The Risograph Museum is a celebration of the Risograph printing process, its culture, and those who use it. A stencil-based digital press common in offices across the country in the 1990s, Riso was used to produce large but inexpensive runs of one- to two-color publications. The “Riso” eventually faded into near obscurity with the advent of laser printers and other more high-tech reproduction methods, but can still be found in design studios and art departments. An exhibition of presses and artifacts from this once popular printing method will be on display in the Risograph Museum from April 29 through June 30 at Asheville Bookworks, 428 Haywood Road in West Asheville. The museum is curated by Mica Mead and Colin Sutherland, of Woolly Press, an Asheville-based Risograph design and print shop. Included are Riso print guides, color charts, artistic prints, and publications. “We chose to present this exhibition in a museum-like fashion to display the cultural significance of the Riso renaissance and educate people about the Riso as a form of printing,” says Mica. Colin adds, “Sometimes a process can extend beyond the finished work. Such is the case for many Riso printers around the world who devote their days to this peculiar machine. “Our intention with this exhibition is to elevate the Riso as an object into a spectator environment where it can be appreciated for not only its output but as a vehicle for artistic expression and concept distribution.”
For more information on this exhibit and other related activities and events at Asheville Bookworks, visit ashevillebookworks.com. Started in 2004, Asheville BookWorks is home to a vibrant book arts and printmaking community where learning and discourse are fostered through classes, exhibits, and an artists-inresidence program.
