
sculpture. Occasionally, she would hand me her brush and say, 'Alex,
make a convex curving stroke to the left here on my canvas. But don't
tell anyone!' I remember back when I was four, she had Carlos Montoya
sit me on his knee and play a flamenco version of Happy Birthday. |
Alexander S. Kabbaz
BACK TO THE TOP
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| There was this whole gaggle of
adults in the room, none to my great pleasure. Esteban Vicente was there
for the party, as were Zogbaum, Krasner, DeKooning, Pollock, Keisler,
and a few others if Roger's diary is correct. What did I know? To me, it
was just a bunch of grown-ups talking about paintings and taking Lucia's
attention away from me! To them I was nought but a little twit . . . but
at least I was an excuse for Lucia to cook one of her famous Lebanese
gourmet feasts.” |
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A Giclée Education
Begins
By the age of 23, Kabbaz had gone out on his own and, in 1973, founded
The Graphics Store, a Broadway based graphic arts and printing company.
Within a few years, the Graphics Store had some 22 printing presses,
cameras and platemakers in operation between its two Upper East and
Upper West Side locations. |
| Having dual careers as both
graphic artist/printer & artiste/designer/maker of very upscale
custom clothing, Kabbaz gradually decided to concentrate on one of them
and reduced the graphic arts business until it became strictly an
in-house operation providing unique, high quality output and design for
his business and those of a few close friends. That is, until the mid-1980's and the
advent of the 'personal' computer. |
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Left: The "CompuGraphic", one of the first
computers in the printing field.
In the beginning of time, your art would have been shot by a copy
camera, separated into the
four printing colors, and "stripped" into place for
platemaking as Kabbaz is doing above.
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Computers and Printing Get Married
By 1986, Alexander was visualizing the upcoming revolution which would
be the eventual outgrowth of the marriage of the computer with fine art.
And what a marriage it has become! "I remember our first
computer-driven color printer", he mused. “It was a huge machine
which produced 180 d.p.i. tabloid prints at the rate - on a good day -
of one or two an hour. By today's 1440 d.p.i. npq standards, the old
Hewlett-Packard machine was a virtual Model-T Ford".
BACK TO THE TOP |
The learning of inks, dyes, & pigments was one of
Kabbaz's earlier pursuits, shown here in the hand-dipped candles for
which he became known while finishing his studies.
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Your work would have been proofed on a small proof
press (right) and finally, after many
generations of proof, re-shoot, re-strip, new plates, new proofs, etc.,
etc., would finally
have been output on a full size Harris Press (left) such as this
one.
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| By 1994, the entire studio had
been computerized. "Purchasing the first Epson 3000 shipped to the
East Coast was one of our most important achievements", recalled
the enthusiastic entrepreneur. "It gave us a few years edge on the
1440 d.p.i. learning curve.” Experimentation
with paper stocks, ink formulas, and color profiles are essential
elements in the education of a fine giclée printer. Knowledge of the
color gamuts of your machines . . . and how to work around those
limitations to produce the best possible reproduction of an art original
. . . is a skill which does not develop overnight. |
| Before there was giclée, there was the
digital ink jet from which it grew. As time went by, this process grew
more and more sophisticated. Quality has grown by magnitudes
unimaginable even a few years ago. Why, even the world’s finest
printing presses are capable only of printing 300 dots per inch. At the
1440/2880 dot resolution of giclée, we are currently five times better
than that.
And who knows what tomorrow will bring! |
One of AskArt's earlier digital prints
flies over New York City's
Madison Avenue during the mid-1990's.
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