New Prints: Cardboard and Collage/Potato

Red Squares, ink on Sekishu natural paper; image size 12 x 12, paper size 22 x 22 in., ed. 4. 

Recently, for my cardboard prints, I've worked with very simple compositions using a single color. (See my previous two cardboard prints here). Within a 12 inch square are 2 larger and two smaller squares; the solid color of the smaller squares balances the larger squares made up of lines. After I'd printed it and was looking at a proof hanging on the wall, I noticed that there was an optical shift going on, with the squares bouncing forward and back. Another inadvertent element: the top of the linear square at the right has a rolling dip, a subtle curve down and up, which I didn't notice until the plate was printed. I like it: for me the irregularity adds some amusement and some energy to the outline.

Untitled 80, ink on Nishinouchi paper, 16 x 14 1/4 in. 

I had prepared several collaged sheets for this day of printing, but Untitled 80 is pure potato print, the only one I did that day.

Untitled 81, ink and pasted paper on Masa dosa paper, 16 x 14 in.

I am intrigued by the textural and shape relationships between the painted, pasted paper and the shapes made by a potato print stamp. In Untitled 81 the triangle and rectangle are pasted paper that had been painted with egg tempera; the lines connecting them are made with a potato print.

Untitled 82, ink and pasted paper on Izumo Mitsumata paper, 10 x 10 in.

When I began doing Book Paintings (see the post about them here), I thought it would be fun to try some new papers, so I ordered a few, sight unseen, from the fabulous NY Central Art Supply paper catalog. This beautiful hand made mitsumata paper, which I bought in several colors, turned out to be too heavy for my books, so I will use it for potato prints. The piece above has a collaged vertical blue rectangle with small shapes added with potato print.

Untitled 83, ink and pasted paper on Izumo Mitsumata paper, 12 x 16 in.

The yellow translucent paper pasted onto the mitsumata is a hand made gampi, a paper that I found too smooth and fine for books, so it will serve another purpose. A small stamped square holds the composition in place.

Untitled 84, ink and pasted paper on Akatosashi paper, 2 panels each 19 1/4 x 7 in.

Rectangles of pasted paper and stamped squares converse with each other across a small divide.

Untitled 84 detail

Here is a detail to get to give a better sense of the textures. The two papers pasted on the darker one are a Sekishu natural, and Gifu green tea medium. Much of the time I paint the papers I use for collage, but in this case their actual color worked well on the darker Akatosashi.

Untitled 85, ink and pasted paper on Izumo Mitsumata paper, 16 x 12 in.

Another print on the shimmery mitsumata, three long rectangles––one pasted, two printed–––move diagonally up the surface of the paper. I photograph these prints in a raking light so as to show the surface textures and irregularities; in other lights they don't appear as strongly, but for me they are part of the character of this work.