Multiple Methods: A Printmaking Exhibition
The subject matter for this print was inspired by the loss of my sister with whom I was very close and allowed me to process my grief in a manner most familiar to me, through my art.
The imagery for “Reflections” derives from a photo booth photo taken many years ago when my sister and I were six and eight years old and about to travel by train to Chicago for an annual family outing to visit the Marshall Field’s store at Christmas time. Marshall Field’s was a truly magical place during the holidays and we always looked forward to our visit. The pond is a more contemporary image representing the Koi pond in the front yard of our house in Alabama and serves as a bridge between the past and present. Shortly after stocking the pond we lost the first school of fish due to a power outage. Thus the pond represents another form of loss and cause for reflection.
Reduction woodblock print
The boat ride to where is the question posed in this print. The loss of my sister took me back to our childhood as a time of joy and oneness that ended with her passing. Thus in this print I attempt to capture universal human emotions of joy, sorrow and loss.
The “Journey” is represented by my sister and me holding onto one another while our mother rows, guiding us through our early lives’ journeys. She also floats above us as a free spirit representing youth and the passage of time. Additional images were included to symbolize some of the joys and sorrows such as pets that have passed away but who remain in one’s memory as important components of life’s journey.
I chose the woodcut medium because I have always enjoyed looking at mediaeval woodcut prints, particularly those in manuscripts, and marveling at their strong visual presence despite their technical simplicity.
Reduction woodblock print
The prints are woodblock reduction relief prints done on thin (1/8”) plywood. For this reduction print I began by cutting one block into seven parts that fit together much like a jigsaw puzzle, thus allowing for seven colors to be printed at one time. On a second block I drew an image in India ink which was then sealed with varnish to allow me to see the image during the reduction cutting process. Areas designated as gold leaf were cut out at the beginning with the gold leaf being glued to the paper after the first printing.
While reduction printing allows for exciting and unanticipated results it also presents challenges since, once cut away, the block’s surface cannot be restored. Thus careful consideration must be paid to how much to reduce the block each time it is cut. For this print I reduced the block surface three times in order to achieve the colors seen in the print. I also used stencils for further visual effect. Printed on large-format rice paper I limited the edition to five prints. The beauty of reduction printing is that it allows me to seek new solutions during each step of the reduction cutting/printing process thereby resulting in a more imaginative and successful final print.