Friday, April 24, 2020

Unfinished business

What would you do?

This print began with some of my grandmother's yellowed lace, a block of wood, rubber bands, safety pins, and a towel. I placed the items on the bed of my copier/printer, rearranging them several times, and printed a number of transparencies with the black (only) laser ink. 

That night I exposed and etched a photopolymer plate from one of the transparencies. Then I made prints with sepia, black and red etching ink.

My concept was a composition that could be just a composition or a fuzzy reference to a left-handed fist. One of the other printmakers in the studio saw a racist caricature of a face and I could no longer look at this print. I have been thinking about this print for a couple of years. 

Originally I called this print "Resist!" The print shown is now titled "What held her back?" (That could be a bit of self-chatter)

I have quite a number of these prints, some with chine colle' -  a collage technique. Would you superimpose a translucent self-portrait over the "face" and "neck," or superimpose a drawing of a fist over the image, or place a foggy full-body image over the whole thing? Would you try all three? Leave it alone?

I think I know what I'll do, but I am VERY interested in your opinion.   





2 comments:

  1. I love the description of the elements coming together. Printmaking is such a beautiful form and so misunderstood!

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  2. Thank you, Brainard...for understanding.

    ReplyDelete