Prof. Devin Kovach is an American artist currently living and working in Rome, Italy. He holds an M.F.A. in printmaking from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and a B.F.A. in studio arts from the University of New Mexico. His artistic practice incorporates elements of printmaking, photography, and installation. He has exhibited his artwork in the US and Europe, and has participated in residency programs at Anderson Ranch, the KALA Art Institute, the Printmaking Center of New Jersey, Stamperia del Notaio, and Ramdom’s DeFault17 in Gagliano del Capo, Puglia.
Degrees
M.F.A. in printmaking, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia.
B.F.A., The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
Courses Taught
ART 3701: Printmaking Workshop
VISUAL STUDIES 3553: Concept Studio Hybrid Print Imaging
ART 2702: Survey of Etching and Relief
Recent Exhibitions
2018 Venster op Rome. Group exhibition curated by Bastiaan Ecker. H47 Kunstruimte. Leeuwarden, NL.
2018 Fenêtre Jaune. Group exhibition curated by Sarah Linford. Institut Français / Centre Saint Louis. Rome, IT.
2017 Second State Press Alumni Exhibition. Tenant Gallery. Crane Arts Center. Philadelphia, US.
2017 An Eye Wide Open. Solo exhibition. Curated by Pia Candinas. Intra Gallery, Naples, IT.
Artist Statement
In my artistic practice I am interested in the relationship between visual experience and psychological impression, particularly in relation to architectural space. My prints, photographs, and installations develop through observation and are often a response to the places in which I work. I enjoy the double take, the second glance, the investigation that is needed to figure out just what it is one is looking at. By transforming what is familiar and common, I aim to reveal something more complex, drawing attention to the ways that we construct the world by looking at it. When our perspective shifts or is distorted, new perception becomes possible. In English to say one sees is a way of saying one understands. In reality, seeing is often just the beginning of understanding. Any visual experience of architectural space creates a psychological impression, and the way one looks is essential to what one perceives. The ability to adjust ones gaze is a way of transforming perception and ones relationship to reality. At the same time, the constant fluctuation of the eye suggests the instability of sight as a way of understanding. Is seeing believing? Vision is never stable and perhaps the only constant is to keep looking.
Publications
Impronte Romane: New Roman Prints. Contributing author and co-editor alongside Dr. Sarah Linford. The manuscript is part exhibition catalog of the Spring 2018 show of the same name, which featured a comprehensive overview of contemporary Roman printmaking selected by an international jury, as well as a research volume on the historical context of printmaking in Rome, and a source book for understanding the current state of the field. It includes interviews with some of the most renown names in Roman printmaking, as well as essay contributions by top art historians and print theorists. The volume is due to be released Spring 2019 by Temple Rome Press.
Research
Roman printmaking and print history
Printed images and visual perception
Service Provision / Prof. Associations / Membership
Second State Press, community printshop, Philadelphia, PA.
Ars Grafica, international association of print scholars, Rome, IT.