Norman Catherine

Norman Catherine seated at a table signing three of his lithographs for The Artists' Press

Norman Catherine was the first artist to make a print at The Artists' Press. The studio had no money and had to ask Catherine to buy the ink and paper in order for the edition to be printed. The title of this print is appropriately Headman and was signed on the 30 April 1991.

Catherine's lithographs are beautiful examples of his fine drawing skills with a perfectionists understanding of colour. The titles play with words and the images draw on humour, fear, social and personal politics and a brush of the absurd.

Catherine was born in 1949 and started working with Walter Battiss on The Fook Island Project in 1973. Since then Catherine has worked as a full-time artist and for the most part is self-taught. He has exhibited extensively both locally and internationally and his work can be found in leading international collections, both public and private; including MOMA in New York.

"Self Portrait was the first lithograph I did in 1975 with Bruce Attwood, Mark's father, who was doing commercial printing at the time. It was the first hand separated limited edition that both Bruce and I had attempted. Between 1980 and 1984 we went on to do about 25 limited editions together, once Bruce had started his own business at home in Bedfordview. Even though still at school, I remember Mark being always very much involved in the print shop.

The process of working on layers of frosted film for the separate colours that I did for the editions that Bruce printed on his offset machine was very experimental and as far as I know, had not been used by other artists in SA. This is still basically the same process as the latest prints that I have done with Mark, although now printed by hand on a direct press.

I haven't used this technique for lithography for quite some time and am really enjoying doing it and working with Mark again." Norman Catherine, 2019

New Editions from The Artists' Press

Artists A - L (listed by surname)

Artists M - X (listed by surname)

Norman Catherine Archive of Prints Made at The Artists' Press

Norman Catherine's website

Norman Catherine at MOMA

Norman Catherine Creative Feel Magazine Article

For orders (with free shipping) or any other enquiries, please contact us.

Title: Self Serve
Medium: Five colour lithograph
Paper size: 38.5 x 30 cm
Edition size: 40
Price: R 5 000 (excl. VAT)


Title: Showtime
Medium: Five colour lithograph
Paper size: 38.5 x 30 cm
Edition size: 40
Price: R 5 000 (excl. VAT)


A dog and a man tucked into a bed with the dog watching the sleeping man

Title: Bedfellows
Medium: Six colour lithograph
Paper size: 57 x 76 cm
Edition size: 50
Price: R 12 850 (excl. VAT)

Detail of Bedfellows print showing the head of wide-awake dog resting on pillow

Detail of Bedfellows


Title: Silent Water
Medium: Seven colour lithograph
Paper size: 57 x 76 cm
Edition size: 50
Price: R 12 850 (excl. VAT)

Detail of Silent Water print, showing black cat curled up with yellow eyes open

Detail of Silent Water


Freestanding bathtub with a baboon and eye-masked man resting on opposite ends facing each other

Title: Partnership
Medium: Seven colour lithograph
Paper size: 57 x 76 cm
Edition size: 50
SOLD OUT

Detail of Partnership lithograph showing baboon tail and scratchy towel

Detail of Partnership


Naked male figure with long arms looking at head lying on the ground next to him

Title: Head Stone
Medium: Four colour lithograph
Paper size: 37.5 x 30 cm
Edition size: 30
Price: R 5 000 (excl. VAT)

A spotted dog-like creature with multiple eyes being ridden by multi-headed animals.

Title: Joy Ride
Medium: Five colour lithograph
Paper size: 75 x 106 cm
Image size: 68 x 98 cm
Edition size: 45
Price: R 17 400 (excl. VAT)

You might like these