nontoxicprint

T E S T I M O N I A L S

a   s e l e c t i o n

Your site, nontoxicprint.com, has demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership in the realm of non-toxic printmaking techniques and environmental issues. 

In today's interconnected world, where global challenges demand collaborative solutions, your site has truly stood out as a beacon of progress. Their unwavering commitment to building a human network of researchers and artists has played a pivotal role in addressing the complexities of non-toxic printmaking techniques, transcending geographical boundaries, and fostering sustainable practices on a global scale.

Your tireless efforts have not only propelled research forward but have also facilitated the exchange of knowledge and ideas among experts, artists, and policymakers worldwide. Through your initiatives, we have successfully fostered a vibrant community, enabled collaboration, and created a platform for innovative thinking and collective action.

I extend my deepest respect and gratitude to everyone involved in the project.
And as one of the few specialists in the study of non-toxic printmaking techniques in Japan, I am pleased to be able to contribute through our collaboration.

Thank you once again for your invaluable contributions and for being at the forefront of positive change.

Shichio MINATO
Vice Dean/Professor
University of Fukui, School of Education

Japan

Nontoxicprint / Safe Painting / Hub: Health in the Arts is a very good resource on hazards in the  arts.   I used it frequently when I was  active in hazards in the arts.  

Michael McCann 

265 west 87th st., New York, NY 10024

I became interested in non-toxic printmaking around 2001. First, I was pleased to discover Keith Howard’s research in etching with photopolymer film. Soon after, I discovered the possibilities of acrylic resist etching by Friedhard Kiekeben. Since then, I have included these techniques in my own artwork. Including non-toxic processes to my printmaking practice has been good not just for my health but also to develop a meaningful artwork that otherwise it wouldn't have looked the same.  

The nontoxicprint is the place where I have been feeding and refreshing my knowledge as a contemporary printmaker. The website offers a well organized archive of articles with all the relevant information about non-toxic printmaking. Also, being a contemporary printmaker you could feel isolated but thanks to the network created by nontoxicprint you can feel part of a worldwide community of artists with your similar interests. 

Nuria Melero, printmaking artist and educator based in Barcelona.  Main organizer of the ON PAPER International Printmaking contest. 

https://nuriamelero.com/

Testimonial for Nontoxicprint resource.

As a visual artist and co-lead of Artlab Contemporary Print Studios in the UK, one of my main ambitions and drivers for the last 25 years has been to create a safe, innovative, and transdisciplinary studio where traditional and contemporary print practices sit side by side. 

The nontoxicprint website is a rich resource and has created a network of artists all contributing to a global conversation around safer practices for anyone using print. 

Such discourse is essential to maintain innovation and to equip practitioners and studios with the necessary information needed to create safe, creative, practical print studios. 

Friedhard’s significant research into safer processes and materials has enabled a continued development of his online platforms and vital link to an extended global creative network. 

Tracy Hill

Research Associate

Artlab Contemporary Print Studios

University of Central Lancashire

Preston 

UK

www.tracyhill.co.uk

www.porosity.co.uk

www.artlabcontemporaryprint.org.uk

It is a great pleasure to be asked to write a testimonial for Friedhard Kiekeben’s Nontoxicprint website. This website is a project of pure dedication to the safety and health of practicing artists, teachers and students who work with potentially hazardous materials, equipment and conditions in the arts. I know of no other internet resource that houses so much freely available information that is meant to help people learn about the hazards they work with and protect themselves. 

We, at the Health in the Arts Program in the University of Illinois School of Public Health, have contributed a number of articles to this website, including articles from the illustrious Center for Safety in the Arts that form essential resources for current art practitioners and those considering setting up a workspace. 

