Natural Imperfections

One of Dartmouth's most iconoclastic artists-in-residence was remembered recently at the Hood Museum's exhibition "Jim Dine as a Printmaker: A Conversation with Mitchell Friedman 74." The informal discussion led by Friedman, an artist and printmaker who worked with Dine for seven years, focused on his personal collection of Dine's works, which are on display in Jaffe-Hall Galleries. Friedman described Dine's unusual techniques: his use of found objects, his predilection for materials widi natural imperfections, and his penchant for constantly reworking prints. For Dine accidents were just another part of the process of creating an image. The first time he helped Dine, Friedman says, the artist was unsatisfied with his print of a single wrench. "I thought it was beautiful like that," said Friedman, "but instead Jim looked around the studio and added several more things to the plate." At one point, while Friedman was inking the plate, his gloved hand slipped onto it (at this point in the story, Friedman produced the actual ink-stained glove, to a bemused audience). Instead of starting over, "Jim decided he liked the addition and kept it." Still Life, with Friedman's handprint, is currently one of 37 prints on exhibit at the Hood through September 21.

Friedman '74 put hishand in Dine'sDartmouth Still Life.