FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Kaleidoscope April 11, 2014- June 14, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, April 11, 2014 from 5-8pm

WASHINGTON, DC: The Old Print Gallery is pleased to announce its Spring 2014 show, Kaleidoscope, a

solo-show of monotypes by local DC artist Philip Bennet. Kaleidoscope will open on Friday, April 11,

2014 with a celebratory nighttime reception and Q&A with the artist from 5-8pm at the gallery. The

show will remain on view until Saturday, June 14, 2014.

Kaleidoscope features new original prints by Philip Bennet, many of them completed in 2014 specifically

for the exhibit, all brimming with an opulent mix of color. Bennet’s medium of choice is the monotype,

abstract and dynamic images achieved as a result of his playful and liberal approach to printmaking. He

experiments with colored inks of varied viscosities,

often employing hued “ghost” images as backgrounds

for new prints and integrating multiple plates into

each composition. His unrestricted and unique

working style allows for a spontaneity and creative

freedom not normally associated with printmaking. As

a result, his watercolor-based monotypes feel fresh,

immediate, and ephemeral, while his oil-based

polychromatic creations are more intimate,

enveloping viewers in colors so saturated they still

seem wet on the paper.

In addition to the original monotypes on view, the exhibit will showcase one of Bennet’s original printing

matrixes, allowing viewers a close look at the printing tools and methods for color application used in

Bennet’s monotypes. The show will also feature two original paintings and one collage, created from

segmented and torn monotype prints.

Philip Bennet is a Washington, D.C. artist, working in acrylics, pastels, watercolors, and monotypes.

Bennet has won numerous juried awards, and exhibits in shows both locally and nationally. His prints

were featured in the Potomac Review, a Journal of Arts and Humanities, and listed in Strathmore’s 2010

edition of “Who’s Who Worldwide Directory for the Visual Arts.” Bennet is a signature member of the

Maryland Pastel Society, and a past member of the Foundry Gallery Cooperative in Washington, DC. He

has prints in private and public collections, and was recently added into the museum collection at

Grinnell College, his alma matter. Bennet attended Harvard Law School, and studied paintings at

Torpedo Factory Art Center and Montgomery College.

About The Old Print Gallery: Established in 1971, and known for its wide selection of antique prints and

maps, in the last seven years The Old Print Gallery has expanded into the world of 20th century and

contemporary printmaking. The gallery was transformed to showcase new work by regional and local

artists. It hosts printmaking demonstrations, discussions, and publishes informative quarterly

showcases. The Old Print Gallery has established itself as a source of inspiration for print artists,

enthusiasts, and the general public.

Image Credit: (TOP) Kaleidoscope. By Philip Bennet. Oil-based ink monotype, 2014. Ed. 1/1.

(LEFT) Organic. By Philip Bennet. Watercolor monotype, 2008. Ed 1/1.

### Media Contact: Caroline Bonardi / 202-965-1818/ info@oldprintgallery.com

The Old Print Gallery 1220 31st Street NW Washington DC 20007

www.oldprintgallery.com