Current Exhibits
"Oldtown and Beyond"
Prints of Alexandria and the Region
By John Gosling
Torpedo Factory Art Center
Printmakers Inc, Studio 14
15 May - 30 June 2026
The prints in my show interpret aspects of American history along the Potomac River including Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria. They reflect my fascination with the people and the early settlements and industry that extended deep into the Appalachians, the frontier in colonial times. I also see connections between the Potomac River and the River Thames, the lifeline of London, the city of my birth. Both rivers have witnessed the ebb and flow of ever-changing commerce and industry, embedded in the complex tapestry of the evolving history and politics of entire nations.
For me, it’s about the subject matter and not so much about the technical process of printmaking. I work mostly with linocut relief prints, some etchings, and pen and ink drawings, attracted to the chiaroscuro, light-dark, effect that print graphics, especially linocut prints, can produce with a carefully controlled use of color. Linocuts have their own scale and style, a looseness that is natural to the how the material is carved; it is a medium that cannot be forced to look like the finer detail of etchings or engravings.
I find interpreting the step between drawing a concept and carving a plate rewarding. It’s a creative process that feels like a new beginning each time I start a new print. I see my work as distillations, verging on the edge of abstractions, where extraneous elements are withheld or downplayed and a more immediate connection can be made with the viewer. For me, less is more, and it is this minimalist aspect of my art that I find empowering.
John Gosling was born and raised in London and received his education and training as an architect at the Architectural Association. As part of his architectural training, he studied art at the Central Saint Martin’s School of Art (now the University of the Arts, London), and, returned there for life classes during a posting to London from 2004 to 2007. He immigrated to America in 1968, and for many years had a professional career as an architect/urban designer specializing in urban revitalization in major cities towns across the country and abroad. After his retirement, he took figure drawing and portrait classes at The Art League School in Alexandria, and printmaking classes with the Discover Graphics Atelier. He joined Printmakers Inc., a Virginia licensed non-profit educational corporation in 2014, that operates a workshop/gallery in the Torpedo Factory.
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All framed prints, even if sold, must stay on the walls during the duration of this show tillJune 30th, 2026. After that date, patrons can come in and pick them up, or for those out of town we can mail them at the following rates: heights 24” and below at $30, heights 36” at $70. All unframed prints can be taken away at any time during the show.
