San Francisco printmaker & Roadworks featured artist Eric Rewitzer took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us here at SFCB… Check it out! (But in case you hear any loud crashing, close your computer and run… it’s Godzilla!!)

Quinacridone Storm by Eric Rewitzer

SFCB: How did you get into letterpress/printmaking?

Eric: I’ve been printmaking since 1984.  I grew up in Western Michigan, and etching presses were no strangers to me since there was a press manufacturer just down the road who kept the high schools and junior colleges nicely equipped.  I kept printmaking through art school, and when I got a job as an editorial artist in a newspaper, there was still old linotype equipment in the basement that my friends and I would take home and refurbish as a hobby. Then and now, I have always enjoyed the craft of producing a beautiful printed piece with my hands.  I’m grateful to have been exposed to the craft from such an early age.

SFCB: What do you hope to achieve through your art?

Eric: Over the years, I’ve worked as a technologist in the graphic arts industry.  I worked hard, and realized a certain amount of success from my efforts.   But 5 years ago I had an epiphany of sorts, which was ‘why was I spending so much effort working on things that did not bring me joy?’  So with the support of my wife and friends, I decided to put the technology aside and devote my work-ethic to developing my artwork, not just to achieve a more refined technique, but also a future doing what I love to do.

SFCB: In your opinion, what is art’s greatest capability? Why is it important in our ever-changing, modern era?

Eric: Back in art school, I loved art history, because it taught me that art encapsulates the moment. Art presents a new view of what everyone is seeing around them, and it can inspire, or infuriate.  You can look back at art movements over the centuries and see a clear window into the culture of the day. Always.

Today’s culture is ever-changing, fast-moving, and socially linked through technology.  So I think art, created manually with hands, is especially poignant.  It keeps old traditions relevant and viable, and I wonder if this might be a modern movement for understanding the processes that got us here.

SFCB: What inspires you?

Eric: My wife.  Other artists. Nature.  Music.

SFCB: What is your favorite thing about San Francisco?

Eric: This town is full of people who encourage you to pursue your passion. Dreams come true here.

SFCB: Most importantly, what are your ideas for your giant linoleum cut for Roadworks?

Eric: When I was growing up, Saturdays were reserved for chores around the house. Mowing the lawn, cleaning up the garage, vacuuming the carpets.  Being the youngest of 5 kids, there was always something to clean up.  But there was a reward, which was turning on the television at 3:00 pm, when the Detroit station would run the “Creature Feature”, which would show those wonderfully campy Science Fiction films from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I would eat those movies up as much as the potato chips and strawberry soda that would often accompany the afternoon sitting around the tele.

So my linoleum cut is going to pay homage to those Saturday afternoon Creature Features.  I’m envisioning Godzilla wreaking havoc on the city of San Francisco.  I can’t wait.

See more of Eric’s work on his website.

Print commemorates Barack Obama's historic trip to Ireland in May, 2011, where he downed a pint of the black stuff at Ollie Hayes Pub, in his ancestral home in Moneygall in County Offaly.