Block Print
Title: Head Banging
Size: (22.86cm x 30.48) x 6 Medium: Black Ink on Carved Linoleum Plate Completion: October 2023 ExhibitionThe story I wanted my final piece “Head Banging” to present was the relationship between my dad and I. I wanted to express the perspective I have on our relationship, and I feel our relationship is making no progress forward. I was influenced by three things: the movement German Expressionism, the artist Kathe Kollwitz, and Andy Warhol. I was inspired by the meaning of German Expressionism, along with the technique approaches by Kathe Kollwitz, and the repetition Andy Warhol incorporates into his pieces.
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Inspiration
My inspiration for this piece is from the art movement of German Expressionism, the artist Kathe Kollwitz, and the artist Andy Warhol. The German Expressionism movement started in Germany and spread throughout Europe. This movement's purpose is that the art pieces created were supposed to represent the artist's inner feelings and conflicts. The overall idea for this movement is that art is meant to come from within the artist. The artist Kathe Kollwitz was a German expressionism artist. Her artworks reflected the themes of war, loss, and social protests. Some characteristics of her art style from her block prints are harsh lines and shapes with dramatic contrasts. These characteristics were used to evoke deep feelings within the audience—lastly, Andy Warhol was a pop artist. One common theme throughout his works was repetition within the pieces. The purpose of repetition in his works is for the emotional benefit. It was used to turn "disturbing" images into less disturbing and emotional ones. He also uses repetition to portray how numb a subject can be because of the environment it is surrounded by. This can be seen in his piece, Marilyn Diptych. He uses repetition to show how the commercial environment had almost dehumanized Marilyn Monroe. The purpose of the movement was the way German Expressionism inspired my piece. I used the idea that the purpose was to create something that expressed how I felt within and involved in a conflict. The idea of the conflict and my inner feelings is reflected within the piece between the two characters and the background. Kathe Kollwitz inspired me to use lines to create depth and contrast within my work. The figure's shape in the Self Portrait also inspired me. The figure was not too round, yet not too rigid through lines, so I used that as inspiration for my characters. Andy Warhol's repetition is what inspired the final look of my piece. In the Marilyn Diptych piece on the right side (the black and white sections), Marilyn's form of her head-shot is not complete in some parts. Specifically, that column of Marilyn is distorted in the seventh column (red box). That column is what inspired the distortion in the repetition of my piece.
Planning
In this first sketch, there were two main components I was focused on: the subjects and the crack. The subjects are there in place of my dad and I. My dad is depicted in subject 2, the one with the mask. And I am portrayed as subject 1, the one with the long hair. My goal for my print was to keep the subjects simple in design but still make sure the piece as a whole tells a story. So, I decided to have actual facial expressions on the subjects. This made me come up with the idea to have subject 2 wear a mask because I wanted to display subject 2 hiding their genuine emotions. When I started drawing, I decided it would be best to carve the outline of the subjects, making their outlines white and leaving the areas inside black. However, for subject 2's mask, I decided to add contrast in value to the rest of its form and make the mask white but leave the details of the eyes and mouth black. I thought that leaving them black would better emphasize the facial expression. After drawing subject 2, I needed to figure out how I wanted to express how subject 1 felt without showing facial expressions. So, I drew a crack to symbolize the pain subject 1 feels. I drew it based on the logic that a crack in a glass happens with a mass amount of pressure or repeated striking. When I drew the cracks, I thought of how I would carve them, so I decided to plan on carving them out rather than around them so I could get as much detail and accuracy as possible.
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For my second sketch, I wanted to showcase a slightly different point of view. However, I liked the idea of the mask from the previous sketch, so I also decided to incorporate it. I wanted to portray a different perspective on my dad's and I's relationship for this sketch. I kept the same idea that the subject my dad was portrayed (subject 2) as would still have a mask. However, for this sketch, I did want to show the facial expression of the other subject that represented me. I am represented as the kid wearing a bear costume (subject 1), holding my dad's hand. I drew Subject 1 in a bear costume to represent how Subject 2 found emotional comfort in Subject 1. Because many people find comfort in stuffed animals or familiar personal items, this gave me the idea to draw subject 1 in a bear costume. I wanted to emphasize further how subject 2 found comfort in subject 1, so I sketched a rough oval shape around subject 1 that would be carved out and left white. This white area around subject 1 would represent the light subject 2 found in comfort. Above the oval shape, I would carve outlines that would graduate into the black background. For the overall look of subject 2, I wanted it to look like a person; however, it needed more depth of the human body. I still wanted to add detail to the body that would be overall black, so to add detail, I would carve out little details for where folds and shadows would be. Again, keeping with the mask Idea, I would carve out the mask, leaving it white, but keep the eyes and mouth black.
