Tucked away within the Humanities building of the University of Wisconsin Madison, I had the pleasure of interviewing Devon Stackonis in her art studio to learn, discuss, and document her devotion to the centuries-old practice of mezzotint printmaking. Stackonis is currently pursuing her MFA in printmaking from the University and is preparing for her upcoming solo art exhibition, "Condition Report," which is set to debut in Gallery 7 of the Humanities building on February 27th.

For a vast majority of us, the extent of our knowledge in printmaking is the simple keystroke of "command+p." But for Stackonis, printmaking is an incredibly meticulous art form that requires a steady hand and plenty of patience. Each of the images Stackonis produces is the result of her painstaking hand etching into copper plates, which she then uses to transfer ink onto paper that delivers the physical print. Every step in the process of creating a single image, from beginning to end, is done without any of the amenities that technology affords. Stackonis utilizes techniques that date back to the 15th century, which can take months for her to complete. Upon viewing Stackonis's artwork, one cannot help but feel overcome with a great sense of awe and appreciation for even the most minute details. The incredible amount of conscious effort that Stackonis invests into her artwork is far beyond what most will fully comprehend.

Originally from Eastern Pennsylvania, Devon Stackonis received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in oil painting from Kutztown University. During her time there, she took Printmaking as an elective which stirred her passion for the art form. Wanting to hone her expertise in the practice, Stackonis uprooted herself and came to Madison, Wisconsin to pursue her MFA in printmaking. During our interview Stackonis mentioned that, "UW has a long lineage of printmakers coming from all over. I have friends that went through the master's program 25 years ago." She continued saying, "There's this lineage of people having sought it out, and I am long down the line of the generations of printmakers that have come to UW-Madison."

After Stackonis's transplant to Madison, she joined Vox Populi, an internationally recognized printmakers collective. Stackonis speaks fondly of her experience with the organization, "I joined up with Vox Populi when I moved to madison, which is an existing printmaking collective which has been run through Shim Art Network out of New York for years. There are not a whole lot of people that make mezzotints in the world; I know most of them. It's a process I learned by contacting people and troubleshooting. It took years to learn like a language." 

Stackonis mentioned that the mezzotint festival was supposed to be held in Russia this summer, but the event has been postponed due to the geopolitical climate. However, Stackonis has been resourceful in discovering new locations to have printmakers congregate and have their work premiered in.

Along with being an incredibly talented printmaker, Stackonis is also an avid bike enthusiast. Stackonis described how her enthusiasm for bicycling is intertwined with her love for printmaking. Stackonis said, "I'm only thinking about the next square inch on this plate that is going to take me a few hours, but that's the same way I love endurance riding 8 hours on a bike in the middle of nowhere using GPS, being resourceful and patient you know you only think about the next two miles, you can't think about the next hundred miles, picking away, settling into it - I like slow processes - the object I make is something I’ve invested a lot of time in, and I hope other people see that."

Concluding our interview, I asked Stackonis if there was anything that she would want people to know about her craft. She shared these words: 

"Education is the key to understanding and appreciating. Suppose you can educate people on what this is and how it works, I don't want this to get lost. In that case, I am committing to a life of not necessarily educating through the University, but I would want to set up a small studio and a press when I move to Arizona. Cultivating a community, teaching people about this material and how it is used. I think that's a real skill, and I don't want it to get lost. It's hands-on, and you enter that flow state; you're not concerned with anything; it's actually really healthy, until of course you are psychotically working on something for 10 hours straight having forgotten to eat or move."

Devon Stackonis in her Studio.

Devon Stackonis in her studio

Devon Stackonis’s Studio.

Devon Stackonis and her beloved bicycle.