For the purposes of this research point I will confine my research to monoprints. It is clear that there are many other textured forms of printmaking but I need to keep it narrow to stop this becoming an unmanageably large research point.
Howard Jeffs
Howard Jeffs uses many different forms of printmaking in his work. His most recent work is using lino etching but I am only going to consider his monoprints here.
The artist states that he works very quickly and spontaneously around a theme. He discards many of the resulting prints. He will also add more ink over the ghost image after the first pass of a plate through the press in order to develop an image further. He is enthusiastic about monoprinting because of the freedom it gives to experiment (1)
Click on the links below to see examples of Jeffs' monoprints online.
In the first image above I think I can spot marks made by a fine spray of solvent as well as dry brush marks and marks made by scraping away ink with a sharp implement.
In this image of a starry sky, the cloudy subtle marks in the sky are made using solvent. The stars themselves are made by sprinkling magnesium powder over the blue ink before printing.
In the image of the grassland with a red sky I suspect actual grasses may have been used as masks. There is use of solvent again to create a cloud in the sky as well as a granular texture between the grasses at ground level which I cannot determine how he has achieved.
The first image of sunflowers reminds me very much of work by Anslem Kiefer Click Here to see and example of Kiefer's work on the Guggenheim museum's website. The sunflowers are dark against a more colourful background. The coloured layer will have been printed first and then the plate re-inked with the very dark ink - this was then worked into subtractively allowing the bright base layer to show through where the ink has been wiped and scraped away.
Tim Southall
Click Here to see a selection of monotypes on the artist's website Individual works or a slideshow of his works can be viewed by clicking on an image.
I first encountered Southall's work when I visited the National Original Print Exhibition at Bankside Gallery. His monotype 'Miramar' was displayed and can also be viewed on his website via the link above. He is also a painter and I think that this is in evidence in his approach to the monotypes - they are 'painterly' in nature.
The prints appear that they may have been made in multiple layers and they are rich in texture and colour. They appear to be inspired by landscapes but are not emphatic in their description. They remind me of the concept of the sublime: That is the feeling of awe or almost fear in the presence of nature or landscape - this is also exemplified by works such as Turner's 'Snow Storm' shown below.
 |
In terms of texture it is possible to identify some of the sources from looking closely at the works. In 'Fate Unfolds' and 'Animal Uprising' he appears to have used threads and a loosely woven fabric such as the scrim used by printmakers for wiping etching plates.
In 'The Tempest' is that a woven onion bag or a piece of fishing net?. On 'Downpour' I suspect he might have placed ink diluted with solvent at the top of the plate and then tilted it to allow it to dribble down. On ' Ripples in the Sand' it is possible he may have used a palette knife or a piece of cardboard in a squeegee-like motion to create those ripples. I'm not sure I have gleaned the techniques successfully but there is plenty of food for thought and techniques to try out here.
Theresa Gadsby-Bourner
In contrast to the violence and agitation of many of Southall's works, Gadsby-Bourner's works are quieter and more tranquil.
Click Here to see some of the artist's monoprints or her website
Many of her prints have compositions of horizontal blocks of colour like horizons in a pastoral landscape but also with vertical components which could be reeds or grasses. This combination of horizontal and vertical with only occasional diagonals and the balance of colours in the composition which seems to be instinctive give a pleasing restful feel to the works.
In many of her monoprints there is a granular texture or an appearance a bit like ice-crystals or frosted glass. The appearance is similar to that which is obtained when salt is sprinkled onto wet watercolour paint. I wonder whether this is achieved in some kind of similar way - sprinkling something on which absorbs and lifts the ink from the plate. Alternatively it could be that a very fine spray of solvent has been misted over oil-based ink and the effect of the solvent arrested quite rapidly.
Click Here to see some of the artist's monoprints or her website
Many of her prints have compositions of horizontal blocks of colour like horizons in a pastoral landscape but also with vertical components which could be reeds or grasses. This combination of horizontal and vertical with only occasional diagonals and the balance of colours in the composition which seems to be instinctive give a pleasing restful feel to the works.
In many of her monoprints there is a granular texture or an appearance a bit like ice-crystals or frosted glass. The appearance is similar to that which is obtained when salt is sprinkled onto wet watercolour paint. I wonder whether this is achieved in some kind of similar way - sprinkling something on which absorbs and lifts the ink from the plate. Alternatively it could be that a very fine spray of solvent has been misted over oil-based ink and the effect of the solvent arrested quite rapidly.
Morgan Doyle
Morgan Doyle appears to be a very prolific artist. Visiting his website there are many many drawings and paintings as well as series after series of monoprints. Click here to link to the Artist's website
Some of his work appears to be based on the urban landscape but may others are completely abstract. The artist has used multiple colours and techniques in most of the abstract works. He has manipulated the ink with solvent as well as scraping and pulling it about. He seems to also work with inks of different viscosities as well as impressing textures into the ink.
Anne Moore
Produces decorative textured monotypes. Click here to link to examples of monotypes on the artist's website
They made using mutiple layers of ink. They frequently have very well balanced use of colour giving a pleasing aesthetic. They are highly textured. In some cases linocut elements are included. In others everyday objects can be detected such as bubblewrap and possibly corrugated card.
References
(1) Jeffs, H in Printmakers' Secrets by Anthony Dyson. Bloomsbury Visual Arts, London 2009 - reprinted 2016
Image Sources
(1) http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/N/N00/N00530_10.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment