Artist gets ‘Interpersonal’ for Final Friday

Gregory Folken loved to draw as a child, but when it came time to pursue a degree, he feared that his passion would make it difficult to earn a living. Focusing on his math skills, he tried architecture and engineering, but quickly accepted that it just wasn’t right. He knew the answer was returning to art.

“I realized I had to do it, and needed to do it, and I would figure out how to make it work,” Folken says.

Realizing that the answer lies within is a pervasive theme in Folken’s exhibit “Interpersonal,” which opens Friday in Newman University’s Steckline Gallery. The exhibition begins with a Final Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. and will run through Feb. 19.

Folken earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from Texas A&M, and this past year received his master’s in printmaking from Wichita State. He now lectures at WSU and Emporia State University, and says much of his inspiration comes from other artists, including his fiancee, and the students he works with.

“It’s a really inspiring process,” he says. “Seeing their drive and motivation, and how their knowledge is used.”

Folken has plenty to share with his students thanks to a resume full of exhibitions, awards and commissions. This past summer he took home Best of Show at the Liberty Arts Squared Arts Festival in Liberty, Mo., and he was recently accepted into Denver’s Cherry Creek Arts Festival in July.

While Folken enjoys other mediums, his great love is monotype printmaking. “Interpersonal” features black and white monotypes. He was introduced to the process by Mark Anderson, professor and chair of printmaking at Baylor University, during his undergraduate studies. Anderson remembers Folken as a very self-directed student with a large vocabulary of techniques.

“His strokes are very forceful. There are no indecisive marks in his work, which lends to its expressive quality,” Anderson says.

To make a monotype, Folken uses a pin press – similar to a rolling pin. He starts by applying an oil-based etching ink to a thin sheet of plexiglass, and then uses anything from palette knives, Q-tips, paper towels to his bare hands to add or remove ink to create his image. The ink dries slowly, allowing Folken plenty of time to work. Once the image is complete, he lays a sheet of dampened printmaking paper over the glass and applies pressure with the pin press. The majority of ink is transferred from the glass to the paper.

“Monotypes are unique in that only one full print may be pulled from the plate,” Folken says. “This differs from other printmaking processes like woodcuts or etchings where the image is carved or etched into the plate and multiple prints may be pulled by re-inking the plate.”

Folken says “Interpersonal” is about searching for a meaning beyond the surface of everyday life and exploring connections with others. The use of black and white relates to the directness needed for introspection.

“It bears down to the basics, allowing me to see what’s really going on inside of me,” Folken says.

Folken hopes viewers will experience a sense of discovery with “Interpersonal.” He notes that some pieces are more abstract than others, but each offers more than you might think at first glance.

“If they spend a little more time they’ll notice figures within the paintings,” he says. “At first they might not notice, which is what I wanted to happen.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Artist gets ‘Interpersonal’ for Final Friday."