Techne and Art have always been in continuous dialogue since time immemorial. With the invention of the printing press and the discovery of photography, the image generation processes have progressed along previously unknown paths. Multiplicity and its potential dissemination make culture and images travel and spread around the world. This facilitates the creation of a collection and exhibition network and the consideration of the print as an exchange commodity.
On the other hand, the introduction of new technologies in the graphic arts industry and their consequent application in the field of Fine Arts give rise to a reality that is the subject of interest and research. The following study, based on the relationship between Art and Technology, intends to reflect on the concerns over the years of the world of contemporary art graphics, about everything related to the so-called Digital Print.
In the case of inkjet printing technology, there is need for a more precise and detailed knowledge, ranging from the chemistry of pigmented materials and media, to the mechanical/algorithmic operation of printing machinery and plotters, in order to expand the possibilities that the artist has of transgressing and creating from the very image generation process.
A large section of the book is also devoted to the so-called “Journey into the Inside of Paper” where, its history is used to provide information on how paper is manufactured, its components, etc., and delve in-depth into the chemistry of the main medium of contemporary graphics. The intention, above all, using more than five hundred electron microscopy photos, is to provide the status quo of coated digital printing paper. In other words, demonstrate how the state-of-the-art technology of today’s materials is at the service of the industry and how paper manufacturers work closely with large companies that manufacture inks and printing machines to optimise piezoelectric printing results.
The result of an exhaustive research work is the book “Impresión piezoeléctrica. La estampa inyectada, algunas reflexiones en torno a la gráfica digital” that collects texts and works by well-known artists with knowledge of digital graphics; about their experience with current print media and technical and eminently practical historical aspects.