Please respond to the readings in at least 150 words. Follow the guidelines for completing lectures and research before posting your work under the appropriate blog entry.
Part 1) Before delving into the analysis of a work, I like to research an artist’s background. According to his official website, Ralph Slatton is a “professional artist and university professor, but sometimes dabble[s] as philosopher, engineer, and collector of all things old”(1). He describes his interests as “occasionally fring[ing] on the esoteric, ranging from the absurdly scientific to the analytically superstitious”(1). He primarily works with intaglio prints to represent animal forms because he enjoys exploring their “inscrutably humorous expressions,” as well as a sense of balance and gravity that their gestures can convey(2). He has additionally stated that the use of animals allows him to “elusively disguise some moral truth, human condition, personal dilemma, or religious conundrum”(3).
With the artist’s background in mind, I selected three prints that depict rabbits (see below for the works’ links and information). First, all of his prints share a few common traits. For each of the works listed in his gallery, the artist has created a simple description, which aids in understanding the message of the work. Formally, the animals are depicted naturalistically with careful attention to detail, and the plates are crafted with precise lines. The works share a monochromatic scale with values from white to black and many grays in between, which he uses to contrast components of the compositions with one another.
Part 2) Moving onto the analysis of the works, “Transmigration” has the description that “Stone rabbits confront viewer with hypnotized stare.” The composition of the print is formed in a way that matches the description; several rows of rabbit statues completely fill the space with their eyes toward the viewer. The rabbits are not aligned on a straight line. Rather, they are positioned on a near diagonal line. The overwhelming number of rabbits bursting out of the composition, in combination with the use of dark gray and black and the tilt to the plane on which the figures were positioned, gives the print a sinister, hypnotic look. The innocent and peaceful qualities of rabbits are diminished, and the viewer is left with these zombie-looking statues trying to consume his or her soul. As each statue looks the same, perhaps this print relates to value of individualism in American society and how it is important to reject the norm even if it is staring you right in the face.
“Evocation” also has a very dark quality. The caption is “Ensnared rabbit is faced with its own lucky foot.” Indeed, a rabbit is caught in a rope as what can be assumed as its own foot dangles in front of it. The light gray of the foot contrasts with the black that fills the background, making the foot the spotlighted aspect of the work. As the title suggests, this work “evokes” a gut feeling because the composition is filled with so much irony. Rabbit’s feet are viewed as lucky items, but this rabbit is completely devoid of luck in this particular situation. The rabbit has lost luck along with its foot. This print could conjure many potential narratives and meanings, but due to its title I believe the artist intended the work to function as an illustrative metaphor for any of the various ironies in society.
In “Goya’s Rabbits,” rabbits “play ‘chase their fails,’ a poor substitute for freedom.” The rabbits visually create a circle, with one placed directly behind another. They’re bodies show muscles being flexed as they leap to chase one another. At first glance, the space seems open, but then the viewer will notice a the light gray of a dilapidated wire fence contrasting with the black void behind it. The rabbits are then implied as trapped with nowhere to go, except within the confinements of the space. They have nowhere to run to, so they continuously loop in a circle, passing the time. This work, in relation to the artist’s description, reminds me of the dangers of idleness and ignorance. Due to the height of the jumps and the short height of the fence, the rabbits look as if they could easily escape. However, they occupy their time with mindless tasks instead of enjoying the freedom that they could have by breaking free of the norm.
Overall, Ralph Slatton uses the rawness of printmaking to his advantage. The stray marks and dark tones add to the sinister look of the prints. In the context of this technique, he uses otherwise humorous, innocent animals to stand for deeper, darker meanings. Additionally, reading his quirky autobiographical statements, the viewer can understand that his prints are meant to be experimental interpretations of real-life dilemmas.
