Printshop Tour | Jenny Robinson Print Studio, Sydney
In the months following our relocation to Sydney in late 2024, we've been mapping the city's contemporary art landscape with the commitment and enthusiasm of new arrivals. Jenny Robinson was a name that had been on our minds even prior to our move as she had similar made the journey from the Bay Area to Sydney just a couple of years before. Jenny is a Master Printmaker with 40 years of international experience, the recent recipient of the Mario Avati Engraving Prize from the Académie des beaux-arts in Paris, and the vision behind one of Sydney's most ambitious new print facilities.
Jenny Robinson’s studio in Darlington represents a significant addition to Sydney's printmaking ecosystem, anchored by a Conrad Machine Company etching press of genuinely extraordinary proportions. This isn't hyperbole—I didn’t bring a wide enough camera lens with me to do it justice—it’s purpose-built for artists working at monumental scales. The machine made the long journey from the United States specifically for this space, underscoring Robinson's commitment to providing facilities that match international standards.
Robinson's practice spans London, San Francisco, and now Sydney, with teaching appointments at institutions across Europe and the United States. Perhaps most significantly, Robinson has developed proprietary non-toxic printmaking techniques that form the foundation of her teaching, making the medium more accessible and safe while maintaining professional printing outcomes. The studio's design really reflects Robinson's understanding of what working printers actually need. The facility includes a pair of etching presses, dedicated project rooms, and comprehensive equipment access through a keyholder program that functions as an artist residency without geographical displacement. This infrastructure serves a specific gap in Sydney's printmaking spaces—designed for artists whose practice demands professional-grade equipment and technical expertise, bridging the gap between community access and fine art capabilities.
Reflecting on Sydney's printmaking landscape over the past decade and a half, the significance of Robinson's project becomes even more apparent. When I completed my printmaking studies in Sydney over 15 years ago, the opportunities for continued access to professional facilities were practically non-existent. The familiar post-grad reality for printmakers was stark: transition from well-equipped university studios to makeshift home setups or abandon the medium entirely. This lack of infrastructure represented a genuine loss for the city's creative community, with talented artists unable to sustain practices that required specialized equipment and technical expertise.
Printshops are inherently community spaces—places where knowledge is shared, techniques are developed, and artistic relationships are forged. The communal nature of printmaking, from sharing presses to troubleshooting technical challenges, creates connections that extend far beyond individual practice. Robinson's studio addresses this fundamental need, providing not just equipment access but through her workshops and open studio time, also building the social infrastructure that makes printmaking cultures thrive.
The Darlington location positions the studio at the intersection of some of Sydney's most lively cultural districts, with natural connections to Chippendale, Redfern, and Newtown's gallery networks, while relationships with Sydney University and UTS provide potential academic partnerships. Robinson's programming philosophy emphasizes both individual practice and community building, with workshops featuring visiting international printmakers alongside local practitioners, creating dialogue between different approaches and techniques.
Jenny Robinson Print Studio is located in Darlington, Sydney. Information about workshops, keyholder programs, and facility access is available at jennyrobinsonprint.studio
