{"id":9941,"date":"2016-10-21T13:58:56","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T13:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=9941&post_type=story"},"modified":"2023-11-20T20:35:07","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T20:35:07","slug":"flying-horse-hydraulic-printing-press","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/flying-horse-hydraulic-printing-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Artifact: Under Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fall 2016<\/em><\/p>\n

[lead]Lurking in the corner at UCF\u2019s Flying Horse Editions<\/a> printmaking studio is a hulking hydraulic press that seems more at home in a gritty factory. In fact, it could easily be mistaken for a sculpture among the fine art that adorns the austere, white-walled workspace. But the industrial machine is an important \u2014 and highly sought-after \u2014 tool for the rotating roster of international artists who come to the collaborative research workshop in downtown Orlando.[\/lead]<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really been an asset that adds to the capabilities of the studio because it can be used to make complex relief prints,\u201d says Theo Lotz<\/a>, director of Flying Horse Editions, a nonprofit publisher of limited-edition prints, books and objects by renowned artists. \u201cAs a research center, we want to expand the creative possibilities for our visiting artists, and they always seem to find some new way of using it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Here’s what makes the press special:<\/h2>\n

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PRECISE POWER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Traditional presses, which use a traveling bed to apply a single color of ink, can be difficult to control and can create a blurry image with some kinds of printing processes. This press applies pressure straight down, enabling a more precise print with several blocks in multiple colors. \u201cIt can be a very fast and liberating way for an artist to work,\u201d Lotz says.<\/p>\n

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CRUSHING IT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The press uses a 90-gallon hydraulic system to create up to 300 tons of force through a single massive plunger. Lotz found the machine through a heavy machinery sales broker in Los Angeles. \u201cIt must have turned heads on the back of the flatbed truck on I-10,\u201d he says. \u201cThen two huge forklifts picked it up off the truck and brought it into the studio. It was an amazing dance of heavy machinery.\u201d<\/p>\n

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CUSTOM CONTROLS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because the fine art printing process requires greater fine-tuning than the machine was originally designed for, Siemens offered to \u201ctrick out\u201d the controls and donated a sophisticated electronic system valued at around $15,000. \u201cWe can set it so precisely now that we can print something onto an egg,\u201d Lotz says.<\/p>\n

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LOW-TECH SOLUTIONS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The high-tech control system still employs a few key analog components, including an old-school pressure gauge and a measurement device that uses a delicate wire to help set the distance between the press and the paper. \u201cThis hydraulic press is really a very simple machine,\u201d Lotz says. \u201cI was told that it was used to make metal light fixtures.\u201d<\/p>\n

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CREATIVE OPTIONS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Artists typically use a woodcut, which can be created by hand or with a laser cutter, to hold the ink to create a print. However, some artists have been inspired by the machine\u2019s crushing capabilities and are using nontraditional materials, including Rolex watches. \u201cSince this isn\u2019t a familiar piece of art-making equipment, artists are intrigued with what they can do with it,\u201d Lotz says.<\/p>\n

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