As the Degree show draws nearer I am beginning to finalise pieces of work that have been ongoing throughout my project.
In relation to my seaside etching prints I have finally decided how they should be printed. It has taken me long enough to come to this conclusion after considering many options and the solution has been staring me in the face the whole time.
I knew I wanted to inject colour into these pieces which would mean painting the anaglypta before printing onto it. I did not know, however, whether I should tailor make each background for specific images so that the colour fit with the original image. After deciding that this would be a very long-winded and laborious task, I have decided that I should return to the drip technique used in my experimental paintings earlier in my project.
By attaching the pre-cut pieces of anaglypta to my studio wall and dripping a variety of bright colours onto them, I was hoping that the outcome would be one of spontaneity and a heightened lack of control on my part.
The pictures within this post illustrate the outcome of this preparation stage before printing, just after I had completed dripping the different colours onto the anaglypta. I feel excited not only about finally printing my seaside etchings but also by the effective ‘mess’ which I have made during this process.
The images captured by myself of the drips down the wall and the paint spatters on the floor seem to encapsulate a sense of freedom. I definitely relished this opportunity to let go a bit and have fun with the materials.
When creating my anaglypta backgrounds, a fellow student suggested I take a look at the work of Ian Davenport to compliment the use of this process in my project. Whilst there is a greater conceptual depth for my use of the dripping process, Davenport’s work is based upon the physical immediacy between himself and the materials. I believe the simplicity of this idea about the relationship between only a few components is what allows the work to be viewed in the most effective manner. Maybe if there were some deeper underlying explanation the work would not appear so beautiful as the viewer would be more concerned with deciphering a meaning.
When I think about my own work in regards to this, I begin to consider how the use of the drips has changed. In my experimental paintings the drips were a tool to depict an image melting away from my memory. When it comes to my prints, however, I am using them as a simple, quick and easy way to inject colour into my works. It is quite interesting to contemplate how the use of one process can reflect various intentions, although I like the fact that this process will, hopefully, marry the painting and printing areas of my project together.