All Pieces are by Palefroi “an art-print collective, based in Berlin Germany…initiated by Damien Tran and Marion Jdanoff” (http://palefroi.net/About)
→ Papaye on Tour, 2013, screen printed poster, 35 x 50 cm, 7 colors
→Papaye, Seal Of Quality, Joey Fourr, Screen printed poster, 50 x 70 cm, 4 colors, Edition of 35, 2013
→Le monstre, Screen printed poster, 50 x 70 cm, 5 colors, Edition of 35, 2012
What really interested me about these three prints designed by this one print shop was the untraditional approach and lack of direct tie to traditionally expressive ways of working with this medium. What I mean rather is that to me these pieces lack the flatness often associated with screen printing and created a layering of images unique to how I have seem them handled in any other circumstance. There is almost a childlike quality to these pieces that intrigue the viewer and allow a chance for questioning of how this piece was even created. This questioning really arises from the crayon like quality of the layered images and playful doodle like imagery referencing youth and a childlike interaction with form.
Zac Adams-Bliss 2012 “End of World Dance Off” In “End of the World Dance Off” Zac Adams-Bliss is using humor to approach the serious but commonly joked about issue of the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. I am a firm believer in adding humor to art and because of this I am very fond of this image’s playful approach to a previous ‘serious’ issue. The title of this print is very important in drawing this concept together; without it this image would simply look like a playful, vacation inspired print. The center-alignment of the dancing figure creates a focal point and balances out the asymmetrically divided background. The use of bright, contrasting colors adds to the playful tone of the image. Set in a poster form, the message received by the viewer is that this “End of the World Dance Off” is actually being promoted as ‘a thing.’ Zac’s repetitive use of the same prints for the shirt and pants of the figure faded as the background draw the viewer’s eye throughout the print. Conceptually, this image is comprehensive and intriguing using a common theme or subject in America today and creating unique humor on the subject. http://www.flickr.com/photos/highpointprints/8221657482/in/set-72157632049337353/
Carolyn Swiszcz 2005 21" x 58.5" “Free News” Carolyn Swiszcz adds a personal abstract combined with realistic touch to the common street items found in the United States. Her use of bold colors for the background and newsstands create a sense of charm while still maintaining the dull reality with aspects like the gray sidewalk including emerging weeds. Carolyn’s use of multiple methods of printing creates a comprehensive and flavorful image. The idea of making the common uncommon is a theme I am very intrigued by and the way Carolyn was able to capture the dismal charm of the streets in this way is appealing to the viewer. http://www.flickr.com/photos/highpointprints/5266559480/in/photostream/
Sandow Birk and Elyse Pignolet 2011 34 x 46 inches “A Conservative Map of the World” http://tamarind.unm.edu/editions/birk_img.html The reoccurring theme of two opposing views of the World taken by liberal and conservative Americans is shown in these two prints. I have chosen to focus on the Conservative print because I find it visually and conceptually interesting. This image is not ‘politically correct’ which is what makes it work conceptually. Without some of the terms for specific countries such as ‘3rd World’ and ‘Poor Mexicans’ the image would not be successful in reflecting the view trying to be reflected. I am in love with this series of prints.
Artist: Clara Ueland Her subject matter is Water in the landscape. She focuses on waves, plants, light effects on water. And expresses these subjects through a variety of median such as drawings, print, and paintings. She travels to locations and then takes photos and they use those as references for her artwork. Clara tries to evoke some sense of abstraction as well as capture the actual object. She first studied printmaking at the University of Minnesota and then got her Masters at the University of California. Her process involves regular trips to the neighboring wilderness for inspiration. 1) http://www.claraueland.com/Pages/hiddenloch.aspx “Hidden Loch” Etching, 18.875 X 12.25 2010 Intaglio printmaking, which creates subtle effects, was used here by Clara to create the softness and beauty of water. She prints on color on top of the other, gradually building up layers. This image shows water plants, which is the imagery Clara is most interested in portraying. The use of natural colors, and the way she uses the negative space of the paper is very soothing/calming and beautiful. I believe this reaches the aesthetic she was looking for. 2) http://www.claraueland.com/Pages/arduaine_garden.aspx Arduaine Garden Etching; 8 7/8 x 15 7/8" 2004 Again, this etching of Arduaine Garden is a good progression of Clara’s concentration. The use of complementary colors and negative space, create the perfect amount of eye movement over the piece. You can appreciate the hard work put into this piece because of the technique of lining up separate layers of color, and the level of preciseness there is. 3) http://www.claraueland.com/Pages/shadowsii.aspx Shadows II Etching; 10 x 7" 2011 This etching is again making good use of complementary colors, with the reddish/orange leaf in the middle and the greenish/brown background. All of Clara’s pieces have a good graphic design, flattened quality that I like a lot.
