Negative Press

21/01/2025

This time last year I undertook the second part of a residency at RACV Goldfields, running print and drawing workshops with staff and guests. The workshop outcomes were exhibited at their Arts House. On the last days of install I had a special guest installer. Thank you to Mardi and Adam at RACV for organising and supporting this work 🙏🏼





Photos: Terry Hope

22/12/2024

A new endeavour coming to in February. Follow for more info 😎

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Coming soon!

The inaugural Melbourne Art Print Fair: edition1.

A three-day celebration of the collective creativity of the art and printmaking community.

22/12/2024

17/12/2024

Come and visit Negative Press this Friday and Saturday. This is a great opportunity to look at prints that you may have seen online, and visit our Brunswick studio. Over the past two months, the mezzanine level of the studio has been reorganised to function as a print room, making it easier to look through the dozens of prints we've published over the last several years. It will also serve as an informal end of year celebration, where we can collectively raise a glass to 2024.

16/12/2024

Some contextual shots for the recent edition launch. LOVE YOUR MOTHER 2022 art walll on the fourth floor overlooking the Kaiela (Goulburn) River.

Thank you to for the initial invitation and .baylart for seeing it through.

For the edition, Lizzie and I proofed it in the ultramarine and yellow, but it was too overwhelming at the reduced scale. The paper support also became the ground on which the text could sit for the print.

13/12/2024

Thinking of John Nixon today on his birthday. What a beautiful man, and a fierce and loyal friend. If that wasn't enough, he was also a great artist 🎨

These candid pictures were taken at Briar Hill while documenting some of John's prints in December of 2019. I recall asking John in the second photo to pretend that he was holding a piece of paper: he was always a willing collaborator!

Sue and Emma were his dearest. Miss you, John.

🧡🧡🧡

06/12/2024

PRINT RELEASE:

Elizabeth Boon and Trent Walter
LOVE YOUR MOTHER
screenprint on Somerset soft white 300 gsm
36 x 62 cm
edition of 15 (3 available with this paper)
Published and printed by Negative Press
$ 500 incl. gst unframed

his collaborative edition by Walter and Boon follows their wall work, 'LOVE YOUR MOTHER', at Shepparton Art Museum. The phrase ‘Love Your Mother’ was first observed at a climate rally, where Boon recognised its potency as an intimate yet generous expression of place, matriarchy, ecologies of tenderness and reciprocity, and community mindedness. The text is a three word poem, and its multiple meanings invite a reflection on respect for people, Place, and knowledge.

Available in an edition of 15 prints in total, with three paper options (warm white, grey and white), from our online store 👆🏼

06/12/2024

PRINT RELEASE:

Elizabeth Boon and Trent Walter
LOVE YOUR MOTHER 
screenprint on Somerset soft white 300 gsm  
36 x 62 cm
edition of 15
Published and printed by Negative Press
$ 500 incl. gst unframed

This collaborative edition by Walter and Boon follows their wall work, 'LOVE YOUR MOTHER', at Shepparton Art Museum. The phrase ‘Love Your Mother’ was first observed at a climate rally, where Boon recognised its potency as an intimate yet generous expression of place, matriarchy, ecologies of tenderness and reciprocity, and community mindedness. The text is a three word poem, and its multiple meanings invite a reflection on respect for people, Place, and knowledge.

Available in an edition of 15 prints in total, with three paper options: warm white, grey and white.

Available directly from our online store 👆🏼

28/11/2024

Officially a doctor! And now back in the studio full time! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this. It is a really long list.

❤️❤️❤️🎨🥳💥

19/11/2024

Documentation of the fantastic new publication to accompany the exhibition:

Tjukurpa Handle It: Robert Fielding

Available from for $20 + postage. *n.b. production run is not signed

Produced and published by
Gallery Director — Dr Gerry Bobsien
Gallery Deputy Director — Courtney Novak
Exhibition Curators — Robert Fielding, Gerry Bobsien
Exhibition Assistand Curators — Kim Blunt, Angus Webb
Forward —
Essay — .vink
Artist transcripts —
Pitjantjatjara proofread — Anna Wattler, Angus Webb
Robert Fielding
Editing — Gerry Bobsien, Kim Blunt, Cheryll Farrell, Holly Farrell, Courtney Novak
Graphic Design —
Environmental Portrait Photography — Meg Hansen
Artwork Photography —

