DRAFT 1
My chosen piece was a printed vase illustration by Andrea Lauren (@inkprintrepeat on IG). Lauren specializes in linocut printing and especially in working with jigsaw printing.
Technically, linocutting did not present itself as a challenge, it used fairly straightforward methods of carving and while it did take an adjustment to holding and handling the tools I was quickly able to familiarise myself with it. The biggest technical challenge I found was not being able to control the carving fully without sacrificing the loyalty to the original piece. Another challenge of the medium was the fact that I was only able to source a few primary colours of the printing inks that are typically used with it. While I was confident that I could mix them to match, I had not anticipated how hard getting an even mix would be.
From my observation, many linocut artists seem to favour folk imagery as well as classical motifs, oftentimes it seems apparent they are trying to emulate the image of woodcuts or the feel of older prints.
To the benefit of the medium, it seems to be used often to create empowering and accessible prints, many times created from a diy spirit.
DRAFT 2
After reading the snippet of Raymond Queneau’s “Exercises in style”, I was intrigued by the playfulness and the difference presented by the few chapters available. While maintaining some parameters and constraints, his work clearly flourishes under this enforced rulebook. By retelling a simple anecdote in 99 different styles, it highlights the malleability of language, the role of form in shaping meaning, and the humor in experimentation.
Queneau’s example sits to show that language is a medium that can be shaped, chiseled and expanded, which intrigued me as a concept. While the medium I had chosen was of a less literal manner, I was interested in putting into practice the similar mindset of creation through constraint.
Initially it was daunting to try to consider different ways of experimenting with my iterations. Even though lino printing is a medium that encourages experimentation within some limits, I was struggling with imagining or thinking up methods of hacking the medium in a way that had not been done before or shown to me by my own printing books. One of which being Andrea Lauren’s own book, Block Print
Using my previously established medium, I devised to experiment in different materials while maintaining the same ink and stamp, which will act as a control element and my own established constraint.
I was aware that conceptually, the message I was choosing to translate through my print was as important as the print itself, so I took the time to consider what I wanted to evoke through my print. It seemed natural for me to create a piece that represented my identity. I chose to depict a Romanian immigrant within a crowd of people, her face neutral as to be altered by the methods I intended using. I maintained my approach playful, my workspace was my floor, scattered on a plastic cover were my supplies, my ink spread on paper, some towels on the side to dab my inked pads when they needed cleaning.
My materials were sourced from what I had around my house. Thick cardstock and mixed media paper were my first victims of experimentation. My first course of action was to print as I had been instructed, moderately wiping the ink off and pressing the paper on top with even pressure, but as I continued creating prints I changed up the pattern, opting to either use too little or too much ink to observe the effects caused.
Following that up with using tracing paper and fabric to print. I found the tracing paper created an interesting effect, as the paper buckled and warped due to the wetness of the ink. The fabric has an equally surprising effect, bleeding through the material and folding within the carved out portions, the fabric prints picking up way more ink that the normal paper prints.
An unexpected effect was the creation of prints on ‘scrap’ pieces and fabric, where I had carelessly put down the blocks in need to not stain my carpet. These prints created a textured and quite freeing print, the image unencumbered by my control. These created the most intriguing imagery.
Overall this step of the experimentation helped me better understand the process of lino printing and how this can be hacked and changed to create new and interesting visuals.
DRAFT 3
