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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
    A history of Kenneth Tyler's four print 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


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

American Masters

Past Exhibition
A print in comic book style with a woman shooting a gun.

24 Aug 2018—11 Nov 2018

The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

David Hockney prints: the National Gallery of Australia Collection

A figure dives into a pool with a splash!

The Kenneth Tyler collection team shares an excerpt from David Hockney prints: the National Gallery of Australia Collection by Dr Jane Kinsman.

Read Time 14 minutes
The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

Frank Stella: The Kenneth Tyler Print Collection

Photograph of Frank Stella: The Kenneth E. Tyler Print Collection at the Orde Poyton Gallery

‘Frank Stella: The Kenneth Tyler Print Collection’ shares the full trajectory of Frank Stella’s innovative printmaking career.

Read Time 6 minutes
The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

Film launch! Kenneth Tyler: The Art of Collaboration

A photo taken from above of a man operating a hydraulic lithography press

The film documents Kenneth Tyler’s life and work from childhood, through his training to become a master printer.

Read Time 3 minutes
International Art

American Masters

Yuuma, Gurruburri

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Aerial view of artist Lola Greeno walking along Rocky Beach
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