Since 1994 artists Dorothy Simpson Krause, Bonny Lhotka, and Karin Schminke have worked together as Digital Atelier®, a printmaking studio for the 21st century with locations near Boston, Massachusetts; Boulder, Colorado; and Seattle, Washington. Combining traditional studio and media techniques with digital imaging, they produce original fine art and editions using the latest printers, computers, imaging hardware and software.
Although they each use the computer as a tool, their work and media choices are as varied as their backgrounds. It includes paintings, collages, image transfers/ monotypes, prints and artist books on surfaces as diverse as plywood, silk, rusty metal, and handmade substrates. Their work is widely displayed both nationally and internationally and can be found in hundreds of corporate and museum collections including the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
In addition to the permanent location of the Digital Atelier in the artists studios, it also exists as a traveling educational forum to illustrate and evangelize the potential of digital tools for artists. In 1997 they introduced digital printmaking to American museums as artists-in-residence at the Smithsonian American Art Museum with “Digital Atelier: A printmaking studio for the 21st century” for which they received a Smithsonian/Computerworld Technology in the Arts Award. Later that year they worked with curators to help them envision the potential of digital printmaking in “Media for a New Millennium” a work-tank/ think-shop organized by the Vinalhaven Graphic Arts Foundation. In 2001 they demonstrated digital printmaking techniques at the opening of the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s 27th Print National, Digital: Printmaking Now.
The artists of Digital Atelier have given numerous demonstrations, presentations, and workshops at venues as diverse as the College Art Association, Photo Marketing Association and MacWorld. They write or have been written about in dozens of periodicals and books. In 2004 the artists wrote Digital Art Studio: Techniques for combining inkjet printing with traditional art materials. Published by Watson-Guptill, it shares the digital mixed media processes they developed over the previous 10 years. Since 2004 the American Print Alliance has circulated “Work from the Digital Studio”, an exhibition of work related to the book Digital Art Studio.
The Digital Atelier artists conduct research on emerging technologies to share with fellow artists while providing feedback to developers from the artist perspective. They have worked with large format inkjet printers and printer media manufacturers since the early 90’s to make adaptations suitable for fine artists, including archival inks and increased head clearance to accommodate fine art papers and other thicker media. Their development work includes creating processes for transferring inkjet prints to other surfaces and facilitating the refinement and marketing of commercially available paintable inkjet precoats for artists. In 1998 they produced and exhibited the first large format fine art lenticular prints. That same year they consulted with Herman Miller, Zeeland, Michigan, to introduce the potential of digital imaging into office interiors. They have also explored printing on fabric backed with paper, using traditional fabric inks in inkjet printers.
Their leadership position allows them to spotlight successful innovation in this rapidly evolving industry, utilize those innovations in the production of their art and share their work and findings through their numerous exhibitions and activities. They are currently working with flatbed UV cured printers, CO2 laser engravers and print-on-demand technology.
Digital Atelier is a registered trademark of Krause, Lhotka, Schminke.
Digital Atelier is a registered trademark of Dorothy Simpson Krause, Bonny Lhotka and Karin Schminke. All images copyright of the artists.