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Martin welded the leaves to the stem and the blades to the motor. This process required sophisticated equipment because of the inherent problem in aluminum welding. In addition to all the subtle techniques which had to be developed by Alan Eaker to accomplish mold-making, wax-making, and casting, a 360[[?]] swiveling table developed by David Margin so that a continuous weld bead could be effected. For some students at U.S.F., the occasion to see the complexity of various applied foundry techniques and the utilization of newly developed welding machinery made them the educational beneficiaries of the project. In addition the equipment necessary to produce these works was donated to the university and a number of were employed as apprentices on the project. One of the more extraordinary experiences was seeing the aluminum sculptures returned to Vermont and placed in the identical position of the original waxes, thus completing both the technical and artistic metamorphosis which had been under-taken so many months before. 
 Concurrently, Dine produced a suite of five masterfully drawn lithos of the metamorphosis on Natsume paper which was then silkscreened with pure varnish by Charles Ringness and Julio Juristo, giving the paper an extraordinary parch-mentlike quality. Dine also executed two bathrobe images. One bathrobe, a 12-color woodcut and lithograph combination, utilized various plywood boards and was hand-cut by Paul Clinton to bring about perfect, contiguous registration based on the master litho drawing by Dine. The combination of lithography and woodcut provided a rich Munch-like surface. 
  Graphicstudio's first major silkscreen project was done with the aid of William Weege who collaborated with Larry Bell in the production of six large flocked prints based on Bell's photographic imagery. By means of a specialized camera and the combined motion of the model and the camera, an attenuated distortion provided the basis for the broad, flat silkscreen planes which were complemented by the subtle tactility of flocking. 
  At the present time, James Rosenquist is working on a suite of large, colorful prints which combine lithography and silkscreen with such objects as rocks suspended from strings and modified windowshades. Rosenquist continues to spend a great deal of time working on preliminary drawings allowing the prints to organically evolve from experimentation in various media. Consistent with the fundamental approach of the studio, the entire facility and staff are at his disposal day and night for however long it is necessary to accomplish the initial proofs. 


Graphicstudio plans to broaden its experimental role by publishing innovative projects which include a portfolio of photographs for Lee Friedlander in an effort to make a contribution in that field. Further, it is felt that it would be very appropriate for Graphicstudio to avail its extensive facility to young artist who otherwise would be unable to work at prestigious ateliers and make available to them the collaborative ability of Graphicstudio personnel. Although one of the inherent problems of Graphicstudio moving in that direction will be the possible loss of some support through subscriptions which have come to be related to productions by key names in the art world, it is hoped that the majority of our subscribers will enthusiastically support this desirable direction. 
  Perhaps most formidable of all is faculty ambivalence and equivocation with regard to continued support. It is difficult for an individual who may lose his teaching position because of low departmental productivity to support an area of excellence which does not directly aid in the production of student credit hours, which in turn generate budget dollars and faculty positions for his department. As positions decline, developing a priority for programs will evoke substantive discussion. These facts added to growing material and labor costs create what will perhaps be in the near future an insurmountable obstacle. One hope of the future is for a change in the budgetary system but, more realistically, additional aid will have to be sought though grants, individual donations, and, as has happened in recent projects, gallery and publisher support. 
  Upon reflection, the successes of Graphicstudio have been the result of the beliefs and energies of a relatively small group of people. Supported by the financial contributions of our earlier subscribers and encouraged by the enthusiasm of the university administration, the untiring effort of the studio staff, and the imaginative efforts of the artists who were determined to make this attempt succeed, Graphicstudio has been able to continue to evolve in a manner consistent with the philosophy with which it was conceived. Whatever contributions through advancement of quality and imagination in the graphic arts have resulted from these efforts, it is due in large part to the hard work and deeply felt commitment to art which all those concerned have exhibited at a time when the worth of art and the values it represents are in question. It may very well be that the future of art and its place in the modern world is dependent upon this kind of commitment by those few, wherever they may be, who care. 



Donal J. Staff is Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Florida as well as the founder and director of the Graphicstudio.