Nest and Trees, 1997 Kiki Smith (American, born 1954) Iris print 20 x 22 in. (50.8 x 55.9 cm)
I chose this piece because it reminded me of Alexis' senior studio work. This digital print contains a patchwork of black-and-white photographs of trees with nests in them, as the title of the work suggests. I found it really interesting because it doesn't contain animals or figures, which is very unlike the work I have seen by Kiki Smith in the past. There is an abstract nature to this that I thoroughly enjoy, and also a kind of unnatural unease as the trees presence seem vague and ominous. She is really interested throughout her work with themes of regeneration, life and death. I think this piece displays those concepts since the trees appear kind of dead, yet there are nests present within them which represent life.
2.) http://whitney.org/image_columns/0001/6850/91.20_smithk.imageprimacy_compressed_800.jpg All Souls, 1985–87. Kiki Smith screenprint 72 1/2 × 178 1/2 in. (184.2 × 453.4 cm)
I chose this piece because it is incredibly eerie and unsettling, which I quite enjoy in artwork. This piece contains the repeated image of a black and white fetus printed and arranged upon 36 attached sheets of handmade paper. Kiki Smith often injects her artwork conceptually with eroticism, sexuality, political statements, and spirituality that relates back to Catholicism. This piece evokes a strong but solemn emotional response and there is something very spiritual present here. This piece alludes to Catholicism in its title, as All Souls is a holiday in which people set aside the day to pray for the dead. This piece has to do with feminism, the expansive nature of the human population, and again, birth and regeneration.
3.)http://www.printed-editions.com/upload/standard/Kiki_Smith_Fortune_314_1.jpg Fortune, 2008. Kiki Smith Etching 66x52 cm
I chose this piece because it was a bit more fantasy-driven and whimsical than the previous two-works but still is representative of Kiki Smith's style and interests. This is an image reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, hugging a deer. It is also one of the few examples that I can think of where she utilizes color. She fixates on Little Red Riding Hood because of the themes of regeneration that exist within the tale.
This piece looks like a whimsical rendition of "Scream"! A Whimsical deep blue and black background holds five cell-looking blobs with white ghost looking faces inside each. This piece is figurative (hence, ghost-things, cells, etc) and has a mysterious, playful, and spooky allure. That is what made this image so intriguing to me. I can see it as an illustration for a children's halloween book...or maybe even biology if they are cells! I really like the possibilities available with etching and how things can really pop with the right color.
2. "Nightswimming" Screenprint 114 x 76 (x2) cm. 2001 Graham Dean
It will come as no surprise that I was drawn to this print because it is pink and purple. Although all that is visible is a zoomed in image of a womans head looking down and her collarbone, it is intriguing because you wonder who the woman is, what she is thinking, and what she is doing- what her story is. However, the title "Nightswimming" kind of gives it away. Once reading that, it is clear that the woman in the print is about to jump into a pool, lake, ocean, or some sort of body of water. This gives off a feeling of fear, contemplation, concentration, and determination. Although the woman is not entirely realistic looking and is pink, you can still see the situation realistically and feel the feelings she is by putting yourself in her shoes or thinking of instances of when you yourself have gone night swimming and the emotions and adrenaline involved. I think this is a captivating piece and visually appealing.
Obviously, I chose this print because it is a mermaid. I love the teal blue color chosen, reminiscent of the mermaid's home, the ocean. I also love how a sense of texture was achieved with the mermaid's scale, and it overall has a washed up, beachy feel because the blue color is a bit blotched, as though it had been thrown in the ocean. In the image, the mermaid is wearing a crown and appears to be holding either her own fin or a fish that she had just caught. There is no explanation provided of the piece but it is safe to assume that it is related to nautical/whimsical themes. I can see this print hanging on the wall of a beach house on Nantucket!
