October 28, 2012

A New Cardboard Print: "Green Rounds"

Green Rounds, ink on Sansui SH8 paper; image size 10 x 10 in, paper size 18 x 18 in.


After making a number of prints with regular forms, I thought I'd work with some squishy shapes. I pulled this print at the end of September, during the same session in which I made these potato prints. Working from a gouache study of overlapping circles, I decided to make the circles irregular, slightly flattened, with their edges having varying widths. Usually when I work with circles I rummage in my kitchen for the sizes I need; the rims of bowls and pots, glasses and mugs, cookie cutters and other odds and ends become my templates.  For this print I drew the circles freehand. Is that too much imperfection, of medium and of design? I hope not. 



9 comments:

  1. Too much imperfection? I am reminded of Mercedes Matter telling her students at the NYSS of Mondrian's experimentation with masking tape for his later paintings. It didn't work for him, she said.

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    1. Thanks for that story, Erik. Mondrian was pretty darned exacting, even without the tape, but I get your point.

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  2. Altoon, I think these prints are wonderful. And glad you use green.

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  3. Freehand, the human hand? This print is wonderfully bold!

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  4. I favor the looseness of the human hand as it slides along the surface of an artwork. That to me is perfection.

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    1. In a sense, Cecelia, there is no human hand here in that the ink is put on with a roller, as with much relief printing. But the medium of cardboard lends itself to a certain looseness.

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