'Fresh Fish, 1975' by Mary Tift, Etching & Silk Screen With Foil Collage, Frye Art Museum, Seafood in Newspaper

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Signed lower right, 'Mary Tift' for Mary Louise Tift (American, 1913-2010), titled, lower center 'Fresh Fish' with number and limitation, … Read more Signed lower right, 'Mary Tift' for Mary Louise Tift (American, 1913-2010), titled, lower center 'Fresh Fish' with number and limitation, lower left, '36/60' and created in 1975.
Paper dimensions: 16.75 H x 21 W inches

An internationally acclaimed printmaker, Mary Tift was born in Seattle and earned her BFA cum laude degree from the University of Washington in 1933. She served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES) during World War II and, following her service, studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.

Tift taught at the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland and later was Coordinator of the Design Department at the San Francisco Art Institute. During this period, she maintained an art studio in Sausalito and, after 15 years as an educator, focused solely on her own works and the art of etching.

By combining an intaglio technique with silkscreen, embossing, and collage, Tift was able to incorporate a variety of metals such as lead, zinc, brass, and steel into her art. She further developed her own silkscreen technique, creating a soft watercolor effect that allowed the paper color and surface texture to show through and become an integral part of the final print.

She commented “The technical aspect of print making provides exploration in quality of line, treatment of paper surfaces, and embossment. It is a wonderful and exciting process, an experience in creating and unfoldment. It has been a joy to be able to be able to practice this craft”. Many of the techniques she developed were new to printmaking, and she generously shared her knowledge with anyone who was interested in the processes.

Tift exhibited widely and with success including at Gump’s Gallery (San Francisco), Diane Gilson Gallery (Seattle), Oregon State University (198l), the British Biennale (Yorkshire, England, 1970), Grenchen Triennale (Switzerland, 1970), Polish Biennale (Crakow, 1972), National Gallery, Washington (1973), Madrid Biennale (1980), among others. Her work is held in permanent collections including the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts, The Palace of the Legion of Honor (San Francisco), the Brooklyn Museum, the Oakland Museum, the Library of Congress, the U.S. State Department’s “Art in the Embassies” collection, The Seattle Art Museum, the Frye Art Museum (Seattle), and San Diego Museum of Art.

This work is accompanied by a first edition copy of "Mary Tift Prints: 1956-1983" published by Mary Tift and acquired by the Frye Art Museum in conjunction with its exhibition Mary Tift: Memorabilia (December 22, 2000–February 4, 2001). See less