Our 21 diptyques are shown in the Musée de l'Imprimerie et de la communication graphique, in Lyon, 13 rue de la Poulaillerie, from january 23rd to end of may 2020.

At the "South-East Exhibition", visit the rotunda for a long time, where the 18 engraving artists of L'Empreinte (an association of engravers founded in 1995) arranged their diptychs.

Strangely, the thematic constraint "from the parietal to the medieval" and the format constraint that gave birth to this work highlight the modernity of the artists, their settlement in the present time : these are prints that we could not have seen twenty years ago.
Modern formats first, diptychs are composed of two vertical sheets of 120x40cm, size more than rare in the print.
Modernity of shapes and gestures or intentions, also at the heart of the most contemporary trends : quotations, recycling, distortions, simplifications without forgetting meanings, emotions. It speaks, the spectator doesn't need any explanatory note.
And all this, with such various results.
Let's add that nobody here forgets that art has something to do with beauty.
It's delicate, thoughtful, attractive, poetic and spiritual.
Briefly, artists who are thinking, who are looking for, who take risks. A success.

Philippe Brunel, "Rhône estampes", November 17th, 2019.

L’Empreinte-Lyon was associated with the Ceret engraving group « Ex-Libris » to realize original and large-format printings (40 x 120 cm) on the topic
« Du pariétal au médiéval » (From Parietal to Middle Ages). These works, of wide diversity and creativity, were accomplished by 44 engravers (one by each artist). This very rich collaboration gave us the opportunity to expose our work in June at a medieval chapel : Capelleta, located in Ceret (south of France), a famous city of art and history. Presentation in such broad and renowned place offered a special brightness to the exhibition and a bigger audience. A catalogue was edited for this occasion

L'Empreinte-Lyon had invited about ten Ceret’s engravors to join us in showing 30 large-format prints (120x40 cm, vertical) from the Ceret exhibit («Du Pariétal au Médiéval »). In June and August, the prints were exposed on a kakemono style, hanging from the ceiling beams of the larget and luminous room in Rochebonne Castel (Beaujolais), during the Jean-Louis Mandon Gallery’s annual summer exhibition. J.L.Mandon Gallery is usually located in Lyon.

This innovative manner, in wavering suspension, allowed the prints to move slightly, and provided to the public, surrounded by the works, a poetic and fluctuant approach. A very special experience.

For the « Fête de l'Estampe » (Prints Fair), Jean-Louis Mandon Gallery, located at Vaubecour street 3, in Lyon , welcomed L’Empreinte printmakers with their last art book Envol, May 9, until June 3.
May 26, La Journée de l'Estampe (Prints Day) provided a friendly meeting with the artists and talks about their technics and inspiration.

French National High School for librairies and information sciences welcomed L’Empreinte in October and November. The exhibition included three art books from its Collection:

• Envol
• Frontière
• Lyon, traces pour demain,

with an educational meeting, for the students, about printing technics.

Located in Pollionay (Rhône), this very special biannual exhibition is providing an important platform for Art books since 2011. L'Empreinte is steadily attending at this important book and art fair.


Discover...

The cities of Lyon and Leipzig (Germany) are twinned for a long time, and organized many cultural exchanging events . In this artistic frame, the « Bund Bildender Künstler Leipzig (BBKL) e. V. », association for arts in Leipzig, highlighted, in April 2013, two art books of L’Empreinte-Lyon : « Lyon, traces pour demain » et« Frontière », and their original prints framed. Two members of L’Empreinte were welcomed to discover the city and meet local artists.

The following year, for a month in Spring 2014, MAPRA (Association of artits from Auvergne-Rhône Alpes), located in the City Center of Lyon, presented several BBKL’s artists prints . Two German engravers joined us for the opening.