The Taller de Gráfica Popular turned cheap linoleum and a hand press into a global model for collective political printmaking — bold black-line linocuts pulled by the thousands.
History
Founded in Mexico City in 1937 by Leopoldo Méndez, Pablo O'Higgins and Luis Arenal, the TGP produced posters and portfolios for unions, anti-fascist campaigns, and literacy drives. Its visual language shaped protest printmaking from Cuba to South Africa to the Bay Area.
Process
- 01
Sketch the image full-size in reverse onto a battleship linoleum block.
- 02
Carve away negative space with V- and U-gouges.
- 03
Roll oil-based black ink across the block with a brayer.
- 04
Lay newsprint or cheap rag paper on top.
- 05
Pull through a hand-cranked proof press, or burnish with a wooden spoon.
Strengths
- +Cheap, fast, expressive
- +High-contrast graphic punch
- +Editions in the hundreds
Limitations
- −Lino dulls tools quickly
- −Cold lino cracks — warm it first
- −Less detail than wood
Sources & citations
References for the history and process described above.
- 01Taller de Gráfica Popular — MoMA — Collection
- 02Mexican Printmaking and Political Graphics — Library of Congress