The Archive

Two men looking at art work on a wall

About

The Kenneth Tyler Collection tells the story of the incredible artistic and technical developments in the field of 20th century printmaking and the story of the artists who worked there. Understanding the ingenuity and ambition of these works of art, produced by 78 artists across 36 years all in collaboration with master printer Kenneth Tyler, can be a complex task: How did Kenneth Tyler redefine the boundaries of printmaking? How did some of the 20th century’s greatest artists adapt to the disciplines of print?

The resources of the Kenneth Tyler Collection’s archive provide a unique window on to this pivotal period of print history. It illustrates the nature of collaboration and innovation in Ken Tyler’s workshops and provides a rich account of the creation of thousands of works of art.

This archive was generously given to the National Gallery of Australia as a gift from Kenneth Tyler and Marabeth Cohen-Tyler in 2002. The archive contains:

  • Print documents that detail the complexity and development of thousands of works of art
  • Photographs of the artists at work
  • Film and sound recordings from major projects
  • Published ephemera from artist editions
  • Press clippings and interview transcripts

By illuminating the intricacies of the printmaking process and the creative problem solving that Tyler developed to accommodate an artist’s ambitions, the Kenneth Tyler Collection archive is an indispensable resource for scholars, students and artists for generations to come.

On this page you will find some of the most important documents that the collection holds. If you are a researcher and would like access to material via a range of finding aids, please get in touch at tylercollection@nga.gov.au. This page will be added to as our archivists work on making this material accessible to the public.

Related

Exhibition

The Artist and the Printer

Past Exhibition

29 Nov 1986 – 10 May 1987

This exhibition explored the fascinating relationship between an artist and printer.

Exhibition

Ken Tyler
Printer Extraordinary

Past Exhibition

6 Jun 1985 – 13 Oct 1985

Ken Tyler was the founder of two major graphic workshops, has become one of America's greatest printers in the past two decades.

Major Exhibition

Know My Name
Making it Modern

Past Exhibition
Four panels of screens painted with oils, featuring various trees and flora

5 Aug – 8 Oct 2023

Know My Name: Making it Modern celebrates pioneering women artists who changed the course of modern art in Australia.

Exhibition

Frank Stella
The Kenneth Tyler Print Collection

Past Exhibition
a bright screenprint with geometric patterns and shapes collaged together

19 Nov 2016 – 22 Oct 2017

A showcase of Frank Stella's adventurous and groundbreaking prints that helped shape the development of 20th century printmaking.

Exhibition

Behind the Scenes
Tyler Graphics at work

Past Exhibition
Abstract work of multicoloured shapes and forms

4 Dec 2015 – 22 May 2016

This exhibition presented a unique selection from the Gallery's Kenneth Tyler Print Collection, taking us behind the scenes at Tyler Graphics Ltd.

Exhibition

Cressida Campbell

Past Exhibition
A coloured illustrative print of Japanese Hydrangeas

24 Sep 2022 – 19 Feb 2023

The survey exhibition will present the depth and virtuosity of Campbell's work.

Wheelchair Accessible
Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

A couple embrace in front of a colourful artwork

From 1966 until 2001 master printer Kenneth Tyler collaborated with some of the twentieth century's most brilliant artists.

Exhibition

Welcome to the Water Planet
Paperworks by James Rosenquist

Past Exhibition
A collage of Futuristic, multicoloured spaceship imagery

10 Jun 2006 – 12 Sep 2006

James Rosenquist used 720 sheets of handmade paper which show the earth as a rich but vulnerable planet under threat from a growing consumer culture.

Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

Printmaking

Four men looking at paper with freshly printed artwork on it

Printers and artists worked together to broaden techniques, advance technologies, and expand the possibilities of printmaking.

Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

Artists

A woman in a room looking at artwork on a wall

Kenneth Tyler collaborated with leading artists working in America in the post Second World War era. He also mentored emerging artists.