Print in progress

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Print Room

I’ve been working, that is, ‘physically making’ artwork rather than just typing about it and it’s been very nice to do that, even just snatching a few hours at lunchtimes and after (real) work. Even though the pieces aren’t fully resolved yet it HAS made me think and has already generated new ideas. (Thinking is working but working is thinking too.) However, I’m not sure whether that is a good thing, it’s scaring me because I thought I knew what I was doing and now I don’t.
I ‘made’ some paper lengths… initially to paste pieces of onto the ‘wall’ installation (which is another story), and to cut up for zine covers but it seems I can’t make myself do that. Now, I think they’re feasible pieces of work in their own right and am already imagining them hung loose in panels, even going so far as seeing them (in my head) exhibited sopping wet as in the Chernobyl-2 apartments, is that possible?

Beautiful Sadness

Beautiful Sadness

Damp Walls in Chernobyl-2

Damp Walls in Chernobyl-2

They were never meant to be final pieces. Originally. But.
So I feel the staining exercise was pretty successful; the first one being a happy accident as I just happened to notice that the dye had come through pleasingly on the reverse when I picked it up.

Accidental Stain

Accidental Stain ahhhh

I could’ve left it alone right there but of course I didn’t and therefore I’m quite surprised it didn’t go horribly wrong.

quad stains

I wanted a really subtle, self coloured finish with elements or rather traces of pattern… so after making the ‘stains’ I experimented with different binders and percentages of mixed binders and printed on both sides of the paper trying to achieve the textural surface that was ‘right’, heating it up with a big tool.

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Parts of Prints

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Parts of Prints -2

Today I have mainly been looking at them.

The results say exactly what I want them to say, well to me anyway…

The feeling I have when surveying these papers is about the things I have seen and remembered and the surfaces I have touched and that have touched me.

The techniques and processes that came about during making (from earlier development and somewhat subconsciously) give a pertinent, relevant appearance and though not a copy or intended to be a reproduction the papers give a sense of desolation, neglect, distress and worn-ness ( I know it should be ‘wear’ but worn-ness seems a better description)
Now I need a new wallpaper design to put on screen which I can discharge out of one of them, possibly, and I still need to think what the other 2 need. At least 2 are finished; I know this from looking at them all day.

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