13/11/2024

What an amazing week in Newcastle/Maitland last week with

Firstly, Robert's solo exhibition "Tjukurpa Handle It", the culmination of two years work on a large print-based body of work between Robert's studio in Mimili and Negative Press, was installed and opened last Saturday at Maitland Regional Gallery. Robert is so innovative in his use of printed matter in his paintings and objects—debossing, sandblasting using stencils, screenprinting, paste ups, and more. He has developed an amazing studio collaboration with Mimili's special projects manager, Angus Webb (slide 5), over the past seven years that displays Robert's expression of ngarparji ngaparji— pitjantjatjara for working together, 50/50.

In the lead up to the exhibition opening, we undertook a five day long intensive print workshop with wati (men) from Mimili Maku Arts and Mindaribba Local Land Council. Robert mentored these men, sharing techniques he has developed, wanting to pave a way for their emergence to greater engagement with sharing visual culture and greater visibility in the art world. There was no required outcome from the workshops, though one work by each workshop participant is now on display in "tjintu kutju, kililpi tjuta—one sun many stars" in the Maitland Regional Gallery window facing High St. The title was devised by Desmond Woodforde (slide 3) in a very poetic process of describing collaboration between the two communities, and the overlapping nature of their respective cultures.

Huge shout out to and all the staff at Maitland Regional Gallery for their enthusiasm and support of all of the above, Mr & Mrs Kempton for their generous hospitality, .curator ditto, and Anna Wattler and the board of Mimili Maku Arts for their ongoing leadership in cross cultural collaboration.

If you are heading to NSW over the summer, be sure to stop in at Maitland Regional Gallery to see these incredible works.

14/10/2024

It was a great pleasure working with Brent Harris on this screenprint to support his major exhibition "Surrender and Catch" at Art Gallery of South Australia. Images 2 & 3 are Brent's preparatory drawings and inspiration. Follow to see and read more. Available to purchase directly from .adelaide .store

'The imagery for this work was first generated in 2007, after a trip to the Metrpolitan Museum of Art in New York. A small polychrome sculpture in the medieval section of a Deposition from the Cross had this weeping figure in the background. I focussed on this faceless figure and for some reason decided to make drawings of this on my return to Melbourne. Nothing became of these charcoal drawings at the time. Not until this year, 15 years after first engaging this imagery, I have now painted and made this print of my Sad Magdalene. As it appears now, I see also two pink shrouded figures entering a tomb.' —Brent Harris

Brent Harris
Sad Magdalene 2024
Screenprint
60 x 48 cm
Edition of 30
Printed by Negative Press

11/10/2024

Tomorrow afternoon at Counihan Gallery in Brunswick, I'll be talking alongside as part of the political posters exhibition 'Future Foundations' organised by Troppo Print Studio.

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⏰️This Sunday 2pm

As part of our 'Future Foundations' exhibition, join Troppo Print Studio for a series of short talks with contemporary, collaborative and underground small press publishers. This panel discussion with Clare Jackson and Elise Stanley from Megalo Print Studio (Kanberri/Canberra), and Trent Walter of Negative Press (Naarm/Melbourne), with a focus on the archive, printmaking and collaborative making and the power of the collective vs. the individual.

The floor talk will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions

11/10/2024

Huge congratulations to Bianca Hester's on the opening of her solo exhibition 'Lithic Bodies' 🙌🏽

Repost .hester
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to Lithic Bodies over the past 2 years – there are so many people who have been involved in this project: helping me to walk and listen on Dharawal Country, to think through the complex layers, to collaborate across many fields, and nurture this epic multi-dimensional formation into the world! I am so grateful to you all – especially .j.hewitt, , , , , , , , , , & all listed below.

Thanks to for the amazing install support, and the incredible team curator Catherine Woolley who has greeted every process with a big open yes to what could be possible. ❤️

Very special thanks to the project’s curator and essayist Bronwyn Bailey-Charteris whose critical insights, steadfast encouragement and loving engagement over the past year has help keep it all on track big time. ❤️
THANKYOU!