Of Man and Angel by Graham Flack, a lithograph made in 2003 size 109 by 77.5 cm. I chose this piece because lately I’ve had a lot of interest into lithographs and how they’re made. I really like the details and how real this piece looks and it makes me wonder even more about how lithographs work and how much you can do with them. I really like the colors of this particular piece and feel that it goes with the style of the piece, making the man look almost raw, which I feel goes perfectly with the title, Of Man and Angel.
I like this piece, The Sea by Hugh Bryden (a linocut size 25 by 33) mostly because of my obsession with linocuts. Having done now so many linos I know how much work goes into each and the way in which this particular one is done is quite impressive. It has a foreground middle ground and background and that seems to me something very hard to show in a lino. The details in it are also very precise, and I don’t see any mistakes on it. I was just overall very impressed by this piece.
The last piece I chose was E II by Alice Melvin, a screenprint done 2007 size 17 by 17. What I like most about this theme is the theme of it. Many of her pieces seem to be like a children’s alphabet book, those that go “ ‘a’ is for …” , but with more of an adult humor. Such as this particular piece, with Humpty Dumpty and saying “E is for egg and for emergency Elastoplasts.” I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book so her prints were all very interesting to me.
Part 1)
ReplyDeleteBefore delving into the analysis of a work, I like to research an artist’s background. According to his official website, Ralph Slatton is a “professional artist and university professor, but sometimes dabble[s] as philosopher, engineer, and collector of all things old”(1). He describes his interests as “occasionally fring[ing] on the esoteric, ranging from the absurdly scientific to the analytically superstitious”(1). He primarily works with intaglio prints to represent animal forms because he enjoys exploring their “inscrutably humorous expressions,” as well as a sense of balance and gravity that their gestures can convey(2). He has additionally stated that the use of animals allows him to “elusively disguise some moral truth, human condition, personal dilemma, or religious conundrum”(3).
With the artist’s background in mind, I selected three prints that depict rabbits (see below for the works’ links and information). First, all of his prints share a few common traits. For each of the works listed in his gallery, the artist has created a simple description, which aids in understanding the message of the work. Formally, the animals are depicted naturalistically with careful attention to detail, and the plates are crafted with precise lines. The works share a monochromatic scale with values from white to black and many grays in between, which he uses to contrast components of the compositions with one another.
Part 2)
ReplyDeleteMoving onto the analysis of the works, “Transmigration” has the description that “Stone rabbits confront viewer with hypnotized stare.” The composition of the print is formed in a way that matches the description; several rows of rabbit statues completely fill the space with their eyes toward the viewer. The rabbits are not aligned on a straight line. Rather, they are positioned on a near diagonal line. The overwhelming number of rabbits bursting out of the composition, in combination with the use of dark gray and black and the tilt to the plane on which the figures were positioned, gives the print a sinister, hypnotic look. The innocent and peaceful qualities of rabbits are diminished, and the viewer is left with these zombie-looking statues trying to consume his or her soul. As each statue looks the same, perhaps this print relates to value of individualism in American society and how it is important to reject the norm even if it is staring you right in the face.
“Evocation” also has a very dark quality. The caption is “Ensnared rabbit is faced with its own lucky foot.” Indeed, a rabbit is caught in a rope as what can be assumed as its own foot dangles in front of it. The light gray of the foot contrasts with the black that fills the background, making the foot the spotlighted aspect of the work. As the title suggests, this work “evokes” a gut feeling because the composition is filled with so much irony. Rabbit’s feet are viewed as lucky items, but this rabbit is completely devoid of luck in this particular situation. The rabbit has lost luck along with its foot. This print could conjure many potential narratives and meanings, but due to its title I believe the artist intended the work to function as an illustrative metaphor for any of the various ironies in society.