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I liked the first original sketch idea for my final sketch. It portrayed the relationship between my dad and I. I decided to adjust a few things. One was the size of the subjects. I decided to cut down a little bit on the bottom of the subjects and draw them bigger. For the subject's actual form, they were too plain. I decided to draw in some shadowing for contrast. I drew them in based on where I imagined light would hit on them, and clothing folds would be. Once I was happy with the subjects' look, the background lacked texture. However, I didn't want to take it away from the crack. So, I decided to expand the crack. This was a much better idea because it emphasized the relationship and added a sense of rhythm to the piece. Again, I plan on carving the cracks to match the center. I also drew more lines into subject 1's hair to add more texture and fill up empty space.
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Process
Step 1The first step to start off the block print was to transfer my design onto the linoleum plate. Before doing this I wanted to make sure my final print would print in the exact way I drew it out. So to make sure this worked I had to reverse trace my drawing. So it would print in the same way I drew it originally. After that I then cut out my drawing to the size of the linoleum plate. Then using a number #2 pencil, I covered the back side of the paper in graphite. Next I laid the paper graphite facing down to the linoleum plate, then I traced over my design. Doing this then transferred my design outline to the Linoleum plate.
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Step 2After transferring my design to the linoleum plate I decided to start off by carving out the “cracks” of my design. I wanted the cracks to be thin, so I used the size 1 blade of the carving tool. I started craving the cracks on the outer sides of the subjects. I did this because they are more spaced apart and I could get a better feel for the materials I was using. I worked from out to in. I worked slowly the closer I got to the center because the cracks go closer. I went slow to make sure each crack was visually defined.
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Step 3When I was done carving the cracks I moved onto caving the subjects. I started off by carving out the outline of the subjects. I started with Subject 2 (the subject with the mask). I carved the basic outline,. then I carved the mask out, making sure to carve around the eyes and mouth. I used a size 1 and 3 blade. After I moved to subject 1, again carved the basic outline, and then moved onto the hair. I carved a line where I imagined subject 1 hair parting would be. I carved away starting from the hair parting and curving down to the bottom of the hair. I did this repeatedly, focusing on the top of the head having majority carved out areas, as I got closer to the end of her hair I carved less and less to show a contrast in lighting. The final part of my carving was getting at details, I focused on the clothes and how they would react to “light” and the folds of the clothes. Adding these carved details also added more texture to the piece, adding to the unity of the final piece.
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Step 4Once all of the carving was done, it was time to move onto creating the actual prints. I started by gathering the materials; a metal ink tray, a brayer, a metal barren, black ink, a palette knife, a big piece of newsprint paper, and multiple sheets of white paper. Once I layer out the materials, using the palette knife I scoped up some black ink and placed it onto the ink tray. Then using the brayers I rolled the ink up and down the tray to make sure I am left with a smooth tray of ink. After that I then used the brayers to spread a few layers onto the linoleum plate, making sure I got everything covered that wasn’t carved. Next I took a piece of paper and slid it under the linoleum plate, then I grabbed another piece of paper and lined it up with the one under the linoleum plate. Once I laid the paper down I grabbed the barren and started to apply pressure to the print and moved the barren in circular motions.
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Experimentation
My experimentation to get the block print to print with a good value took many tries. My goal for a clean print was little to no ink lifting through. The first print I did aimed more to understand how the materials worked. My first attempt at a clean print turned out poorly. The carved lines were visible with no ink in them. However, I noticed that I needed to put more ink on the linoleum plate to print the design clearly. I considered that for my next practice prints. There is noticeably more ink in print two as the print turns out darker in value. However, there was still lifted ink throughout the print.
