ulio Valdez’s printed oeuvre attests to the significant role that printmaking can play in an artist’s career. His experimental mixture of techniques and openness to new processes continue to expand his creative program and the technical range of his work in all mediums.
Although two dimensional, Valdez’s prints are anything but flat. The ink, paper, and complex matrices compressed under the weight of the press create intricate lines and textured surfaces that are tactile. Throughout his career, Valdez has consistently engaged print processes that appeal to the touch as much as to sight. This method parallels the artist’s approach to his mixed – media painting – applying a combination of acrylic paint, acrylic pigments, and ink onto paper which is mounted onto canvas or jute. In print, he achieves this layered quality with a similarly hands-on approach that combines an array of printmaking processes, often utilizing non-traditional materials.