VALE Fred Genis. The Gallery was sad to hear the news of the recent passing of Fred Genis, Master Printer.

Fred had a distinguished career as a lithographer. Fred was well known in the printmaking fraternity, internationally and nationally. He was generous of spirit, had a wonderful sense of humour and was always happy to talk printmaking and of his globetrotting life as a printer.

Fred studied lithography at the Amsterdam Graphic School and printed for artists at evening classes. After he completed his studies Fred worked as a commercial printer, platemaker and lithographer before migrating to Australia. He returned to the Netherlands in late 1964 before emigrating to the USA and then Brazil, where he worked as a commercial lithographer in Rio de Janeiro. After working with the Gemini workshop in Los Angeles and other notable print workshops, he became a Master Printer at Universal Limited Art Editions in New York, collaborating with iconic American artists including Robert Motherwell and Jasper Johns.

During the 1970s Fred returned to the Netherlands, before emigrating ‘for keeps’ to Australia in 1979, establishing his own print workshop in Sydney. It was during the next few years that Fred established strong co-operative working relationships with many Australian artists including John Olsen, Lloyd Rees, Tim Storrier, James Gleeson, Judy Cassab, Brett Whiteley, Marion Borgelt, Brian Dunlop, Colin Lanceley and Guan Wei, to name but a few. Fred also taught lithography for many years.

In 1997 he was appointed as Head of Printmaking at the National Art School. In 1993/94 an exhibition at the AGNSW titled From the lithographer’s workshop showcased 15 years’ worth of his collaborations with Australian artists alongside lithographs from the AGNSW collection.

In 1999 Fred relocated to the Northern Rivers, where he continued to print with some of his artist colleagues, enjoying friendships with artists of our region.

The Gallery is honoured to include works printed by the Master Printer in our collection. We offer our condolences to Fred’s family.

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