Mr Ben Goodman

Ben Goodman is a Senior Technical Instructor in the Printmaking department, where he has worked since 2011. Based within the School of Arts, he supports teaching, technical instruction and workshop provision across a range of specialist printmaking processes, including relief print, engraving, letterpress and bookbinding. Alongside his technical role, he is an RIS Researcher affiliated with the Centre for Print Research.

His research explores the relationship between traditional printmaking and historical painting techniques, with a particular focus on the ways in which oil-painting methods can expand the visual language of wood engraving. Current research investigates glazing, a painting process that dates back to the medieval period and was used to imitate precious metals, enamel and gemstones. By adapting these techniques for contemporary printmaking, he seeks to develop new aesthetic and material possibilities for engraved and relief-printed images while contributing to a broader understanding of historical craft practices.

This research is closely connected to his professional practice as an artist and printmaker. Working primarily in wood engraving, Goodman combines traditional printmaking with oil-painting techniques to create layered images that explore the visual qualities of painting through the medium of print. His work is informed by a long-standing interest in European painting and printmaking traditions and serves as a practical testing ground for many of the ideas explored through his research.

His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is represented in collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Ashmolean Museum and the Central Academy of Fine Arts (China). He is an elected member of the Society of Wood Engravers and a recipient of the Rachel Reckitt Prize.