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My initial thought of why the ink was lifting was that there was possibly dry ink residue on the linoleum plate. So, I went to wash it off with water and then dried it so it was ready to ink up again. I continued printing and noticed a new problem with prints three, four, and five. Around the carved-out lines, the ink was faded and blurring around the carved areas. At this point, I had two thoughts about why this could be happening. The first thought was that the linoleum plate was still wet from being washed, which could have explained the washed-out blurred ink spots. The second thought was that I didn’t spread the ink out enough on the ink tray, which could have led to the blotted and uneven appearance of ink distribution in the final print. (put next to prints 3-5)
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After washing the linoleum plate, I dried it well; for this, I just used a brown paper towel. For prints six through nine, I was playing around with the amount of ink I was using. As seen in print seven, I used too much ink because the ink seeped into the carved-out lines. This led me to use a little less ink in prints eight and nine. I continued practicing with making multiple prints, and the same problem kept reappearing. (put next to prints 6-9) |
The ink was still lifting and can be shown in prints ten - thirteen. So I decided to wash my plate in between every print, but this time, I also used soap instead of just water. This led to cleaner and smoother printing outcomes. This can be shown in prints fourteen through seventeen. I learned that using the soap helps break down and get rid of the oils and residue left over from the ink and my fingers. (every other print)
After all those prints, I realized I wasn’t happy with the design of Subject 1 (outlines in red), it looked out of place within the unity of the piece. After looking the piece over I came to realize that Subject 1 was lacking in texture compared to Subject 2 (Outlines in blue), specifically in the hair. Subject 1 was completely blank with no texture nor lines of any kind in the hair. So using my carving tool in the size 1 I carved out lines starting from where I imagined subject 1’s hair parting to be.
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After carving lines into the hair portion of Subject 1 I was much more pleased with the form of it, and with the unity of the piece. Of course even after carving I still had to get the perfect clean print. I printed five more prints before picking my final one. Out of the five number 21 was the cleanest with little to no lifted ink.
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Critique
In comparison to German Expressionism, Kathe Kollwitz, and And Warhol's “Marilyn Diptych” , I think I do a good job showing my inner thoughts and conflict, like the movement German expressionism. And similar to Kathe Kollwitz using harsh lines as a way to evoke feelings, such as exasperation, and anguishes. I also used lines as a way to add depth and contrast to the subjects, the harsh lines within them are shadows. Additionally, similar to Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych I use repetition in the piece. However I don’t use repetition as a way to show dehumanization, or emotional benefit, nor do I keep the print looking the same throughout the repetition. I chose to distort mine print over the repetition, but I did it to represent the relationship between my dad and I. The relationship was perfect from the beginning, and just kept getting worse, and worse. Hence why the unity of the piece throughout the prints got more and more distorted. The main points of emphasis in my work are the mask on Subject 2, and the area in which the cracks started. The mask is seen as the one of the main points because the mask greatly contrasts in color compared to the rest of print, that was the goal to bring the viewer's eye to the mask. This again uses dramatic contrast like Kathe Kollwitz does in her pieces. On the other hand, the other main point is the area and the source of the crack. Again similar to Kathe Kollwitz, it uses harsh lines, and it contrasts in color to draw attention to it. The crack is movement and moves the viewer's eye around the prints. Unlike Kathe Kollwitz and Andy Warhol, I do not just show the subject matter through one main subject or key point of the art piece. I show subject matter through three, the two subjects, and the cracks. The cracks seem simple and basic when looked at, but digging deeper the cracks emphasizes a lot. Movement and rhythm play hand in hand when it comes to the cracks, because the crack at its starting point is seen to appear moving outwards and spreading. While the rhythm of the cracks is seen to enhance the idea of the piece because it’s the same idea of harsh lines repeated over and over again. These elements add to the idea that the cracks represent something degrading, and or as seen in the other pieces of my print distorted. For the subjects, subject 1 and subject 2 represent different ideas. They can be identified in different ways, the mask on subject 1 is a bright color to catch the attention onto the facial expression the mask is displaying. While subject 2 is seen more on the dark side, yes with lines but they are more used to add form and texture to the subject. Looking more at the other more distorted prints, the unity is lacking, because the messy ink is taking away from the lines, texture, form and everything that contributes to the overall story this clean print creates. The unity is purposely messed with because the two subjects are not a whole, they don’t work together nor do they feel good. Overall my prints take inspiration from elements from these artists and movements, but tells them in a story, and creates a new meaning for it.
