Gemini G.E.L.

Gemini G.E.L. turns sixty this year. The printmaking workshop and publisher in Los Angeles have been making editions with artists since 1966. David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Julie Mehretu and many others have worked there, often coming back over decades. Collaboration is by invitation only, and the techniques range from traditional lithography to whatever an artist needs.

We spoke with one of Gemini's partners about what keeps the place going, how the work with artists happens, and the anniversary show Impressions of Los Angeles, curated by Susan Dackerman.

Richard Diebenkorn - Twelve - 1985 (RIDI84-1115), 14-color lithograph, 44” x 34 1/4”, Edition of 50

Q: Gemini G.E.L. has been active since 1966. What has sustained it for six decades?

A: Gemini has been sustained over these past six decades by the quality of the artists and our printmakers, and by our stable leadership and relationships with the artists.

Q: From the beginning, Gemini has worked closely with artists to develop new print techniques. How does that collaboration work today?

A: The collaborations today are very much the same as they’ve always been. We offer a full range of print techniques, from the most traditional to the most inventive. When an artist asks for something new, we face the challenge head-on and do our very best to respond fully to where their curiosity and creativity takes them.

Tacita Dean - LA Exuberance 2, 2016 (TD15-1643), Hand-drawn 3-color blend lithograph 29 7/8" x 29 7/8", Edition of 36

Q: Over the years, many artists have returned to Gemini. What defines these long-term collaborations?

A: The friendships that develop nurture the artists’ desire to return to Gemini. They feel comfortable with Gemini’s owners and the printmakers, and we always stay focused on maintaining that deep level of mutual friendship and respect.

Tacita Dean - LA Magic Hour - 13, 2021 (TD17-1670), Hand-drawn, multi-color blend lithograph 29 7/8" x 29 7/8", Edition of 42 

Q: The first anniversary exhibition focuses on Los Angeles. Why was it important to approach the show through the city?

A: We are now marking sixty years here in Los Angeles, and we felt it was important to celebrate that. We felt it was a very good place to begin—to focus on the artists who either live here or have loved coming to Los Angeles to make their editions.

David Hockney - Mist, 1973 (DH73-502), 5-color lithograph 37” x 32”, Edition of 98

Q: Gemini has worked with artists like David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, and Julie Mehretu. What does working at Gemini allow them to try or make that they couldn’t elsewhere?

A: Artists choose to come to Gemini because of the exceptional quality of what we do. And obviously we can make editions on a scale and scope of media that most other publishers cannot achieve, all under one roof. We also believe that the personal relationships developed with Gemini’s ownership, as well as with our skilled printmakers, are a key factor in the artists’ desire to come to Gemini.