As
we
ponder
what
the
art
of
the
next
century
will
be
like,
we
need
only
look
at
the
work
of
Dorothy
Simpson
Krause,
Bonny
Lhotka
and
Karin
Schminke
for
a
glimpse
of
what
the
future
will
hold.
These
three
artists,
who
together
call
themselves
the
Digital
Atelier,
have
spent
the
last
years
of
this
century
previewing
for
us
the
creative
possibilities
afforded
by
new
digital
print
technologies.
Drawn
together
by
their
shared
love
of
both
traditional
and
digital
media,
Krause,
Lhotka
and
Schminke
have
been
blurring
the
line
between
old
and
new
as
they
push
their
creative
boundaries
outward.
Their
unique
blend
of
traditional
skills
and
contemporary
tools
results
in
art
that
is
grounded
in
the
old
while
reaching
for
the
new.
Digital
Atelier's
creative
process
skillfully
combines
traditional
and
non-traditional
methods
to
produce
prints
unlike
any
others.
Mixed
media
artists,
they
view
the
digital
image
as
just
one
step
in
their
creative
journey.
Creating
their
images
on
the
computer,
they
carefully
construct
layers
of
personal
imagery.
By
compositing
the
images
and
meaning,
the
artists
create
rich
collages
that
are
embued
with
psychological
and
physical
appeal.
Krause,
Schminke
and
Lhotka
have
consistently
used
very
unconventional
approaches
to
the
digital
medium.
Working
hard
in
their
hybrid
studios,
they
have
perfected
techniques
that
enable
them
to
overcome
the
physical
limitations
of
the
printer
and
print
on
a
variety
of
unconventional
substrates.
The
artists
have
even
transferred
their
prints
to
plaster,
creating "digital
frescos," a
wonderful
combination
of
old-master
and
contemporary
media.
Their
latest
area
of
exploration,
lenticular
printmaking,
represents
yet
another
way
that
they
can
realize
their
art
and
stretch
the
boundaries
of
conventional
printmaking.
Not
content
to work
just
in their
own
studios,
Digital
Atelier
seeks
out
innovative
companies
and
master
printmakers
with
whom
they
collaborate.
Through
these
residencies,
and
with
support
from
industry
professionals,
they
perfect
new
ways
to combine
digital
and
physical
print
media.
In pursuing
this
series,
they
have
worked
with
a major
developer
of lenticular
software
and
manufacturer
of lenticular
lens.
While
the
basics
of lenticular
imaging
have
been
practiced
for
over
a century,
it is
the
artists'
advanced
digital
techniques
and
technical
finesse
that
gives
the
prints
in timeXposure
their
amazing
visual
properties.
Sophisticated
software
allows
them
to interlace
a boggling
number
of layers,
and
to carefully
control
the
spatial
illusions
and
trompe-l'oeils.
Krause,
Lhotka
and
Schminke
view
lenticular
printmaking
as an
exciting
new
way
to add
layers
and
transitions
for
viewers
to explore.
timeXposure
represents
a
new
step
in
the
evolution
of
the
artist's
exploration
of
layered
imagery
and
materials.
This
series
integrates
the
concepts
of
time,
space
and
movement
into
printmaking,
as
both
idea
and
illusion.
With
lenticular
techniques,
the
artists
literally
push
the
two-dimensional
image
beyond
its
physical
boundaries.
What
makes
these
lenticular
prints
(like
any
of
their
prints)
so
captivating,
is
not
just
their
accomplished
technique,
but
their
pervasive
style
and
vision.
The
prints
in
this
series
fit
perfectly
into
their
collaborative
body
of
art,
and
compliment
their
individual
sensibilities.
Dorothy
Simpson
Krause's
prints
represent
both
universal
and
personal "excavations".
In
her
images,
the
cumulative
evolution
of
cultural
history
is
paralleled
by
the
cumulative
layering
of
allegory.
Ancient
and
timeless,
her
figures
speak
of
universal
struggles.
Close
inspection
of
Krause's
images
reveal
subtle
historical
and
symbolic
elements,
as
well
as
her
tenacious
concerns
for
women,
the
human
condition
and
the
innate
dignity
of
the
individual.
As
strong
as
these
convictions
are,
however,
the
viewer°not
the
artist°defines
the
meaning
in
her
images.
In
this
series,
the
illusionary
lenticular
layers
act
as
prisms
to
scatter
our
interpretations
and
challenge
our
imagination.
In
contrast
to
Krause's
engaging
heroines,
the
carefully
constructed
images
of
nature
by
Karin
Schminke
create
a
mental
and
visual
space
for
serene
contemplation.
All
Schminke's
images
celebrate
her
love
of
natural
form.
Like
her
others,
her
lenticular
prints
weave
images
of
leaves,
branches
and
grasses
into
a
visual
tapestry.
Subtly
composed,
her
work
creates
sublime
visions
of
nature.
These
pieces
are
not
about
the
literal
place
or
subject,
but
are
an
expression
of
how
and
what
this
artist
sees
and
feels.
The
role
of
place
in
these
works
serves
as
a
vehicle
for
providing
meditative
moments
and
personally
meaningful
form.
These
transcendental
visions
are
exquisitely
enhanced
by
the
mirage-like
properties
of
the
lenticular
prints.
Lenticular
printmaking
offers
Bonny
Lhotka
a
very
apt
and
exciting
way
to
continue
her
reflections
on
the
passing
of
time.
Her
mixed-media
collages
evoke
the
concept
of
time
by
incorporating
the
debris
of
her
studio,
scanned
images
of "forgotten
memories" and
subjects
culled
from
flea
markets
and
second-hand
shops.
This
combination
of
found
materials
gives
a
patina
and
history
to
her
mixed-media
prints.
Time
itself
is
frequently
represented
--
as
an
antique
watch,
nautical
device,
or
simply
as
the
hands
of
a
clock.
Time
is
front,
center,
and
free
from
the
two-dimensional
picture
plane
in
LhotkaØs
lenticular
series.
As
the
viewer "passes
by," the
depicted
devices
for
telling
time
are
animated.
Digital
Atelier's
fusion
of advanced
techniques
with
artistic
tradition
represents
a glimpse
into
the
future
of art
in the
next
century.
There
is an
inherent
tension
between
the
old
and
new
in experimental
art,
but
when
it is
successful,
there
is an
equilibrium.
The
key
to the
art
of Krause,
Lhotka
and
Schminke
is each
artistØs
ability
to find
this
equilibrium
in their
collective
and
individual
styles
by being
rooted
in tradition
while
growing
in new
directions.
These
lenticular
images,
which
rest
somewhere
in our
perception
between
physical
reality
and
illusion,
are
creative
guideposts
on our
journey
into
the
advanced
imaging
of the
next
century.
Mary
Ann
Kearns
Independent
Curator
Director
Gallery
911
North
Chelmsford,
MA
Digital Atelier is a registered trademark of Dorothy Simpson Krause, Bonny Lhotka and Karin Schminke. All images copyright of the artists.