In “Goya’s Rabbits,” rabbits “play ‘chase their fails,’ a poor substitute for freedom.” The rabbits visually create a circle, with one placed directly behind another. They’re bodies show muscles being flexed as they leap to chase one another. At first glance, the space seems open, but then the viewer will notice a the light gray of a dilapidated wire fence contrasting with the black void behind it. The rabbits are then implied as trapped with nowhere to go, except within the confinements of the space. They have nowhere to run to, so they continuously loop in a circle, passing the time. This work, in relation to the artist’s description, reminds me of the dangers of idleness and ignorance. Due to the height of the jumps and the short height of the fence, the rabbits look as if they could easily escape. However, they occupy their time with mindless tasks instead of enjoying the freedom that they could have by breaking free of the norm.
Overall, Ralph Slatton uses the rawness of printmaking to his advantage. The stray marks and dark tones add to the sinister look of the prints. In the context of this technique, he uses otherwise humorous, innocent animals to stand for deeper, darker meanings. Additionally, reading his quirky autobiographical statements, the viewer can understand that his prints are meant to be experimental interpretations of real-life dilemmas.
Part 3)
ReplyDeleteWorks:
-http://www.etsu.edu/cas/art/pictures/Transmigration2.jpg
Transmigration, Ralph Slatton, Etching & Aquatint, 2003, 18” by 24”
-http://www.ralphslatton.com/gallery_animal/images/LostFile_JPG_62510745.jpg
Evocation, Ralph Slatton, Etching & Aquatint, 2008, 8” by 10”
-http://www.ralphslatton.com/gallery_animal/images/Goya's%20Rabbits.jpg
Goya's Rabbits, Ralph Slatton, Etching & Aquatint, 2011, 12” by 16”
Sources:
(1) http://ralphslatton.com/biography.htm
(2) http://ralphslatton.com/index.htm
(3) http://ralphslatton.hubpages.com/hub/Printmaking-the-Dark-Side-of-Art
Vasiliki Barakos
ReplyDelete04/02/2013
Simmons
Printmaking Post
All Pieces are by Palefroi “an art-print collective, based in Berlin Germany…initiated by Damien Tran and Marion Jdanoff” (http://palefroi.net/About)
→ Papaye on Tour, 2013, screen printed poster, 35 x 50 cm, 7 colors
→Papaye, Seal Of Quality, Joey Fourr, Screen printed poster, 50 x 70 cm, 4 colors, Edition of 35, 2013
→Le monstre, Screen printed poster, 50 x 70 cm, 5 colors, Edition of 35, 2012
What really interested me about these three prints designed by this one print shop was the untraditional approach and lack of direct tie to traditionally expressive ways of working with this medium. What I mean rather is that to me these pieces lack the flatness often associated with screen printing and created a layering of images unique to how I have seem them handled in any other circumstance. There is almost a childlike quality to these pieces that intrigue the viewer and allow a chance for questioning of how this piece was even created. This questioning really arises from the crayon like quality of the layered images and playful doodle like imagery referencing youth and a childlike interaction with form.
1. http://palefroi.net/filter/poster/Papaye-on-tour
ReplyDelete2. http://palefroi.net/filter/poster/Papaye-Seal-Of-Quality-Joey-Fourr
3. http://palefroi.net/filter/poster/Le-monstre
Zac Adams-Bliss
ReplyDelete2012
“End of World Dance Off”
In “End of the World Dance Off” Zac Adams-Bliss is using humor to approach the serious but commonly joked about issue of the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. I am a firm believer in adding humor to art and because of this I am very fond of this image’s playful approach to a previous ‘serious’ issue. The title of this print is very important in drawing this concept together; without it this image would simply look like a playful, vacation inspired print. The center-alignment of the dancing figure creates a focal point and balances out the asymmetrically divided background. The use of bright, contrasting colors adds to the playful tone of the image. Set in a poster form, the message received by the viewer is that this “End of the World Dance Off” is actually being promoted as ‘a thing.’ Zac’s repetitive use of the same prints for the shirt and pants of the figure faded as the background draw the viewer’s eye throughout the print. Conceptually, this image is comprehensive and intriguing using a common theme or subject in America today and creating unique humor on the subject.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/highpointprints/8221657482/in/set-72157632049337353/
Carolyn Swiszcz
2005
21" x 58.5"
“Free News”
Carolyn Swiszcz adds a personal abstract combined with realistic touch to the common street items found in the United States. Her use of bold colors for the background and newsstands create a sense of charm while still maintaining the dull reality with aspects like the gray sidewalk including emerging weeds. Carolyn’s use of multiple methods of printing creates a comprehensive and flavorful image. The idea of making the common uncommon is a theme I am very intrigued by and the way Carolyn was able to capture the dismal charm of the streets in this way is appealing to the viewer.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/highpointprints/5266559480/in/photostream/
Sandow Birk and Elyse Pignolet
2011
34 x 46 inches
“A Conservative Map of the World”
http://tamarind.unm.edu/editions/birk_img.html
The reoccurring theme of two opposing views of the World taken by liberal and conservative Americans is shown in these two prints. I have chosen to focus on the Conservative print because I find it visually and conceptually interesting. This image is not ‘politically correct’ which is what makes it work conceptually. Without some of the terms for specific countries such as ‘3rd World’ and ‘Poor Mexicans’ the image would not be successful in reflecting the view trying to be reflected. I am in love with this series of prints.
