The concept of making multiple images from the same matrix has been integral to printmaking since the earliest prints were pulled from woodblocks and metal plates in the 15th century. Multiplicity brings together a selection of prints by artists for whom the concept of multiplicity in its many forms provides a touchstone for their artistic expression. Many of the artists in the exhibition have expanded the idea of multiplicity beyond editions of identical impressions by creating series, sequences and images that comprise numerous parts. The exhibition features 83 works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's permanent collection by contemporary artists such as
Vija Celmins,
Chuck Close,
Richard Estes, David Hackney,
Sol LeWitt,
Kiki Smith and
Kara Walker.