Reflection
This project acquired me with a new skill of block printing. I learned a lot of new techniques throughout this project and are figuring out what techniques work best for my process. I developed as an artist because I explored a new medium I wouldn’t imagine I would enjoy doing. But I find the designing, process, and final piece of blocking printing intriguing. I used to have this idea that block printing was easy because I thought one would just carve an image and then roll ink and print the design. But this project taught me that it's more complex than that, it takes effort to get a good solid print. I now am more appreciative of this medium and the effort put into it. I had three inspirations for this project, German expressionism, Kathe Kollwitz, and Andy Warhol. The reasoning of why I had three was because I saw certain aspects of each of these movements and artists that inspired me and connected to my theme of relationships. But more specifically to my final piece, the relationship between my dad and I. I was influenced by the meaning of what the movement German Expressionism is; I was influenced by the idea to create something that represented my inner feelings and conflict I have with my dad. The biggest challenge I encountered was not what I was expecting, originally before starting this project I thought carving into the actual linoleum plate would be the hardest. While that can be a challenge, I found inking up and printing the linoleum plate was the hardest for me to do. I made a total of 27 prints. 5 of them were purposely messy and distorted for the repetition component of my final piece. However before I could make those I had to get the perfect clean solid looking print to start off that distortion in repetition, so I had made 22 prints before picking my final one. I had a few different problems while trying to print. At first I wasn’t adding enough ink, then I was adding too much ink, then I wasn’t washing the plate off enough, and finally I wasn’t cleaning the plate properly. This gave me a better insight on how difficult it can be to do block prints. This project incorporated a technique I have learned previously, and that was carving your design reverse to how you want to print. For example I wanted subject 1 on to print on the right side, however I had to draw and carve subject 1 out on the left side of the linoleum plate. I also had to think of inverted colors, I had to get used to the idea that what I was carving would come out what, and what I left normal would print black. I found it challenging to wrap my mind around this idea, after a while I got the basic understanding of it, I just learned to take my time. My favorite part of this project was two things, the carving and seeing the final prints. I found doing the actual carving very satisfying and almost calming, and seeing the final prints gave me a feeling of accomplishment. My least favorite part was the trial and error with correcting and perfecting my inking process onto the linoleum plate. Overall, I hope others view my work as a story, with a conflict, and not just a print of repetition becoming distorted.
ACT
- My inspiration came from three different places. The movement German Expressionism because I was inspired by the meaning behind German Expressionism, art that represents artists' inner feelings and convicts. The artist Kathe Kollwitz, because I was influenced by her contrast in line work and color all together. Finally the repetition from Marilyn Diptych By Andy Warhol, I was influenced by the idea of repetition and the distorted column in the piece.
- Kathe Kollwitz art work wasn’t inspired by the movement of German Expressionism, however she felt that her work and the meaning behind it fit into the movement of German Expressionism. Andy Warhol uses repetition with his Marylin Diptych piece to show emotional benefit.
- I learned through my research that German Expressionism isn’t always about dark and gloomy times, it is about the artist's inner feelings and conflicts. I have also learned that repetition can be used as a way to convey an idea to change the original meaning.
- My central idea is relationships, and for this piece the relationship between my dad and I, and my perspective on the relationship.
- I learned from German Expressionism that feeling and or conflicts can mean completely different things for different people. Additionally, repetition doesn’t have to be used in a positive way.
Bibliography
- Kass, Jason, et al. “Warholian Repetition and the Viewer’s Affective Response to Artworks from His Death and Disaster Series.” Leonardo, vol. 51, no. 2, Apr. 2018, pp. 138–42, https://doi.org/10.1162/leon_a_01191.
- The Art Story. “Expressionism Movement Overview.” The Art Story, 2012, www.theartstory.org/movement/expressionism/.
- Wilkins, David G., et al. Art Past, Art Present. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.