Contemporary Printmaking and the Concept of Expanded Field

Traditionally, printmaking was associated with disciplines such as intaglio, lithography, and woodcut—processes that required a matrix, ink, and paper. However, in recent decades, the concept of printmaking has been radically transformed. Researchers and artists have coined the term “expanded field” to describe practices that transcend the physical and conceptual limits of conventional printmaking.

This phenomenon does not imply the death of traditional techniques, but rather their coexistence and dialogue with new media. The National Chalcography Institute, for example, maintains century-old printing presses and continues to publish high-quality prints, but also invites artists who incorporate digital processes or site-specific installations. As Santín and Navarro point out, contemporary woodcut is no longer limited to the woodblock; it can be projected as an installation in the exhibition space, interact with light, or be incorporated into video environments.

A prime example of this hybridization is the work of the DX5 group at the University of Vigo. This research collective champions an “intangible graphic,” where the image no longer resides solely in the physical trace, but also in the process, the idea, or the digital distribution. Publications such as *On Minded Prints* compile works by Spanish artists from the turn of the millennium who work precisely at this boundary: prints that are sculptures, installations that are prints, and prints that are video.

Expanded field printmaking demonstrates that graphic art has not lost its relevance, but rather has reinvented itself. Far from being a minor or merely artisanal discipline, it now sits at the heart of contemporary artistic debate, questioning the originality, reproducibility, and materiality of the artwork.

Latamarte