Research point
Look at the work of Edward Bawden, and his son, contemporary printmaker Richard Bawden. Take a close look at the way they have worked with multiple blocks. What can you learn from them?
Edward Bawden (1903-1989)
Edward Bawden was a painter and illustrator as well as a printmaker and commercial graphic artist. He trained alongside Paul Nash and Eric Ravilious at the Royal College of Art.(1) (2). He also served as a war artist during WWII. This research point will confine itself to his linocuts the medium with which he is probably the most closely associated. I'll look at a few of his works as follows.
Bawden's large scale print of Brighton Pier is one of his most famous works. Click here to view the print on the V&A Museum website. (1) The composition is framed on either side by graphic representations of local architectural features in starkly contrasting black and white. The pier itself is placed such that we have a foreshortened view and our eyes a drawn along a strong diagonal to the structure at the end (the Palace Theatre).
The print was formed using two main blocks - one for the black and white detail work and one for the main areas of colour such as the sky and the sea. The block was large so was apparently printed by being laid on the studio floor where the artist used his feet to print it. (3)
The thing I find most interesting about this print, is the decorative detail that is included. There is a great deal of difference between the kids of marks the artist has made on the architectural structures and the natural elements like the sea and the beach. The inking appears to be be different in these areas too. Paler with lest stark contrast compared to the decorative details such as the ironwork on the pier. This dramatic difference in treatment of different elements of the composition seems to be quite common in Bawden's work.
Looking at Bawden's linocut of Liverpool Street station Click here ro view it on the Fry Gallery website (2)you can see some variety in the inking techniques he has used. The ironwork is printed in flat graphic black. The sky showing through the ironwork, however, has a different feel. It is pale and possibly translucent. It seems to fade away to nothing almost as though Bawden has only partially inked the roller - but I'm sure this is deliberate. On the right side of the image, he has printed translucent pale grey ink with a swirly pattern over the black iron work. The iron work shows through. This effectively represents the billowing translucency of steam. The use of these effects means that the edition would have been variable - more like a series of monotypes in fact (2).
Edward Bawden employed a wide variety of mark making techniques and his work is very decorative and illustrative with surface patterning being the most outstanding feature. When people appear in his prints, they are flat like cardboard cut outs. He also produced numerous linocuts of animals (especially cats). These are more humorous and cartoonish in nature.
Richard Bawden (Contemporary)
Richard studied painting, printmaking and graphic design at Chelsea, St Martin's and the Royal College of Art.
His work echoes some of his father's techniques. He also works in linocut as well as other printmaking techniques. He too, is concerned with surface decoration to a large extent. In some of his work there is a great proliferation of patterning. For example in 'Fizz' seen here on the Art Angels website, (reproduction) the majority of the surface is taken up with patterning of different types. Checks and lines on he sofa, geometric patterns on the cushions and two different layers, directions and colours of stripe on the cat. In the background there are prints within prints which are also covered in pattern. The background is translucent pink fading tho grey, much like in the Liverpool Street station sky of Edward Bawden's print. They both use the roller in this situation in a painterly way.
Richard Bawden will sometimes overlay one pattern over another. This can be seen in this image of mackerel on the art angels website. Here he has laid dark hatching over the bright geometric patterning of the tablecloth and over the various patterns and colours of the fish in order to create shadow and build three dimensional form to the bodies.
In 'Roses and Freesias' he exploits the translucency of the ink. Laying one colour over another to create a third colour.
The artist describes his approach in the book 'Printmakers' Secrets' by Antony Dyson (5):
"Excited by what I see, I am driven by a compulsion to draw and paint. Sometimes I am inspired by the sheer grandeur of a location and sometimes by its details, by the richness ad depth of colour and texture. I am not ashamed to admit that I love decoration. Yet I am also enraptured by monumental geometric simplicity and the satisfying tension of a straight line. As an artist, my starting points are many: people, places, open landscape, intricate interiors, things which are odd or, at first glance, even completely boring (although inviting transformation). For me, making a print is a way of extending an idea a stage further than drawing or painting. A spontaneous drawing is often the starting point for a considered design, frequently lurking in my mind in several forms'.