There are many, many materials in the visual arts that can be extremely dangerous when used without adequate precautions. Unfortunately, most artists have little health or safety training and often do not know where to look for this type of information. The labels on art products are often inadequate to prevent disasters. An article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, titled What Should OEM Physicians Know About Ammonium Bifluoride, reports on an artist with a home studio using a glass etching material that is available from many art supply stores. The artist’s child became exposed and despite outstanding emergency medical care, died shortly thereafter. The label on this 3 oz. bottle had a warning in a tiny font that users could easily overlook.

Art materials can be dangerous, but not all of them cause immediate disorders. Many can cause cancer or other chronic illnesses that can take years to develop. It is critical that people working with these materials take the time to learn about the hazards and how to protect themselves. The Nontoxicprint website can be a place to turn for information on the materials and processes you plan to use. There are also articles on setting up safety systems including ventilation for your art workspace. It can also direct you to other useful resources.

Congratulations and many thanks to Friedhard for dedicating himself to this mission. He has endured a lot to get this information out, but in the long run, he has improved the world by working to keep people in the arts healthy and productive.

David Hinkamp, MD, MPH

Founder and Director

Health in the Arts Program

School of Public Health

University of Illinois at Chicago

Our legacy, when it comes to art, is defined by our imagery which is coupled with our means of process. In pursuing safer printing practices, we are standing up for artists by generating a consciousness focused on a healthier way of creating. The time we spend here is limited, so it is important to pass on the knowledge we have. By being guides for future generations, we need to continue in the pursuit of healthier processes that will protect those who wish to develop their imagery. Breathing should not be hard for artists just because of what we do.

When teaching non-toxic printmaking at a university level, the information that we relay seems to hit home with many of the students. A large percentage of them do not truly understand the toxicity level of even their everyday items. Many believe the world is safer now than it was and that the items that we have created will protect them. We may never truly understand the amount of damage these items emit within our ecosystem, let alone our health. By pursuing new technology, we are not giving up the traditions of our field. We are just trying to make a safer tomorrow because we believe it should be that way. 

At this present moment in time, I am experimenting and teaching at Rochester Institute of Technology. The work I am currently engaging with is centered around Toyobo photopolymer plates in addition to HD ImagOn film while using a LED exposure unit. The work has been incredibly promising and I am excited about what is possible. By continuing to revolutionize our processes, we will be able to transform our art form into a healthier existence.

Adj. Prof. Elizabeth Kelly Heald

Ekhfaa@rit.edu

Liz.emk.kelly@gmail.com

College of Art Design 

Rochester Institute of Technology

55 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623

liz-m-kelly.com

nontoxicprint.com, gathers more than 30 years of research, experience, and innovative techniques on one website. 

A website on which printmakers, painters, and chemists selflessly share their knowledge with a growing audience.An audience looking for new materials and methods to work with their medium in a safer environment. But besides the latter, the concern for the health of artists and feeling responsible for our environment make this website unique.

I still consult the website on a regular basis, but also recommend it to my students as part of their education. Everything is explained clearly, which is important in introducing new and innovative possibilities.

Pioneers Friedhard KIEKEBEN, as well as the many others who contribute, deserve to be recognized in the long history of the visual arts.

Marnix Everaert - Department non-toxic printmaking - 

Academie voor Beeldende Kunst, Ghent, Belgium.ill

https://www.marnixeveraert.com/cv

Nontoxicprint.com is a remarkable and valuable resource.  More than just a knowledge base it works to connect practitioners of safer printmaking world-wide.

When I set up the Wharepuke Print Studio in 2005 -  (New Zealand’s first and only dedicated acrylic resist etching workshop) there was little readily available information on safer printmaking practices, apart from the excellent books by Keith Howard, Henrik Bøegh and Robert Adam & Carole Robertson.   It was quite a challenge finding reliable information and even more so, materials.   Now we have this vibrant on-line resource and community which expands and sustains the field and that is something to be cherished.  Thank you to everyone involved.

Mark Graver RE – Wharepuke Print Studio, Kerikeri, New Zealand

if you wish to share your own testimonial, please email:

contact@nontoxicprint.com