1) What are some ways to make a relief block or plate that you had not considered before reading this chapter? What sorts of things do you need to consider before you choose a method for creating a relief block or plate?
2) Which relief techniques from the reading are you particularly interested in and why?
3) Find an example of a relief print online and post a link to it. Why did you choose this piece? What do you appreciate most about it?
1. Before reading this chapter, I had never considered etching on lino because I thought that lino was only used for carving. By spraying paint stripper or oven cleaning spay onto the linoleum, you can create a surface that's perfect for etching like you would on a zinc plate.
ReplyDeleteSome things to consider before you choose a method for creating a relief block or plate include: how much detail there is in the piece that you are creating, what style of print you are trying to create, and what material (lino, wood, rubber) would be best suited for creating your print accordingly. For example, if your print has a lot of organic lines and small details, it would be easier to cut it out of linoleum or rubber as opposed to wood, which has a directional grain that hinders the artist from making certain cuts. Another thing that you should consider is what kind of carving materials you will need depending on the medium you choose to make your etching out of (wood etchings require different materials than rubber or lino prints... and from my own personal experience, wood carving/burning is NOT easy.)
2. The relief techniques that I am most interested in are lino etchings, zinc etchings (even though I know we can't do them), the reduction method, and collage relief prints. The reasons I like these methods are: 1. I am comfortable with lino and know what great, detailed results you can achieve when using it. 2. I like etching tiny tiny details onto the zinc plates, using hatching and cross hatching, and working with poison cause it makes me feel like a bad ass when I make a mistake. 3. the reduction method sounds really interesting because you can only make the prints once, and you can achieve a great level of depth using multiple colors for each layer, which I think would be pretty coooool. 4. I like collecting little nick nacks and using them in art works and I also like artworks that have a lot of texture.. so printmaking with all different kinds of found objects in the collage relief printing sounds pretty dang awesome. I'm excited to test it out.
3. I chose this piece because I loved the colors and the fact that the artist combined elements of realism and abstraction in the print. I was also floored by the fact that it was a relief print and interested to find out how he created the print with so many colors and such great alignment on each layer.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ameart.com/images/65-ft.-underlr_5s96.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ameart.com/aMeArT_Printmaking.html&usg=__bN6RwzDs52_X9vBlrjT4gZfiGQI=&h=433&w=576&sz=128&hl=en&start=35&sig2=OZXVg0Frc7LIensBipwSsQ&zoom=1&tbnid=plum0OGubSyNCM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=182&ei=c_VRTbOcFIK78gbluo2ZCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drelief%2Bprintmaking%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1067%26bih%3D629%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1296&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=425&vpy=166&dur=2234&hovh=195&hovw=259&tx=155&ty=98&oei=afVRTfbyL5CatwfgqIyCCw&esq=3&page=3&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:35&biw=1067&bih=629
ReplyDelete1)Relief printing was overall pretty vague to me to be fairly honest but had some understanding from the demonstrations in class and from just common sense but what was interesting to me from the resding was learning about cardboard relief. I had never hurd of it or even thought of it!
ReplyDeleteBefore choosing a method, think it is important to think about what image one wants to represent each technic will be best for what is being portrayed. costs is also something to consider, if we have a budget, certain technics are more expensive than others. I think time too is imortant. wood carving reliefs seem more time consuming than others and might not be the best for a class that meets twice a week.
2)the technic that interests me the most is cardboard. I love to paint on cardboard because i love its texture and its feel. I would like to experiment with that in printing. I would like to see how it prints the color on the paper. Also i think carboard is an interesting material because it is simple to cut in the shapes we want and i think i would have fun with that!
3) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mMpMinCpczs/TNhRIUBsy9I/AAAAAAAAAI0/fQ-kGXNldFQ/s400/16walmuerto_400.jpeg
I chose this piece because i thought it was funny but also because i liked it visually. I appreciate its social comment on capitalism and on labour and effect on minorities. visually i loved the use of the sceleton but also the use of negative and positive space.
1) It had never even crossed my mind that cardboard could be used alone as a relief block/plate before reading this chapter. I guess if it ever had crossed my mind I must have immediately dismissed it because cardboard seems so flimsy. Cutting a design into cardboard without going through to the other side and also it being able to last through multiple prints and cleanings seemed like an impossibility. But, like it was said in the chapter, there are way to treat it so that it lasts. And it also gets across some really beautiful texture that's soft and has great depth.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing to consider when you are choosing what method of relief printing to use is what images you are going to employ and what the final product should look like. Even though some methods such as linoleum and wood share a very similar type of style, each method of relief printing comes with it's own unique appearance so that's it's possible to tell them all apart. Also, as Caty was saying, certain styles are easier to accomplish on certain relief blocks or plates because the materials lend themselves to those styles.