He goes on to describe how he works with the Lino, using a Stanley knife to make precise linear cuts and flat shapes.For him Lino is a very controlled medium in comparison with etching which he uses in a very free way using multiple proofs which he works into using watercolour and crayon. with lino, he plans everything meticulously in advance as, "This leaves nothing to chance; everything is carefully considered and thought out." (5)
In his linocut 'Fireside' click here to view the 'green man' version on Gwen Hughes -Fine Art site (6),the artist acknowledges the influence of his father on his work. This is self portrait, the artist is relaxing in an armchair. Above his head there is a picture of his father in an almost identical pose. Above the fireplace hangs one of his fathers linocuts of a cat while Richard's own cats play on the fireside rug. Everywhere there is the surface patterning that is a feature of both artists' work.
The work of both father and son is extremely accomplished and exploits the medium to its full extent. There is certainly a lot that I can learn from their work although personally it doesn't excite me or draw me in. It has certainly been a valuable exercise to look in more detail at how they have achieved their results.
What Can I Learn from These Artists?:
References:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bawden
(2) https://www.scribd.com/document/35418461/Lecture-Notes-Edward-Bawden-Art-vs-Design-Kristian-Purcell
(3) https://artuk.org/discover/stories/edward-bawdens-tips-for-creating-a-great-linocut
(4) https://www.birchamgallery.co.uk/catalogue/artist/Richard:Bawden/biography/
(5) Printmakers' Secrets by Anthony Dyson. Bloomsbury Visual Arts, London 2009 - reprinted 2016
Image Sources:
(1) http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123292/brighton-pier-linocut-bawden-edward/
(2)http://fryartgallery.org/the-collection/search-viewer/686/artist/6/Edward-Bawden-CBE-RA/241
(3) http://www.art-angels.co.uk/prod/fizz-593
(4) http://www.art-angels.co.uk/prod/2-mackerel-588
(5) http://www.art-angels.co.uk/prod/roses-freesia-583
(6) http://gwenhughesart.co.uk/artworks/richard-bawden-fireside-ii-the-green-man/
Look at the work of Edward Bawden, and his son, contemporary printmaker Richard Bawden. Take a close look at the way they have worked with multiple blocks. What can you learn from them?
Edward Bawden (1903-1989)
Edward Bawden was a painter and illustrator as well as a printmaker and commercial graphic artist. He trained alongside Paul Nash and Eric Ravilious at the Royal College of Art.(1) (2). He also served as a war artist during WWII. This research point will confine itself to his linocuts the medium with which he is probably the most closely associated. I'll look at a few of his works as follows.
Bawden's large scale print of Brighton Pier is one of his most famous works. Click here to view the print on the V&A Museum website. (1) The composition is framed on either side by graphic representations of local architectural features in starkly contrasting black and white. The pier itself is placed such that we have a foreshortened view and our eyes a drawn along a strong diagonal to the structure at the end (the Palace Theatre).
The print was formed using two main blocks - one for the black and white detail work and one for the main areas of colour such as the sky and the sea. The block was large so was apparently printed by being laid on the studio floor where the artist used his feet to print it. (3)
The thing I find most interesting about this print, is the decorative detail that is included. There is a great deal of difference between the kids of marks the artist has made on the architectural structures and the natural elements like the sea and the beach. The inking appears to be be different in these areas too. Paler with lest stark contrast compared to the decorative details such as the ironwork on the pier. This dramatic difference in treatment of different elements of the composition seems to be quite common in Bawden's work.
Looking at Bawden's linocut of Liverpool Street station Click here ro view it on the Fry Gallery website (2)you can see some variety in the inking techniques he has used. The ironwork is printed in flat graphic black. The sky showing through the ironwork, however, has a different feel. It is pale and possibly translucent. It seems to fade away to nothing almost as though Bawden has only partially inked the roller - but I'm sure this is deliberate. On the right side of the image, he has printed translucent pale grey ink with a swirly pattern over the black iron work. The iron work shows through. This effectively represents the billowing translucency of steam. The use of these effects means that the edition would have been variable - more like a series of monotypes in fact (2).
Edward Bawden employed a wide variety of mark making techniques and his work is very decorative and illustrative with surface patterning being the most outstanding feature. When people appear in his prints, they are flat like cardboard cut outs. He also produced numerous linocuts of animals (especially cats). These are more humorous and cartoonish in nature.
Richard Bawden (Contemporary)
Richard studied painting, printmaking and graphic design at Chelsea, St Martin's and the Royal College of Art.
