"Working Proof" is a portfolio of lithographs made to commemorate the 3rd Impact International Printmaking Conference held at the Michaelis School of Fine Art from 27-30 August 2003.

It responds to the conference theme: the role of prints in contemporary art in a social, political and cultural context and specifically relates to notions of frontiers, conflict, repackaging, traces and exile. There have been major advances in the way artists have used print media in recent years. The evolution of print from its historical origins to the present day has been marked by shifts in function and aesthetic form from the dissemination of knowledge to the communication of ideas and concepts through visual and aesthetic means. The taxonomy of printmaking is a history replete with restrictions and definitions that were imposed on its artistic practice to the detriment of its acceptance as a primary art form. Prints are no longer driven by technical process alone and the traditional boundaries of printed art are not as clear as they were. Artists are continually redefining parameters. Large-scale prints challenge the hierarchy of paintings and printmaking has expanded to include printed forms ranging from artists¹ books to billboards, embracing and appropriating commercial techniques to accommodate aesthetic and conceptual concerns. The idea behind "Working Proof" has been to produce a portfolio of lithographs to explore how artists could use and adapt commercial print technology. The portfolio sets out to present a broad range of concepts with the intention of providing new ideas and approaches to contemporary printmaking. Most artists working in print will testify that collaboration, co-operation and partnerships are inherent characteristics of printmaking and this is also true of the relationships that have developed in the making of "Working Proof."

Participating artists include Katherine Bull, Pippa Skotnes, Gavin Younge, Fritha Langerman, William Kentridge, Dominic Thorburn, Jane Alexander, Malcolm Payne, Roderick Sauls and Stephen Inggs. Particular thanks must go to Russell Jones and Morgan Poovan for the assistance they provided in the technical production of the lithographs.