Early Works on Paper by Paul Hammer-Hultberg


As an artist Hultberg was continuously exploring the boundaries of his materials. He was widely recognized for his innovations in enameling, but he was also an inventor at heart, and a master print maker. He continuously experimented with all sorts of ways to apply pigment to a wide range of different materials. He explored nearly every aspect of printmaking, which included etching, lithography, linocut, screen printing, monotype, and virtually any way possible to transfer images from one surface to another. He even experimented with drawing on light sensitive photographic materials applied to the surface of paper, glass and cloth that was then activated using sunlight. Printmaking was among the skills he taught his students.

As important as it was at times to accomplish a series of prints that were uniform in appearance, Hultberg was equally motivated to explore ways to transform the appearance of an image. The amount of pigment used, the color and texture, the pressure of the printing process, the materials he chose and how many prints he would make from one inking, all of these factors contributed to the process. The process was often more interesting to Hultberg than the image itself. He would explore many variations, and frequently conducted experiments with little more than a doodle, perfecting the process before applying it to more serious compositions.

Below are a variety of prints, drawings, collages, pastels and paintings on paper. Unless indicated otherwise, these are from the 1940’s and the 1950’s.