His work echoes some of his father's techniques. He also works in linocut as well as other printmaking techniques. He too, is concerned with surface decoration to a large extent. In some of his work there is a great proliferation of patterning. For example in 'Fizz' seen here on the Art Angels website, (reproduction) the majority of the surface is taken up with patterning of different types. Checks and lines on he sofa, geometric patterns on the cushions and two different layers, directions and colours of stripe on the cat. In the background there are prints within prints which are also covered in pattern. The background is translucent pink fading tho grey, much like in the Liverpool Street station sky of Edward Bawden's print. They both use the roller in this situation in a painterly way.
Richard Bawden will sometimes overlay one pattern over another. This can be seen in this image of mackerel on the art angels website. Here he has laid dark hatching over the bright geometric patterning of the tablecloth and over the various patterns and colours of the fish in order to create shadow and build three dimensional form to the bodies.
In 'Roses and Freesias' he exploits the translucency of the ink. Laying one colour over another to create a third colour.
The artist describes his approach in the book 'Printmakers' Secrets' by Antony Dyson (5):
"Excited by what I see, I am driven by a compulsion to draw and paint. Sometimes I am inspired by the sheer grandeur of a location and sometimes by its details, by the richness ad depth of colour and texture. I am not ashamed to admit that I love decoration. Yet I am also enraptured by monumental geometric simplicity and the satisfying tension of a straight line. As an artist, my starting points are many: people, places, open landscape, intricate interiors, things which are odd or, at first glance, even completely boring (although inviting transformation). For me, making a print is a way of extending an idea a stage further than drawing or painting. A spontaneous drawing is often the starting point for a considered design, frequently lurking in my mind in several forms'.
He goes on to describe how he works with the Lino, using a Stanley knife to make precise linear cuts and flat shapes.For him Lino is a very controlled medium in comparison with etching which he uses in a very free way using multiple proofs which he works into using watercolour and crayon. with lino, he plans everything meticulously in advance as, "This leaves nothing to chance; everything is carefully considered and thought out." (5)
In his linocut 'Fireside' click here to view the 'green man' version on Gwen Hughes -Fine Art site (6),the artist acknowledges the influence of his father on his work. This is self portrait, the artist is relaxing in an armchair. Above his head there is a picture of his father in an almost identical pose. Above the fireplace hangs one of his fathers linocuts of a cat while Richard's own cats play on the fireside rug. Everywhere there is the surface patterning that is a feature of both artists' work.
The work of both father and son is extremely accomplished and exploits the medium to its full extent. There is certainly a lot that I can learn from their work although personally it doesn't excite me or draw me in. It has certainly been a valuable exercise to look in more detail at how they have achieved their results.
What Can I Learn from These Artists?:
- It is possible to combine very different techniques of patterning and mark-making in a single print
- Less isn't always more when it comes to surface pattern and decoration - sometimes more can be more!
- It is possible to ambitious with scale and subject matter
- The block can be inked in different ways to create a variable series of prints.
- Translucent ink and lighter ink can be used over dark ink to good effect
- Colour mixing of overlaid layers of ink can be exploited to good effect
- A Stanley knife is a good tool for cutting straight lines (although being a surgeon I'd prefer a scalpel)
- Art and design are two parts of the same thing. Edward Bawden was both a designer and a fine artist
- Multiple blocks can be used and they can be pieced together to form a design. (For example when printing wallpaper)
References:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bawden
(2) https://www.scribd.com/document/35418461/Lecture-Notes-Edward-Bawden-Art-vs-Design-Kristian-Purcell
(3) https://artuk.org/discover/stories/edward-bawdens-tips-for-creating-a-great-linocut
(4) https://www.birchamgallery.co.uk/catalogue/artist/Richard:Bawden/biography/
(5) Printmakers' Secrets by Anthony Dyson. Bloomsbury Visual Arts, London 2009 - reprinted 2016
Image Sources:
(1) http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123292/brighton-pier-linocut-bawden-edward/
(2)http://fryartgallery.org/the-collection/search-viewer/686/artist/6/Edward-Bawden-CBE-RA/241
(3) http://www.art-angels.co.uk/prod/fizz-593
(4) http://www.art-angels.co.uk/prod/2-mackerel-588
(5) http://www.art-angels.co.uk/prod/roses-freesia-583
(6) http://gwenhughesart.co.uk/artworks/richard-bawden-fireside-ii-the-green-man/
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