Empowering Printmakers Everywhere
Established in 1976, Spike Print Studio in Bristol is the largest open-access print studio in the South West and a charitable organisation. Based in Spike Island, a former tea packing factory, now a contemporary art centre, with a community of artists and creative businesses.
We are committed to expanding boundaries and being at the vanguard of print experimentation and education. Our vibrant studio is used by a wide range of regional, national and international artists.
A Rich History of Printmaking For All
In 1976, Peter Reddick (founder of Spike Print Studio) and a group of artists leased a former factory building in Bristol, establishing Bristol Artspace. Their principle was to promote greater awareness and understanding of visual art practices by collaborating to share equipment, materials and space. Peter Reddick’s prime motivation was to promote print for everyone, in particular, those who had just left education and did not have access to any print facilities. Our principals remain the same to this day; supporting and promoting printmakers and printmaking.
Take off from here
Spike Print Studio has excellent facilities for individuals to undertake their own work in processes such as intaglio, relief, screenprinting and photopolymer. We actively promote our artist members, print training and education for the public, making printmaking accessible to all through our education programme.
Meet our team
The dedicated team running Spike Print Studio.
Facilities
Meet our machines
We’ve got a whole lot of kit for intaglio, relief, screenprinting and more - everything you’ll need to bring your ideas to life.
The exposure unit, housed in our dedicated dark room for Screenprint exposure. size 130 x 109cm
Overall bed size 219 x 122cm, vacuum area 160 x 105cm
Bed size 200 x 120cm
Bed size 70 x 50cm
Bed size 80 x 73cm and one more line of text about where it came from or the age
Our Albion, made in 1842 and still going strong. Bed size 70 x 50cm
Everything and the kitchen sink
Our large well-equipped studios have good natural light and views over the river Avon. As well as the highlighted equipment above, facilities include:
In Etching; three more presses (one portable), acid baths, solvent machine, electric aquatint box, hot plates and rollers, paper soak sink, metal guillotine and drying racks, along with all the paper prep kit you’ll need.
Screenprint has a total of seven vacuum beds and multiple portables, a backlit washout booth with pressure washer, large kippax drying unit with lightbox, various sized screens for hire, drying racks, and a Kippax 189 x 144cm LED photo exposure unit
In the darkroom we have the Natgraph exposure unit for Photopolymer, lightbox, guillotine, photographic enlargers and a dedicated sink.
Elsewhere in the studio we have a photocopier, two printers, a scanner, die cutter, imac, library, plan chests, screen slots and cubby holes for hire and a kitchen area for members’ use. In the summer you can take your tea out on the balcony and watch the river go by...
The things we make
Editioning began in 2008 and is integral to the studio. We have worked with James Ireland, Wood & Harrison, Mariele Neudecker, Andrew Mania, Daphne Wright, Jed Quinn, Sophie Macpherson, Richard Forster, Sonia Boyce, Richard Long and Graham Crowley. We have also worked with residency artists at Spike Island, most recenlty with Ciara Phillips, Melissa Gordon and Eric Baudelaire, and arts organisations and galleries such as Hauser & Wirth and Arnolfini.
Contact info@spikeprintstudio.org or use the button below to open your email client.
Keeping us rolling
We are a registered charity and do not receive any core funding. Our costs to keep the equipment and administration operating to a high standard continue to grow. We run a wide range of exciting courses, workshops and talks which are available to all and promote members’ work through curated exhibitions and our website. The money we make goes back into keeping the studio running.
If you are interested in supporting our groundbreaking work and helping to develop the work of local artists and the cultural fabric of the city then please consider supporting Spike Print Studio by becoming an affiliate member. You will have a closer relationship with us, our exhibitions and learning programme, receiving invitations to private views and events at the studio, as well as a 5% discount on courses.
Support Spike Print Studio Today
Spike Print Studio is a charitable organisation, you can help us promote print and support the studio by signing up for a course, donating, or joining as a member