The following collection of prints are untitled as I have yet to think of a name for them. The print illustrates an eyeball replicating the pistil of a flower, adorned with multiple floral and shapely items, alongside a pair of legs pultruding from the 'petals' of the flower. An assemblage of eyeballs decorate the perimeter of the block, the pupil and iris flippant in tone presenting a negative of the eye. There was no particular meaning to this design other than the blossoming of a visually impaired individual adapting to the sight loss and exploring the world through a new perspective. Having reflected on the final design, I find the structure to be overall quite Surreal, and mildly Dadaist in its approach being collaged.
Relief methods of printing such as linoprinting are essential in regards to the basis of my project. Providing a tactile platform in which a visually impaired audience can navigate is of great importance, alongside exhibiting works which display vivid colour and bold, linear based illustrations, to be mounted and easily observed by those who have a visual ailment.
Prior to this project I had little experience in Lino printing and didn't especially enjoy the process as I found it tedious and hard to control. In the past I had gauged too much linoleum resulting in the plate to tear from excessive abrasions to the surface, as well as a confusion as to what I was printing and having to recall what sector I should refrain from carving and such. Fortunately I began designing my work over paper rather than straight over the linoleum, allowing room for error. Upon designing the print on paper, I then utilise the carbon print method in transferring my design to the linoleum. I have learnt that I should not mark areas of printing prior to the carbon application, due to chalk going all over the linoleum; instead I am to only transfer the line drawing over to the matrix. Luckily, chalk can be easily removed from linoleum so excess is not an issue. Once transferred I then mark up the areas that will be kept (black) and avoid the whites. Using smaller blades has worked tremendously in carving the linoleum as I have acquired a better sense of control both mentally and literally over the Lino. I find soft cut Lino, as the name implies to be easier to gauge into, but control is limited as the surface is more slippy and malleable. Though it requires warming, the harder Lino backed with hessian portrayed greater success as the hessian provides further assurance toward stability and mildly controls the malleable nature of the linoleum.
Inking this design proved to be quite difficult as the plate was quite delicate due to the mass amount of negative, carved space. Though the block was very malleable, the linoleum I had used was backed with hessian allowing there to be extra assurance of the block staying in place during the inking process. This print, like the vast majority I have printed, were printed from home; unfortunately the only roller I have available to me is a small a5 roller, causing the inking to be difficult as with a smaller roller, attempting to avoid the negative space of the block was quite the challenge. If I had a larger roller, the ink would just glide over the surface of the raised linoleum, rather than me having to repetitively work various part of the plate.
I find the prints to have been a success and I enjoy the nature of the design being so intricate and peculiar. Unfortunately due to the scale of the block (a4) needing a3 paper, I could only print so many times before I ran out of supplies, and given the current situation I am unable to physically buy more.
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