Artist: Clara Ueland
ReplyDeleteHer subject matter is Water in the landscape. She focuses on waves, plants, light effects on water. And expresses these subjects through a variety of median such as drawings, print, and paintings. She travels to locations and then takes photos and they use those as references for her artwork. Clara tries to evoke some sense of abstraction as well as capture the actual object.
She first studied printmaking at the University of Minnesota and then got her Masters at the University of California. Her process involves regular trips to the neighboring wilderness for inspiration.
1)
http://www.claraueland.com/Pages/hiddenloch.aspx
“Hidden Loch”
Etching, 18.875 X 12.25
2010
Intaglio printmaking, which creates subtle effects, was used here by Clara to create the softness and beauty of water. She prints on color on top of the other, gradually building up layers. This image shows water plants, which is the imagery Clara is most interested in portraying. The use of natural colors, and the way she uses the negative space of the paper is very soothing/calming and beautiful. I believe this reaches the aesthetic she was looking for.
2)
http://www.claraueland.com/Pages/arduaine_garden.aspx
Arduaine Garden
Etching; 8 7/8 x 15 7/8"
2004
Again, this etching of Arduaine Garden is a good progression of Clara’s concentration. The use of complementary colors and negative space, create the perfect amount of eye movement over the piece. You can appreciate the hard work put into this piece because of the technique of lining up separate layers of color, and the level of preciseness there is.
3)
http://www.claraueland.com/Pages/shadowsii.aspx
Shadows II
Etching; 10 x 7"
2011
This etching is again making good use of complementary colors, with the reddish/orange leaf in the middle and the greenish/brown background. All of Clara’s pieces have a good graphic design, flattened quality that I like a lot.
I chose three of Kiki Smith's prints:
ReplyDelete1.) http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1999.64.jpg
Nest and Trees, 1997
Kiki Smith (American, born 1954)
Iris print
20 x 22 in. (50.8 x 55.9 cm)
I chose this piece because it reminded me of Alexis' senior studio work. This digital print contains a patchwork of black-and-white photographs of trees with nests in them, as the title of the work suggests. I found it really interesting because it doesn't contain animals or figures, which is very unlike the work I have seen by Kiki Smith in the past. There is an abstract nature to this that I thoroughly enjoy, and also a kind of unnatural unease as the trees presence seem vague and ominous. She is really interested throughout her work with themes of regeneration, life and death. I think this piece displays those concepts since the trees appear kind of dead, yet there are nests present within them which represent life.
2.) http://whitney.org/image_columns/0001/6850/91.20_smithk.imageprimacy_compressed_800.jpg
All Souls, 1985–87.
Kiki Smith
screenprint
72 1/2 × 178 1/2 in. (184.2 × 453.4 cm)
I chose this piece because it is incredibly eerie and unsettling, which I quite enjoy in artwork. This piece contains the repeated image of a black and white fetus printed and arranged upon 36 attached sheets of handmade paper. Kiki Smith often injects her artwork conceptually with eroticism, sexuality, political statements, and spirituality that relates back to Catholicism. This piece evokes a strong but solemn emotional response and there is something very spiritual present here. This piece alludes to Catholicism in its title, as All Souls is a holiday in which people set aside the day to pray for the dead. This piece has to do with feminism, the expansive nature of the human population, and again, birth and regeneration.
