Francis and Dorothy Carr were the first artists to introduce silk screen printing into the UK in the late 40's and early 50's as a fine art process in its own right. What is particularly exciting and innovative about their place in its development is that they changed its application from commercial use, by sign writers and display firms, into an artistic medium for imaginative imaging. 
Combining knife-cut, hand drawn, and later photographic stencils they exploited its inherent boldness and directness to produce a unique set of limited edition prints. These were called serigraph, a word coined in America meaning 'to draw on silk', although most of the Carr's early prints were made using organdie, a sheer stiff muslin.
The most comprehensive exhibition of the Carr’s work - 'The Creative Screen' - was held at the Eckersley Gallery, London College of Communication, University of the Arts in 2002.

Screen printing is a stencilling process, and stenciling has a long history. ‘Stencilled hands' have been found on prehistoric cave walls in Pech Merle, France, Shiretoko Hokkaido, Japan, and Tun-Huang, China. The English word ‘stencil’ derived from the scintillating metal powders used on cloth, walls and wood during the middle ages, whilst in Germany Gutenberg's first bible incorporated coloured initials using a similar technique. The very first mesh supports used for stencilled images were the Japanese 'hair' stencils shown at the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition in 1851. For more information on screen printing see 'A Guide to Process Screen Printing' by Francis Carr (Vista Books 1961).

The first UK exhibition of serigraphs was organised by Francis Carr at the Folio Society, London in 1960. The use of popular subject matter, bright colours and simplicity were in stark contrast to the current prints of the time. The most comprehensive exhibition of the Carr’s work - 'The Creative Screen' - was held at the Eckersley Gallery, London College of Communication, University of the Arts in 2002.