2. Honestly, I have to say that I'm really interested in all types of relief printmaking techniques. What I enjoy so much about this particular means of printmaking is that it seems to be somewhat related to sculpture, albeit in a fairly small way. I just really appreciate art forms that combine multiple disciplines into one. The one method that I think I am most excited about is collage relief print/collagraph prints. The reason for that is that they seem like such a novelty in the printmaking world and they also really open the door to all sorts of crazy experimentation. I have to admit that texture is something that I really struggle with and I look forward to being challenged by collagraph.
3. I chose this piece because the style that it is in is one that I am usually drawn to. It has a graphic novel feel to it, being kind of stylistic with a graphic edge (I guess I'm just predictable). What I appreciate most about it is the quality of the lines. They're so crisp and an amazing amount of detail was accomplished. I enjoy messy prints that have a rough energy to it, but when a print is done and everything about it is so clean, it has a kind of refreshing effect one me. I also really appreciate how, even when minimal color is used, there is still quality to the piece that makes it almost colorful without having color. http://cloudery.typepad.com/.a/6a010536fe636d970b0115714ad5c7970c-800wi
I have always been familiar with linoleum relief blocks and I knew that if you could do carve into a substance like this, why not something else? Something craftier, like foam boards or plaster. But, until the reading I was not aware that you could make wood relief blocks. It makes perfect sense, and it is something that strikes me because I love working with wood and I think wood naturally gives off beautiful textures. Before you chose what kind of relief block to use, you have to keep in mind the overall message and content of your print. If you want a piece with a lot of organic lines and textures, maybe linoleum would be best fit. Straight, jagged lines could be cut into wood nicely and give off a naturalistic feel – and if that is what you are going for, then wood is the choice for you. It all depends on what you want your print to say to viewers and how you want to execute them.
ReplyDeleteEver since I began taking Josh’s sculpture classes I have been particularly interested in wood, as I mentioned above. I enjoy the idea of its imperfect nature, and coming from a plant, its material is completely natural. I enjoy altering the natural in creating new forms and allowing viewers to celebrate the flexibilities of nature when tampered with by man. When I say tampered with, I mean in a positive light, much like how Andy Goldsworthy feels during his process of art making out in the environment.
http://www.cycleback.com/printsexamination/reliefwoodcut.jpg
Here’s a link to an example of a relief print that I found. I enjoy the simplicity of the piece and the detail in which the artist put into create such a simple but recognizable image. Each slice in the relief block adds to the process of creating the image, and it takes multiple for viewers to finally understand the content of the piece.
One of the types of relief printing I did not consider was using cardboard. For some reason using cardboard had never crossed my mind, however, I think this method is really interesting and neat.
ReplyDeleteBefore deciding what method you will use there are a few things to consider. The artist must decide what kind of texture they want out of the print, how complex or simple they want to image to be, the amount of layers, the decision to keep each print unique or replicable, and etc. If the artist wants a textured print that is more organic, then a wood cut seems appropriate. If the artist wants their prints to be very similar than using lino, or rubber stamps, are other ways to have identical prints.
One of the techniques I found interesting was the collage print. When the author stated one student used his face to make a print unique I found that very creative and fun. I also like the idea of using organic forms to create prints. The author recommended anything form a barn door to plant themselves, which I found very intriguing. I like the idea of mixed mediums for relief printing because it gives the art piece different values and a richer presence.
The piece I choose is appealing to me because of its patterning. I like how the artist has a background pattern and how it is darker on the bottom and then lighter towards the top. Another thing I like is the second layer of the pattern due to its perfect edges and precise placement. Lastly, the butterfly stamped on because it stands out due to it being in black compared to the red and blue contrast.
http://www.macalester.edu/art/mikidizzy.jpg
ReplyDelete1) Even though I had used linoleum for relief printing in the past I had not considered the possibility of using caustic solutions to etch a material such as linoleum. When I think of etching, I usually think of metal plates. But, I do not consider this process one that I am eager to try, given that the materials involved can be very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAnother method that I had not considered before the reading is using a malleable material such as soft erasers as a stamp. Also, I thought it was an interesting idea to use plaster as a plate, but one drawback seems to be the fact that you can only print with it by hand rubbing.
