Stanley William Hayter, for whom we have a separate On-Line Exhibition, moved to Paris in 1926 and, in 1927 founded an experimental workshop for the graphic arts - Atelier 17 - a name that was adopted in 1933 when Hayter moved his establishment from its original home to 17 rue Campagne-Première. Through the late 1920s and 1930s Hayter and other artists at Atelier 17 began a series of experiments using engraving, soft-ground etching, gaffrauge, open-bite, scorper and other innovative, textural techniques, all loosely based on the Surrealist / Jungian concepts of subconscious image and automatic line. Artists from around the world gathered to work with him and ideas flowed freely.

As the action of World War II began to move toward Paris many artists chose to leave Europe. In 1940 Hayter moved to New York and re-founded Atelier 17 at the New School and then moved to a studio on East 8th Street in 1945. The studio again became a melting pot for the artists who had come over from Europe, American artists (many who had been part of the printmaking section of the WPA) and some young rebels, many of whom were veterans using the GI Bill. These artists were interested in breaking with the past and experimenting with new techniques and ideas, like those, which were encouraged at Atelier 17. As it was in Paris there were no official teachers and no “students” in the New York studio, once you were accepted it became an associative effort where internationally famous printmakers worked side by side with totally unknown artists as equals.  Hayter, with his dynamic personality, curiosity and scientific background remained the glue that kept it all together.

In New York the emphasis became more focused on experimental color printing, including the use of viscosity printing and offset color using screenprint, stencil and woodcut, plaster prints, etc. As in Paris, the “salability” of the image was near the bottom of the list of expectations.

Hayter returned to Paris in 1950 and re-established Atelier 17, attracting more international artists, many now coming from Asia and Latin America. He continued to experiment with color printing, including the use of Flowmaster pens, incongruous and fluorescent color and flowing, interwoven patterns.

Many of the concepts and techniques of Atelier 17 are continued today through Atelier Contrepoint, located at 10 rue Didot, 75014 Paris, France. 

The international influence of Atelier 17 is still to be determined.  Hundreds of artists came through the studio, some staying for just a few days, others for months or years.  Many of these printmakers went on to establish university printmaking departments that were loosely based on the principles of Atelier 17, some of whom became successful, recognized printmakers in their own right while others just continued working without major recognition or financial success but with much personal growth and satisfaction. 

Hayter and Atelier 17 might well be best summed up by printmaker, Jean Lodge. Lodge wrote the following passage in 1981 for the Oxford Gallery publication For Stanley Wm. Hayter on his 80th Birthday:

“I worked with Hayter in Atelier 17 from 1966 to 1969; the experience influenced my whole conception of art. The intensity and excitement in the Atelier came from Hayter’s insistence on using controlled ‘experiments’ to create unforeseen images. ‘If you already know what it is going to look like, there is no point in doing it.’ For Hayter making pictures is a profound, sometimes amusing and always daringly imaginative ‘game.’ It is played on the edge of the visual unknown and may lead to startling results. ‘If it looks out of balance, unbalance it even more.’ He provoked me to look for movement, surprise, the unexpected ... to take pictorial risks and to avoid predictable stability and harmony. Bill’s own paintings and prints are constantly evolving, changing. In this sense he is younger in spirit than most of the artists working around him. Once he reaches a solution he always moves on to new research; art is adventure, forward-looking, driving into the unknown.”

Click on this link below to view the exhibition. Once there you can view the exhibition by artist, title, price, etc. by using the pull down Sort By menu in the upper right.  Each artist has a biography link that also explains the link to Atelier 17.

The exhibition can also be viewed in different formats by using the pull down View menu, also in the upper right. Just click on the title or the image for more information on each work.