See how a work of art comes to life. In Proof of Concept, drawings, paintings, and proofs reveal the progress of an artwork prior to the final prints made in etching, drypoint, screenprint, and woodcut. The exhibition title plays on the “proof” in printmaking through selections by Louise Bourgeois, Brice Marden, Anselm Stalder, and the art collective General Idea.

After World War II, as the postwar print renaissance flourished in the United States, countless new print shops were founded across the country, including now-venerable institutions such as Universal Limited Art Editions, Crown Point Press, and Gemini G.E.L. These studios paired master printers with artists—many of whom had never worked in printmaking—to realize innovative and experimental projects. Such efforts continue today as artists further push techniques.

Collaborative printmaking enterprises typically comprise a small team of printers and publishers, engaging with an artist to produce an edition. Often, proof prints and other working materials are also generated as part of the artist’s process. Proof of Concept: Artistic Process in Contemporary Printmaking presents proofs and preparatory works from the Museum’s Peter Blum Edition Archive, 1980–1994, placed alongside their corresponding final prints.