I think that one of the most important things to consider before choosing a method is the kind of texture you are trying to create in your final print. After Professor Simmons made this point in class, all the different choices for material seemed less daunting, because choices can be narrowed greatly depending on texture.
2) One relief technique that I am interested in after the reading is the process of arranging textured materials such as sand or wire on a lino plate and running it through the etching press to create patterns on the lino. This seems like a good way to achieve a background plate with more varying texture than a monotype background would produce.
Using cardboard to create plates is also an appealing option, due to the ease in accessibility and handling of cardboard.
3)http://www.redbubble.com/people/billylee/art/1409421-7-rainforest-collagraph-relief-print
This image is appealing to me because, despite the business of the lines and the blending of color, there is still a distinct foreground, midground, and background, which gives the print depth.
1. I am familiar with linoleum blocks and I’ve heard of wood blocks before, but I never realized how versatile relief printmaking could be in terms of all the different media you can use to make a block. I was really surprised by the cardboard and especially the idea of using a potato (page 21). I really liked how this reading addressed the things to think about before deciding to use a relief print technique. It explained how a wood or lino block might be better for large mark-making, and more intuitive line work where as a wood etching would work better for something with finer line quality. When I’ve done relief prints in the past, mostly in high school, I never really paid attention to how easily transferrable my idea would be for the type of line quality you get in something like a lino print. After the reading I realize that I probably spent way too much time tediously carving out small details on my block, which probably weren’t very well suited to that technique.
ReplyDelete2. I’m really interested in the wood block technique, though I don’t think we’ll get a chance to try it out in this course. I just really like the idea of using such a raw material to create a print. Although it sounds a little more labor intensive, I really like the quality that wood block prints produce, and I’d be interested to try different types of wood to see how the results vary.
3. http://collections.otis.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/artbook&CISOPTR=8344&REC=1
This was just a print that I found when looking at google images. It is by Christopher Hartshorne, called Woman Eating Oysters. I chose it because it shows the quality that I love in relief prints of bold texture and expressive line work.
1. I had never considered using an etching method, partially because I did not know it was possible to create etchings on materials other than metal. I really like the results of the lino etchings, they are very textural and somewhat surreal. I was also very surprised by some of the monotype methods such as laying out a film of ink and then 'carving' out of it. The images of the monotypes had a lot of depth and shadowing, which I would not normally assume to come from the monotype process.
ReplyDelete2. I'm really interested in the collage relief prints, because I had never thought about going outside of the studio to pick up textures. It reminds me of doing crayon rubbings, and it could be very interesting to use some common textures like braille in a piece.
3. http://www.amieroman.ca/works/ploverwing/resized/hibou.w450h450.jpg
this is a really simple print, but I like it because 1. I like owls, and 2. I like the balance of the black and white. The contrast of the starburst, white eyes against the solid black background really bring them out as the focal point, and I like the detail of the fine, white lines that gradually fade away, giving the appearance of shadowing.
This comment is for my lecture response. I'm posting it here because I couldn't find a link specifically for lectures.
ReplyDeleteCaty Coplin
February 8, 2011
“The Business of Art”
Bruce Silverstein
Bruce Silverstein is a photography curator with a passion for business and art. His gallery on 535 West 24th Street in New York City stands out from its surrounding galleries in the fact that it is strictly photography and has a reputation for representing some of the medium's “most influential and innovative [contemporary] artists.” Silverstein attributes a lot of his success to his financial background on Wall Street, a background which gave him the ability to communicate effectively with other art dealers and be unafraid to “liquefy” art.
Over the course of his career, Silverstein has owned numerous galleries and held dozens of shows in New York. Now, he travels around the country trying to help other young artists and future curators understand “The Business of Art” by sharing stories of his experiences and giving tips on what and what not to do if you want to be successful in the business. From the dozens of statements he made during his speech, these were the five statements that stuck out most to me:
1.“You have to understand what’s being done today because what’s being done today is reinterpreting what’s been done in the past.”
2. “Abstract expressionism comes from nature first.”
3. “In the art world there is a stigma that photography galleries are on a lower plane than other art galleries.” (Silverstein is trying to change that Stigma.)
4. “Photography needs to spread out into other art forms to really move forward in the future.”
5. “The only way you can get into a gallery is if someone discovers you or another artist recommends you. You blackball yourself if you walk into a gallery and ask for your work to be displayed. Start small and work your way up. Don’t go to MOMA and expect to be displayed.”