Jon Cartledge, Nebraska Excavation (34″ x 24″), a three-color lithograph printed at Muskat Studios
Jon Cartledge is the Digital Asset Specialist in the Imaging Center (part of the Art Department) and has been at Smith for 13 years. He has degrees in Anthropology, Printmaking, and Library Science — which, he says, “probably explains what you are seeing here.” He’s a member of the Boston Printmakers, the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, the Visual Resource Association and the New York Paleontological Society and lives in Easthampton with his wife Susan and his two greyhounds, Vic and Tamara.
Jon started printmaking when he took a class in it as part of an undergraduate minor in Studio Art. It immediately clicked with the way he thinks and works—a lot of steps, lists, and preparation. The medium impressed him enough that he did a couple of years of post-baccalaureate work and got a masters in printmaking.
Jon Cartledge at Big Ink Press in Newmarket, NH with his 4′ x 8′ woodcut, Today’s Chase Reveals Yesterday’s Pursuit, which features the landscape and flora at Agate Park.
Jon is currently working on a 1-foot-by-8-foot linoleum cut that is based on the history of the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, where he did an artist’s residency a couple of years ago. About his inspiration, he writes, “The landscape in Nebraska is unlike anything I’ve experienced growing up in Ohio and living in Massachusetts.” Fossils spill out from every hillside in the park and it is a prime site for understanding early mammals. This linocut features the park’s landscape prominently, but even more than that, the artwork is about the important place in the history of paleontology that the park has and the stories of the scientists who have worked there.
The end goal for the linoleum cut featured in this video is a very long three-color print. Since it takes so much time to develop, the video was a way for Jon to share what he has been working on with folks while they wait (what has ended up being a long time) to see the final piece. It was also a way to talk about the park, which is, he says, “an amazing place.”
Jon Cartledge, Stratigraphy of E. Margaret Panizzi, PhD.
For anyone interested in starting printmaking, Jon advises starting with linoleum cut prints because they are pretty easy and inexpensive. The ink is non-toxic and the amount of space you need is minimal. Just transfer a drawing onto a linoleum block with old fashioned carbon paper and start cutting! That said, the principal rule of printmaking is—always cut away from yourself when carving! If you really like that experience, Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, MA has a lot of great workshops to continue your exploration.
COVID-19 hasn’t changed Jon’s content much, but being at home all the time has allowed him to start addressing the backlog of work he has in the studio. He’s trying to make the best of it!
Jon Cartledge at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Harrison, Nebraska