Shirreff’s vision was to create an atelier that fostered experimentation and technical excellence. Unlike traditional print studios, 107 Workshop prioritised collaboration, allowing artists like Gillian Ayres, Michael Heindorff, Howard Hodgkin, William Kentridge and Joe Tilson to explore complex techniques such as carborundum printmaking and editioned hand-colouring. Shirreff’s expertise with carborundum, a mixture of resin and grit that creates a painterly impasto relief texture to prints, revolutionised Hodgkin’s work enabling vibrant, tactile compositions like Street Palm and After Degas. His hands-on approach, often involving direct application of acrylic painted borders or all over hand-colouring, ensured each print was a unique work of art produced in edition.

The workshop’s reputation rested on its ability to tackle ambitious projects. For instance, Hodgkin’s series of Venetian Views three of which were printed on 16 separate sheets and required complex printing and hand-colouring processes, with Shirreff and his team laying out the paper sheets on the floor to meticulously apply the paint using special brushes. This dedication to craft attracted a global list of artists seeking to work with the studio, including South Africa’s William Kentridge who made many of his largest and most ambitious etchings at 107 Workshop.

Kentridge began collaborating with the 107 Workshop in the 1990s, after being introduced by publisher David Krut who had earlier published Joe Tilson’s Oak Mantra printed at 107. Encouraged by Shirreff’s experimental approach, Kentridge incorporated highly unconventional techniques and materials to work his plates, notably the use of electric power tools to heavily distress the plate surfaces. His collaboration with Shirreff resulted in masterful editions that are marked by their scale and complexity, and remain a cornerstone of Kentridge’s multidisciplinary practice.

Shirreff’s influence extended beyond technique. He cultivated an environment where artists felt empowered to take risks. Hodgkin noted feeling “comfortable” at 107 Workshop, enabling him to embark on large-scale, experimental projects. His work with Gillian Ayres encouraged her to create some of her most vibrant, expressive works. Again, as with Hodgkin, it was Shirreff’s instruction in the painterly use of carborundum which proved key to some of Ayres’s finest prints. Her works from this period, often large-scale and exuberant, reflect her painterly approach, with thick layers of pigment and expressive forms that echo her abstract canvases. Works like Muscari (2005) and Leveret’s Leap (2006), exemplify her ability to blend painting and printmaking, pushing the boundaries of both mediums with vivid, dynamic compositions. At Shirreff’s suggestion, likely born out of practices developed with Howard Hodgkin, Ayres experimented with the hand-painting of her prints, and the technique gave the works a bold, poetic intensity which perfectly captured Ayres' unrestrained energy and emotional depth, blurring the lines between unique artworks and editions.

Shirreff was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and in 2011, with his health rapidly deteriorating, 107 Workshop closed. Although he passed away in 2017, Jack Shirreff's legacy endures through the prints and the artists he inspired. His emphasis on collaboration, technical innovation, and artistic freedom set a standard for print studios worldwide, cementing his place as a pivotal figure in the print world.

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Auction Details

Wednesday 2 July, 1pm BST

Forum Auctions, 4 Ingate Place, Battersea, London SW8 3NS