PriNtMaKinG RePoRTaGe - preparation task
I really struggled with the initial task of choosing a location to investigate - somewhere out of my usual daily life, but also interesting and accessible. I first thought was of my generation as a whole; where would we not usually be? To take photographs, do observational drawings and record conversations, I went to the local bingo hall. Not only would I never go there, nor many people my age, but the room is filled with interesting type and geometrical shapes. Unfortunately, the bingo did not allow me to enter for the purpose of this task, and would not let me take photographs for legal reasons. I received the same response from the local casino. Most surprisingly, I went to and was rejected by was an art studio space, who didn't allow me to explore their environment, do some sketches nor even enter the premises. I settled on a small Chinese supermarket. The woman running the store let me move a box of soba noodles and set up a spot to draw for an hour or so.
[1]
The Chinese supermarket space was beautifully lit with soft colours and vibrant packaging. I was most fascinated by the whole range of lettering, foreign type and vast illustrations on the products sold. What struck me was the cultural intermingling in the shop - a diverse student population made up the majority of customers. The space was warm, made me feel local and comfortably immersed, even in a culture and part of town where I am not accustomed. The sound of foreign language and the subtle beep of the cashier was a constant, as well as plastic rustling, considering the market sold mainly imported asian goods. Minimal sound from outside could be heard in the store because it is on the riverbank and sheltered from the busy roads. There was no overriding smell in the supermarket, except that of some acidic vinegar smell of picked vegetables.
[2]
One woman was running the entire store, which I found quite humbling. Boxes of unpacked goods spilled into the isles, which I also thought added a nice casual touch, sometimes feeling like the insides of a warehouse or storeroom, contributing to the tight (but not unpleasantly claustrophobic) space.
[1] I chose this image because it displays a good sense of depth, showing the lengths of the shelves and the isle. My favourite part about this image is the reflection of the coloured windows in the products oppositely facing. Its a shame that, considering we will be using black ink with our relief plates, this aspect of the image will be lost. Perhaps if using an alternative print method such as screen printing, I would be able to present the vast range of subtle hues on the print. The different yet repeating shapes interest me in this photo. I want to use the repeating shapes in a simplified manner, also by manipulating the sizes, to show the depth of the store. The products and packaging provide interesting shapes and dimensions that I will be able to recreate and carve into my relief plate.
[2] What drew me to this image is the close up details of the lettering. Naturally, it is an entirely different script, let alone typeface. I am really interested in including lettering in my piece, expect these are more symbols that letters. I plan to use lettering to enhance the context of the supermarket store that I have investigated. Those same tinted reflections from the coloured windows appear in this photograph too.
AuDio of SupErMarKeT AtmoSpHeRe
ReLieF PlaTe TeCHniQuEs
Lino: A relief printing process where the smooth soft surface of Linoleum is cut using a gouge, or knife. The cut marks do not print, it is the uncut surface, the surface left in relief that carries the ink and prints.
Wood engraving: Uses the end grain of hardwood to enable very fine lines to be incised into the wood, using burins/gravers. The incised marks in the wood do not print with the density of the end grain producing a solid smooth relief surface when printing.
Woodcut: Produced from the side grain of a piece of wood or plank, is usually made using soft woods. The image is mostly worked with the grain of the wood, and the marks are much coarser than with wood engraving, with the character of the wood printings.
Umberto Giovannini
Umberto Giovannini is an artist, graduating with a specialism in Graphic Communication Design, and delving into illustration and printmaking more specifically. Giovannini is our tutor for this week, showing us the most detailed insight to his method and techniques behind his works. He works using woodcut or mount board based relief plates, encompassing and recomposing three different subjects or images into one print, drawing together an entire experience.
When explaining the process and thought behind each illustrated print, Umberto displayed the three photographs from which he takes details to combine in the frame of the finished print. Above, there are two main aspects that stand out - the car and the face - yet the subtle symbols around the edge make up the third feature, all taken from different first hand photographs in the same environment.
I like the fact that these illustrative pieces don't necessarily present a clear location or focal point, but three, coming together to give us a personalised, detailed insight to the place or people involved. For example, elements of lettering give clues as to where the environment is and what sort of place it is, who you would find there, what would be done there, etc. - social, political and environmental context that elevates the illustrated aspects as well.
Above, "Libertad a los petroleros de las Heras" translates to "Freedom to the oilmen of the Heras!" This element of type brings context of social movements - fighting for the freedom of the oilemen of Heras - and reiterates that the illustration narrative is perhaps based in the Patagonic province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. This then poses questions for the viewer around the rest of the image: is the male silhouette one of the oilmen? are the industrial looking details in the background part of the oilers work? what is happening to the men? and so on...
What strikes me most about this image is the emotion on the older woman's face. She looks so sad, and the detailing on her facial features really captures the mood and tone of the environment. Umberto showed us how he creates the more rustic, textured effect on the print, by peeling small layers from the mount board away. In this situation, I feel that the rough surface words well, reinforcing perhaps the trialling circumstances in the context of the illustration and the sad woman's life, as well as the rural environment which is evoked by the mountain-like shapes in the background.
In terms of my work, I feel that perhaps the textured effects might not work so well, as I want to show the clean lines of the shelves and the strong silhouettes of the boxes. I could try and mimic the rough look for details of the packaging, however as I don't have much experience with this technique, I want to ensure my print presents a clear narrative before I delve deep into the different ways I could manipulate the appearance.
I haven't taken any photographs of people to include in my illustrative print - next time I would like to experiment with this - thus I plan to include text and typography. This will be especially interesting because a lot of the lettering I discovered in the supermarket was actually different asian scripts, and so they would be symbols rather than letters. Not only would this definitely add context to the piece, but could also become a main feature, one of the three aspects I plan to combine to fill the frame in a unique composition.
Clare Curtis
Autumn Heath (Linocut)
Clare Curtis is an English illustrator and print maker. She focuses on the style and history behind 20th Century British art, as can be seen in her rather traditionally British landscapes, buildings and scenes in her prints. She mainly uses the technique of relief printing, just as Umberto Giovannini (and ourselves, for this week), except using linoleum instead of wood. The material is much softer and easier to cut with specific gouges and tools, giving the prints a clearer cut, bolder finish.
Unlike Giovannini, Curtis uses colour in her relief plates, adding layers of colour one at a time. Sometimes, in order to achieve this effect, you have to cut blocks individually for each colour and intricately build the design like a jigsaw. I love the way Curtis uses soft tone coloured, often very autumnal, depicting typical British weather and scenery through the colours.
The images above and below are made using the lino cut process, yet one is in colour and one is monochrome. The black and white image has fine details, yet strong outlines and block shapes. I like this style, because everything is much more silhouette-esque, and stylistically minimal. I aim to recreate this type of illustration when carving my relief plate. Below, the printed illustration could easily be mistaken for a screen print, due to the layered effect. That is what interested me most about this piece, other than the use of colour, and had I more time to explore the field of illustration and printmaking, I would like to experiment with different colours and layering, to create more realistic tones, shadows and shapes. It gives this illustration a three dimensional impression, which I really enjoy.
Wordsworth House (Linocut)