Maurizio Barattucci
About the Artist
Maurizio Barattucci
Maurizio Barattucci was born in Rome, Italy in 1939. He studied art in Rome and received awards and exhibited as a young student in local and national competitions in his country. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1956 and eventually reached California and Los Angeles in 1960.
He received a scholarship to the Art Center school of Design in 1960, continued his studies on a scholarship to Chouinard and the Otis Art Institute and studied with artist and illustrator, Joe Mugnaini. He transferred to the California State University at Long Beach and, under the tutelage of master printer Dick Swift, received a master of fine Art degree in printmaking, drawing and painting.
Professional Career
In 1970 he opened a professional print shop in Redondo beach together with printmaker Ken Iwamasa. He became a founder and board member of the L.A. Printmaking Society until his move to Santa Barbara in 1975. He taught figure drawing, painting and printmaking at El Camino college and ultimately became full time faculty at Santa Monica College where he became the art department Chair and Dean of the arts. He retired in 2008 and lives in Santa Barbara.
He has exhibited widely in several Universities Galleries, exhibited in private galleries in the U.S. and Europe. Among the many professional “one man shows” include C.S.U. Long. Beach, Lawrence University N.Y., University of Southern California, University of Colorado at Boulder, several private galleries, invitational print exhibitions and received awards in state and national juried shows throughout the U.S and Europe. He is represented in many permanent collections.
Viscosity Printing Technique
Viscosity printing is a multi-color printmaking technique that incorporates principles of relief printing and intaglio printing. It was pioneered by Stanley William Hayter. The process uses the principle of viscosity to print multiple colors of ink from a single plate, rather than relying upon multiple plates for color separation.
Three to four colors of ink are mixed, each of a different viscosity. Metal plates, usually copper or zinc, are used, as in the intaglio processes. The artist produces images on the plate by etching lines or textures. The varying viscosities of the rolled-on inks prevent them from mixing, allowing all colors to be printed simultaneously in one pass through the printing press.
Current Exhibition
“Maurizio Barattucci: Observation, Reflection, Response - A Printmaking Retrospective” is a solo retrospective exhibition celebrating a lifetime of artistic exploration. The exhibit offers a broad overview of Barattucci's artistic journey, reflecting the spiritual essence of nature and humanity through printmaking.
Curated by Rebecca Zendejas from an extensive archive of work—many on view for the first time—the exhibition showcases Barattucci's innovative application of viscosity printing, highlighting his technical virtuosity and artistic sensitivity in capturing the subtle interplay between form, color, and surface.
