An attendee of the exhibition evaluates two juxtaposed frames.
Prints line the second-floor galleries of the Addison Gallery of American Art (Addison), including geometric grids, mathematical patterns, and playful images of gumball machines and candy. The exhibition “Parasol Press: Breaking New Ground” traces more than four decades of printmaking, presenting works published by Parasol Press between 1970 and 2014.
The exhibition also tells a distinctly Andover story. As Rachel Vogel, Assistant Curator at the Addison and curator of this exhibition, explained, Parasol Press was founded in 1970 by Phillips Academy alumnus Bob Feldman, whose long-standing relationship with the Addison helped shape the museum’s collection and the exhibition itself.
“Parasol Press was a print publisher founded in 1970 in New York by [Andover] alum [Robert] Feldman [’54]… When I came here, I realized that the founder had this [Andover] connection and was a strong supporter of the Addison,” said Vogel.
Parasol Press was among the first publishers to invite minimalist and conceptual artists in the 1960-70s to experiment freely with printmaking. Vogel explained that this emphasis on experimentation was central to the exhibition’s focus on process and technique, and highlighted a pivotal moment in the medium’s history.
“[Artists] were trying things with printmaking that had not been done before. At the same time, they were learning from printmaking and from the experience itself. Printmaking was changing them, and they were changing printmaking. As you will see in the exhibition, there is a strong focus on process and technique. The idea is that the visitor is also learning about printmaking and how these prints were made,” said Vogel.
Vogel continued, “The 1970s [were] an especially exciting moment when printmaking shifted from being seen as a secondary medium to being embraced as a true art form. It also tells a story about different types of printmaking and what is possible within the medium. That layered focus on history, practice, and art makes it educational in several ways.”
Viewers encountered prints that appeared deceptively simple, a quality that Felisha Li ’28 thought made the exhibition more engaging.
“I was expecting more elaborate paintings, so I was surprised by how simple everything was. The works almost looked like room decor because they were so bright and colorful. I think the minimalism added to the experience. When there is more blank space, it gives you more time to observe. With a very detailed or cluttered piece, it can feel confusing, and you might not fully process everything,” said Felisha Li.
By allowing for a wide range of interpretations, the exhibition enabled visitors with different interests to find their own points of entry. Angela Parker, Educator for Academy Engagement at the Addison, emphasized the exhibition’s interdisciplinary value.
“Students who are interested in art may be excited by how much there is to learn about printmaking and what is possible within the medium. Math students might be interested in the logical and mathematical thinking involved in printmaking. Other students might find interesting connections to different modes of visual expression… From an educator’s perspective, I don’t think of the exhibition as having one central takeaway. I think the value lies in there being space for many different takeaways, depending on the lens students bring with them,” said Parker.
That openness resonated with Shijun Li ’28, who approached the exhibition from an artist’s perspective. He noted that it gave him a renewed appreciation for abstract art and challenged common assumptions about what gives art value.
“Most people, especially people who are not artists, judge art solely on the technical skill. You very often hear ‘I could do that’ in abstract or modern art exhibitions as a sort of dismissal of the piece. That philosophy completely misses the point. Abstract art’s purpose is not to showcase technical ability, but to specifically explore fundamental elements of art and design by removing all the clutter. It confronts the audience with simplicity and challenges us to find its value. I learned all that from this exhibition, and I’m grateful that it has opened me to a whole world,” said Li.
Those moments of reflection aligned with Vogel’s hopes for the exhibition, to shift viewers’ attention away from polished outcomes toward the processes behind the works.
“The process of making can be iterative, and artists often began working in a medium they were unfamiliar with. That experimentation, and sometimes even failure, became the force that drove their work forward… I hope visitors take away a willingness to try something new, to experiment, and to innovate. I also hope they develop curiosity about how things are made…. That creates a different kind of relationship with art,” said Vogel.
