Marco Carofalo won the annual student prize for printmaking, which is named in memory of the late David Skingle, who taught printmaking at London Met for many years.
Date: 25 August 2022
The 2022 David Skingle Prize for Studio Practice in Fine Art Printmaking has been awarded to Marco Carofalo, who studied Fine Art - BA at the School of Art, Architecture and Design.
The prize was given for the studio development work titled CMYK-T790-V850-CNC, in which the artist explores the relationships between modes of human gestural, digital and mechanical reproduction.
The award was established in 2012 in memory of the late academic David Skingle who taught Printmaking at the school for many years, leading the Fine Art Print Room in collaboration with Nigel Oxley and cementing an international reputation for the area.
On CMYK-T790-V850-CNC, Marco said, “As a printmaker I’m intrigued by the concept of seriality, employing the use of mechanical and digital apparatus I explore repetition, where I’m driven by the translations that take place between myself and these tools.
“The photocopier is a core influence, with its potential to reproduce hundreds of copies, where my work revels in its uniqueness, disregarding any notion of edition. I attempt to mimic the resulting visual noise and drag of the machine, my body becomes a tool in the activity; viewing, shifting, and aligning the large rolls of paper.
“Like the title for the installation, the work is an amalgamation of the different devices and processes used, such as colour taken from a pixel, or the ink used in the printer. The output is as much an investigation into the syntax than the result. The exhibition space becomes an environment of opportunity, everything is overlapping, folding, or lying out in the space; intensifying the feel of the photocopier, endless possibilities are being churned out.”
Michael Upton, Head of Academic Portfolio who leads the judging of the award and was a friend of the late artist said, “I am very sure David would have enjoyed Marco’s adventurous engagement with - and interrogation of - printmaking as a human and mechanical process, as well as the humour in the work.”
Speaking about receiving the award, his experience at the school, and his own personal challenges Marco said, “To receive the David Skingle Prize was totally unexpected and it means so much to me to being recognised for a medium at the centre of my practice. My work is very much process led, involving lots of testing, investigating the relationship between the digital and the physical. I am really trying to push the boundaries of print and has been great to see my work develop this year at London Met.
“Joining as a top-up student for my final year has been exciting and extremely busy at the same time. Having access to a great print room and all the other workshops and equipment whilst engaging with a whole new group of people has been so enriching and feel I have made long-term connections with the university.
“I'm excited to see where my practice goes now as printmaking allows me to engage my body in a different way and allows me to stay connected to my artmaking where I suffer with a condition that can leave me in lots of pain and fatigue.
“This has not held me back but made me adapt and further enquire into the digital side of printmaking. To finish the most amazing year with this award in a field that I will be looking to further develop and progress in is so motivational and rewarding and a memory I can look back on and be proud of.”
Image: Marco Carofalo with work CMYK-T790-V850-CNC at the Art, Architecture and Design Summer Show.
