Laurent Schkolnyk attended both art and medical school in Paris, devoting himself as much as possible to both fields. After having studied and practiced painting and drawing, he discovered the mezzotint process through reading about it in an arts magazine. In the particular article, the roller technique of Yozo Hamaguchi was discussed. He began his work in printmaking and the mezzotint technique on his own, using the printing press available at his school.
His first show was in Nantes in 1978, where his work had such a positive response that, after having worked in printmaking for five years, he celebrated by buying himself a printing press. Continuing to work part-time in medicine and part-time in printmaking, Schkolnyk produced many works and saw his personal style evolve. In 1982, he brought his prints to Paris where Berggruen and La Ilune Galleries exhibited them. During the same year, the French Biblioteque Nationale purchased several of his works for their permanent print collection. In 1983, he was part of the International Exlibris Centrum group show in Sint Niklaas, Belgium.
Schkolnyk explains that his prints are directly related to his feelings. For example, his moods tend to dictate the colors and the subjects he chooses. He believes that emotion and feeling are very important to his art as well as to art in general, despite the fact that he sees modern art movements as privileging intellectual art. He says that his prints are like windows on to himself that shows his personal feelings at different parts of his life.
He feels very close to music, particularly to jazz and classical music. When he wants to work on a subject, he often tries to find a piece of music that corresponds to what he feels and then to work with that music as he creates.
Schkolnyk's mezzotints have evolved since he first started to experiment with the process in 1975. He originally worked in black: now he works in color and generally uses several plates and successive inkings to produce each work. His works have become very rich in tone because of this layering of different colors what appears to be rich black is in fact a combination of blue, red, and yellow. This density of tone is combined with subtly gradations in hue within each piece. Together they produce the vivid yet ethereal beauty that is particular to the mezzotint.
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