Jim MONSON

Truly a man of the world, Jim Monson (American, born 1943) is a midwesterner who became a great printmaker and teacher across the globe. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jim got his degree from St. Olaf College in 1969 and headed straight to Paris to join Atelier 17. For three years, Monson was the assistant to the great Stanley W. Hayter, founder of Atelier 17 and one of the most prominent printmakers of the 20th century. From 1973 until 1985, Monson and his wife, artist Isolde Baumgart, lived all around the United States and Europe. Monson taught printmaking at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and Holy Cross in Worchester, MA. Eventually, he and Baugart set up their own print workshop in the south of France near Tourrette-Levens where they eventually settled. Monson's artistic style is full of life and color. His early work was dominated with etching and engraving, but he is best known for his color woodcuts. He practices a variation of the reductive relief method and the layering of colors in his work create depth and vibrancy.