the serigraphic tecnique
The serigraphy is a printing system recognized as one of the most ancient, originary from China.The process of execution consist essentially in the passage of colour through a silk tissue extended on a loom.
In this printing system, artists like the possibility to obtain "clean" colors, hence intense dyes, a great joint and separation capacity, unusual in other techniques, and finally the possibility to work with notable inteventions made with different materials. The intensity of the serigraphic dyes makes this riproduction system the only way every artist that make their art the continuate expression of the couple light-colour can walk. A peculiar aspect of the serigraphy is to proceed in the work to juxtapose the dyes; a good print progresses over and over while the artist builds the image through the elaborate preparation of lucids (it will be explained later) and won't make it a mere system of riproduction by giving the printer the job to simply print an original, a painting or a drawing. In fact, it is necessary to point out that only a few artists work with serigraphy fully respecting its technique, giving it the dignity as a work of art in every level.
The serigraphy is thus a self-standing work, not a riproduction, whom realization technique is divided in three phases:
LUCIDS' PREPARATION (COLOR SELECTION)
LOOM'S PREPARATION
PRINTING PHASE
The first phase is about the most delicate work because it determins all of the work's structure. It is the phase in which the direct intervention of the artist is required, and it is called "color selection". It is about preparing diaphanous pellicles (acetated) and on everyone he intervent with hand and brush, describing every zone in which he will have to pass the chosen color later. The artist, in the definition of every color on every single pellicle, will use a specific essence called serigraphic rouge (because of its english red color) that doesn't allow ultraviolet rays to pass. Once prepared the first lucid it's necessary to wait that the serigraphic rouge dries out. Meanwhile the preparation of the loom is executed.
Looms' preparation.
The serigraphic loom is nothing more than a normal loom made of metal or wood, in which is extended a tissue made of silk filaments in a criss-cross texture. A loom is used for every single lucid. Every loom is treated with a gel sensible to the light. Once the gel dried up the next phase comes up, when the image of the lucid prepared by the artist has to be taken to the loom. The loom will be placed in a previously set-up aspirator press. Then the lucid will be placed in contact with the tissue of the loom, adhering perfectly to the gel thanks to the vacuum created by the press. Then both will be inserted in the appropriate furnace and exposed to ultraviolet rays. Since the serigraphic rouge won't let the rays pass, the underlying zone will remain protected and then reversible to water; the rest of the gel will be irreversible.
By using a water splash the gel protected by the rouge will melt, leaving free only those parts of tissue. That process is repeated for every color that the artist will decide to print.
Printing phase.
The loom prepared that way is, finally, assembled in an appropriate press, so that the tissue of the loom is directly in contact with the deck of the loom itself. Between the deck of the press and the tissue will be placed the paper (or canvas) sheet.
In the upper part of the loom will be extended the serigraphic color that will filter, thanks to the pressure of a cachou paddle, in the points in which the tissue was freed from the gel. The color that filtered from the tissue will adher to the paper sheet, and this will be ready to the next passage of color.