Cultural consultation and mentoring: Peter Hewitt, Uncle Peter Button, Nicole Monks

Public programs collaborators: Matt Poll, Tyson Antonio Frigo, Nicole Smede, Leon Fuller, Emma Rooksby, Leah Gibbs

Exhibition design: Ying-Lan Dann (Sertori Lau Architecture); Video production and editing: Sammy Hawker, Sound design: Aaron Hull, Screen printing: Trent Walter Graphic design: Paul Mylecharane (Public Office)

Technical and fieldwork support: Ian Hibble, Izak Schoon, Brogan Bunt, Lizzie Muller, Lana Nguyen, Kieran Jones.

Essays: Bronwyn Bailey-Charteris, Saskia Beudel

Geologic consultation and assistance: Solomon Buckman, Brian Jones, Megan Williams, Tara Djokic, Patrick Smith, Matthew McCurry, Graham McLean, Vivi Vajda.

Installation and AV support at UNSW galleries: Justin Henderson, Justin Henderson, Mark Booth, Gotaro Uematsu, Jono Bolitho, Jamie Kraussman

Catalogue and media: Emily Roebuck
Foundry casting by

Funding support: Creative Australia, CREATE NSW, City of Wollongong

Institutional partners: UNSW Galleries

24/09/2024

It was a great pleasure to work with Francis Carmody on an ambitious work for his current solo show at Conners Conners. Special thanks to Danica Miller for her advice on joining large images together across multiple screens.

Also on view is an excellent show by Rafat Ishak, not to be missed.

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Francis Carmody | Continuous Cities

Continuous Cities looks to the distant future of the planet, combining current knowledge of mineral deposits, surveys of industrial centres, natural resources, and cities with geological projections modelling the surface of the earth and its different trajectories.

Exhibition runs until 12 October. Gallery hours Wed-Sat, 12-6.

13/09/2024

Tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm I'll be in conversation with to launch a print edition we made at NP earlier this year. This is the fourth in a series of editions made with artists based on the Mornington Peninsula, initiated by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. Previous editions were made with

Come down and see the National Works on Paper exhibition at the same time.

10/09/2024

It was a great honour to judge the National Works on Paper award alongside .waup


Congratulations to all the finalists.

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National Works on Paper 2024 Major Acquisitive Award Winner

Congratulations to D Harding, winner of the National Works on Paper 2024 $20,000 Major Acquisitive Award. D Harding’s work (Potentially) enough bodypaint for three dancers, 2023, was chosen from 70 shortlisted works, out of 1,049 entries.

Judges’ comments: ‘The judges were impressed with the simplicity of this work, the simplicity which holds so much cultural weight though it is portable, physically light, barely there. Its silence speaks volumes. Harding has presented a very clever use of paper, making it active, a vessel, a carrier of Country, Culture, ritual, people. Three makes a crowd, a community and the temporal aspect of this work is mesmerising. Even away from Country you can carry it, literally, with you and reactivate your community.’

Emerging Artist Winner

Kyra Mancktelow’s Mrs (Unconstitutional Love), 2024, wins the National Works on Paper 2024 Emerging Artist $5,000 award.

Judges’ comments: ‘Kyra Macktelow has impressed the judges with her precise printing technique using soft organza material often used for wedding dresses, while also referencing a very specific time in Australian history that saw racist social policies determining who Aboriginal people could marry. The anonymity and absence of the wearer sits on the sheet as evidence, a facsimile that insists on a reclamation of history and a remembering of individual and community pain. Its life-size and floating aspect drive this haunting effect and make this a compelling piece. It is a moment we need to remember so past mistakes are not repeated.’

Friends of MPRG Acquisitions: Djakanyu Yunupingu, Solomon Booth, Kieran Karritpul, Joel Wolter

MPRG Acquisitions: Amala Groom, Bori Benkő, Olga Cironis

The awards are supported by Mornington Peninsula Shire and the Friends of Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.

National Works on Paper 2024 is on at MPRG until 24 November. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–4pm. Entry is free.

20/08/2024

Incredible work by Simryn Gill on display at 1301SW. The photos never do the work justice. On display till this Saturday. Simryn is one of my favourite printmakers, though she's never written or talked about in this way.

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Installation views and details of Simryn Gill’s ‘Fire Ring’ (2024) in her current solo exhibition ‘Over our heads’, until 24 August.
 
Images: Simryn Gill ‘Fire Ring’ (2024)
Ink rubbing on Washi paper
7 Sheets, 186.5 x 196.5 cm (installation dimensions)