Relief ?... Printing

Fly me to the Moon.

9th October  2014

I began this, my 4th day, with a sense of childlike excitement. I believe now that it's better to have no rigid preconceptions of the process and to work with the high octane energy level of a child on Christmas morning; a little like the feeling when you burp after eating a sherbet fountain, all sweetness and fizz. My ideas are ethereal and unformed, revolving around Organic subject matter (with direct links to my sketchbook objective studies) then becoming darker, more indistinct Freudian creatures, involving war and obsession.

The chemical smells of the print room evoked memories of my previous college experiences  and Gilly's natural enthusiasm for this process gave me a sense that within the parameters of print, anything was possible. The solvent based inks reminiscent of 'journo' men in shirt sleeves with a 'fag on' typesetting hot metal, was the basic scent to our day. 

We were introduced to 'Reduction Prints' where the lightest coloured ink is applied first and darker shades built up to complete the final image - using Lino as the vehicle for our initial designs. I began drawing up images with which to experiment. I found the relief ink more satisfying to handle than silkscreen acrylic as the gelatinous medium was thicker and more substantial to work with. Transparencies could be created using extender base and using the roller to mix and prepare the ink for transference to the Lino surface was strangely attractive. 

The technical problems I encountered were generally linked to the registration of my print and uneven packing of the press. I found that with my 'Popeye' arm muscles it was easy to pull vibrant looking prints. What I loved about this relief process (as with silkscreen), is its immediacy. The ability to produce a design as if by magic  - removing the packing and slowly revealing that juicy image with amazing depth of colour - that's Frank Sinatra on toast is that!

My 'scorpion' illustration worked well as the fluid way in which I was able to control the Lino cutter to create wavy lines enhanced my idea of creating a piece which was organic and flowing. As a work in progress this was a pleasure. However I am drawn to the work of the German Expressionists; images which are more angsty and edgy in nature. The bold thick lines and heavy carved portraits of Erick Heckel and Ernst Ludwig Kirschner - the bombastic block prints using slabs of vibrant colour in an aggressive, animalistic almost tribal manner is an area I wish to research further.

Arnolfini Publicity Poster

In parallel with my initial thoughts, I read the article by Florence Waters (Telegraph 4th October 2014) on the newly published book 'Art and the Second World War' by Art Historian Monica Bohm-Duchen. 

Waters analysis exploring the question of the possibility of 'enjoying Fascist art' made me wonder if it were possible to express certain social, political and artistic subjects in the form of mini shrines.  (Coincidentally Bohm-Duchen curated a German Expressionists Retrospective exhibition in the mid 1980s at the Arnolfini in Bristol along with Roger Cardinal and John Willett)

Would the idea of creating imagery to express an intangible idea be too superficial or subjective? Could I, like Dr. Frankenstein, with my butterfly brain, take the idea of 'The Shock of the New' or ' Of Gods and Monsters' by Robert Hughes (Guardian article 1/2/2003), where the work of Albert Speer and his relationship with Hitler and the Third Reich is scrutinised - with Speer the repentant Nazi or a man in denial. 

Could I fashion or dissect this premis or a series extremes into any form of print based Shrine?

Scorpions and Sherbet. Heckel and Hitler. Take those Fascists and Fly me to the Moon I think.

Shrine of myself. 11.10.14. Discuss..

Banter!!