Heavy Forms

Robert Blackburn was an American printmaker and educator whose practice centered on lithography and intaglio processes. Born in 1920, he became a central figure in postwar American printmaking, known for his technical mastery and commitment to making advanced printmaking techniques accessible to artists of all backgrounds. He founded the Printmaking Workshop in New York, an influential teaching institution dedicated to the democratic practice of the medium. Blackburn's own prints explored abstraction and figuration with equal facility, establishing him as both a significant maker and a catalyst for the broader expansion of printmaking in American art.