The current exhibit, jointly presented through 90 works of varying styles, from 50 artists, offers a review of American printmaking in the past three decades.

Here in Beijing, eight of the most influential print workshops from the United States are presenting an overview of contemporary American printmaking.

Starting Monday in the National Art Museum of China, "American Printmaking Now" offers a fascinating look into how artists consciously and proactively design, plan and execute their vision within the constraints and capabilities of printmaking technologies.

Printing originated in China some two thousand years ago as a replication process. In contemporary times, printmaking has shed its industrial overtones and put on an artistic and experimental makeover.

The current exhibit, jointly presented through 90 works of varying styles, from 50 artists, offers a review of American printmaking in the past three decades. Works from James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns have reflected their sustained innovation and exploration. And one particular piece, "The Seasons" from Jasper Johns in 1987, made a real impression on Curator Chen Xiaowen.

Chen Xiaowen, curator of "American Printmaking Now", said, "The process of making this print intrigues me the most."

In the expansion of the "print" language, the exhibition also showcases the diversity of American prints. The interaction of new materials and technologies reflect the artistic impact of the digital age, in pieces such as "Reflection" from Ann Hamilton, and "Moth" from Joseph Scheer.

Chen Xiaowen hopes that the exhibition offers the Chinese audience a new perspective for appreciating and understanding the contemporary American printmaking scene.

And the organizer hopes the exhibition not only reaches beyond the cultural communication of academic values, but also brings east and west closer by sharing common artistic goals.