Artwork
Fandango
Fandango is a print by East London Printmakers. It dates from 2009 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Fandango is a 2009 screenprint produced by East London Printmakers, a collective known for collaborative printmaking. The work is signed, numbered, and titled by the artist, affirming its status as a limited edition. Its composition centers on a deep purple field, framed by a stark black border, creating a contained visual space that emphasizes flatness and graphic clarity over depth or movement.
Subject & Meaning
Abstract shapes in bright pink and lime green suggest floral or leaf-like motifs, but they are rendered without naturalism—floating, overlapping, or isolated.
The title Fandango, referencing a lively Spanish dance, contrasts with the print’s static forms. Abstract shapes in bright pink and lime green suggest floral or leaf-like motifs, but they are rendered without naturalism—floating, overlapping, or isolated. The disconnect between the energetic title and the still, graphic elements invites contemplation of cultural symbols stripped of their motion, reducing dance to pattern.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the work employs bold, unmodulated colors and sharp, clean edges. The shapes are defined by thick outlines, resembling hand-cut stencils or paper collages. The limited palette—purple, pink, lime green, and black—enhances the graphic quality, prioritizing visual rhythm over tonal variation. The technique emphasizes precision and repetition, hallmarks of the printmaker’s process.
History & Provenance
Created in 2009 by East London Printmakers, the piece emerged from a collaborative studio environment focused on accessible, contemporary printmaking. As a signed and numbered edition, it reflects the collective’s commitment to producing artist-led works with clear attribution. Its production context situates it within a broader movement of London-based print collectives revitalizing screenprinting as a medium for experimental design.
Context
Fandango aligns with late 2000s British printmaking trends that embraced minimalism and abstraction, often drawing from textile patterns, pop art, and graphic design. The work’s flatness and bold color choices echo contemporaneous interests in visual language derived from urban environments and commercial aesthetics, distancing itself from traditional representational art while retaining symbolic resonance.
Legacy
As part of East London Printmakers’ output, Fandango contributes to a body of work that expanded the public perception of printmaking beyond reproduction toward original artistic expression. Its restrained aesthetic and conceptual tension between title and form have influenced subsequent generations of printmakers exploring the interplay of language, pattern, and abstraction in limited-edition works.
Artist & collection
Artist
This group makes contemporary prints that tell everyday stories with sharp, colorful lines.