3.)http://www.printed-editions.com/upload/standard/Kiki_Smith_Fortune_314_1.jpg
Fortune, 2008.
Kiki Smith
Etching
66x52 cm
I chose this piece because it was a bit more fantasy-driven and whimsical than the previous two-works but still is representative of Kiki Smith's style and interests. This is an image reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, hugging a deer. It is also one of the few examples that I can think of where she utilizes color. She fixates on Little Red Riding Hood because of the themes of regeneration that exist within the tale.
1. "Youths III"
ReplyDeleteEtching
23 x 30 cm.
Gordon Boyd
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/artist-prints/1480/youths-iii
This piece looks like a whimsical rendition of "Scream"! A Whimsical deep blue and black background holds five cell-looking blobs with white ghost looking faces inside each. This piece is figurative (hence, ghost-things, cells, etc) and has a mysterious, playful, and spooky allure. That is what made this image so intriguing to me. I can see it as an illustration for a children's halloween book...or maybe even biology if they are cells! I really like the possibilities available with etching and how things can really pop with the right color.
2. "Nightswimming"
Screenprint
114 x 76 (x2) cm.
2001
Graham Dean
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/graham-dean
It will come as no surprise that I was drawn to this print because it is pink and purple. Although all that is visible is a zoomed in image of a womans head looking down and her collarbone, it is intriguing because you wonder who the woman is, what she is thinking, and what she is doing- what her story is. However, the title "Nightswimming" kind of gives it away. Once reading that, it is clear that the woman in the print is about to jump into a pool, lake, ocean, or some sort of body of water. This gives off a feeling of fear, contemplation, concentration, and determination. Although the woman is not entirely realistic looking and is pink, you can still see the situation realistically and feel the feelings she is by putting yourself in her shoes or thinking of instances of when you yourself have gone night swimming and the emotions and adrenaline involved. I think this is a captivating piece and visually appealing.
3. "Mermaid"
Screenprint, collagraph
Susie Reade
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/susie-reade
Obviously, I chose this print because it is a mermaid. I love the teal blue color chosen, reminiscent of the mermaid's home, the ocean. I also love how a sense of texture was achieved with the mermaid's scale, and it overall has a washed up, beachy feel because the blue color is a bit blotched, as though it had been thrown in the ocean. In the image, the mermaid is wearing a crown and appears to be holding either her own fin or a fish that she had just caught. There is no explanation provided of the piece but it is safe to assume that it is related to nautical/whimsical themes. I can see this print hanging on the wall of a beach house on Nantucket!
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/ep-print-editions/446/of-man-and-angel
ReplyDeleteOf Man and Angel by Graham Flack, a lithograph made in 2003 size 109 by 77.5 cm. I chose this piece because lately I’ve had a lot of interest into lithographs and how they’re made. I really like the details and how real this piece looks and it makes me wonder even more about how lithographs work and how much you can do with them. I really like the colors of this particular piece and feel that it goes with the style of the piece, making the man look almost raw, which I feel goes perfectly with the title, Of Man and Angel.
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/hugh-bryden
I like this piece, The Sea by Hugh Bryden (a linocut size 25 by 33) mostly because of my obsession with linocuts. Having done now so many linos I know how much work goes into each and the way in which this particular one is done is quite impressive. It has a foreground middle ground and background and that seems to me something very hard to show in a lino. The details in it are also very precise, and I don’t see any mistakes on it. I was just overall very impressed by this piece.
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/artist-prints/2109/e-ii
The last piece I chose was E II by Alice Melvin, a screenprint done 2007 size 17 by 17. What I like most about this theme is the theme of it. Many of her pieces seem to be like a children’s alphabet book, those that go “ ‘a’ is for …” , but with more of an adult humor. Such as this particular piece, with Humpty Dumpty and saying “E is for egg and for emergency Elastoplasts.” I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book so her prints were all very interesting to me.