Kitchen Litho: experimentation and developments in lithographic practice

Abstract

Although lithography is recognised for its graphic expressiveness and historical relevance in printmaking, it is a practice that is difficult to access due to its technical complexity, the use of specific materials and, above all, the presence of chemical substances that are potentially harmful to health and the environment. In view of these limitations, this article proposes an investigation into the technique known as kitchen lithography, which seeks to expand the possibility of making lithography in a more accessible way, using less toxic materials that are easily found in domestic settings, as a way of making investigative practice possible for artists, researchers and the curious in general. Based on practical experimentation, the text reports on the processes experienced during the research, reflecting on the challenges and notes related to adapting this technique in the context of studios with reduced resources. The central aim is to test and improve the use of kitchen lithography, assessing the quality and viability of the results obtained in the face of the material and expressive variability offered by the practice. In this way, this study contributes to the development of more sustainable and democratic printing methods, without sacrificing the expressive visuality of artistic endeavour, encouraging graphic experimentation.