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History of Kenneth Tyler

Man in an art workshop using a large paint roller to press paint ink on stone

Kenneth Tyler was a progressive force in the world of art. His workshops in Los Angeles, Gemini Ltd. (1965) and Gemini GEL (1966-1973) and later in New York State with Tyler Workshop (1973) and Tyler Graphics Ltd. (1974-2001) pushed the artistic and technical boundaries of printmaking and papermaking: Rather than limiting an artist’s vision to the constraints of traditional printmaking, his aim was to expand printmaking to match the vision of the artist.

Having begun his printmaking career in 1963 at Tamarind Lithography, an institute whose aim was to revive the dwindling practice of lithography in the United States, Tyler recognized that the artform’s restrictive traditions were at odds with the aims of modern art. He believed that technological innovation and experimentation in printmaking could elevate the field. Over the course of his career, Tyler worked with notable artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Helen Frankenthaler, David Hockney, Frank Stella, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg and embarked on ambitious career defining projects with them. From creating some of the largest and most complex prints in history, to experimenting in the field of papermaking, Tyler initiated collaborative ways of working and created new technologies that expanded the possibilities of printmaking.

  • Tyler Biography

    Man wearing sunglasses sitting in the driver's side of a red van
  • The Workshops

    Close up of two male hands gesturing to artwork on a table
  • The Team

    Close up of multiple hands touching and pressing a resin art mold
  • Further Reading

    Varying sizes of tin pots filled with paint

Related


Tyler Biography

Man wearing sunglasses sitting in the driver's side of a red van

Kenneth E Tyler was born in East Chicago, Indiana in 1931. His family was one of the many who emigrated from Europe.

Frank Stella

Black and white photograph of Frank Stella

One of 77 artists who collaborated with master printer Kenneth Tyler.

Robert Motherwell

Black and white photograph of Robert Motherwell

One of 77 artists who collaborated with master printer Kenneth Tyler.

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.

Kenneth Price

Black and white portrait photo of Kenneth Price

One of 77 artists who collaborated with master printer Kenneth Tyler.

Exhibition

Lichtenstein to Warhol
The Kenneth Tyler Collection

A print of Richard Nixon in blue, red, and yellow with the words "vote MCGOVERN" below

7 Sep 2019—9 Mar 2020

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Yuuma, Gurruburri

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The National Gallery acknowledges the First Peoples of this land and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country

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