We were tasked with the Graduate Print Sale and urged to start learning printing techniques in order to be ready to submit final prints in a month’s time. So, I did the online induction for Silk Screen Printing and went to the workshop the next day for some hands-on learning. I used an image of a drawing I exhibited in Exile last unit because I wanted to focus on the technique first and then the actual artwork. I greatly enjoyed how technical screen printing was, each step felt like an accomplishment, and was quite happy with my first ever screen prints.
Eni, Screenprint, Ink on A4 Etching Paper, and Screenprint Stencil
Despite enjoying the technique, I decided screen printing wasn't the best match for my art because I rarely use big blocks of colors and very defined shapes. So, I moved on to cyanotypes.
I chose to try cyanotypes because I liked the idea of makng prints that had a simplified color palette, yet had a flowy wet feel. Cyanotype textures felt closer to my paint- ing style. Importantly, I also decided to depict something directly related to my research. The process of making a cyanotype was shorter and less technical than screen printing, and I enjoyed thinking “in the negative” when planning my image. Although shorter, the process felt more nuanced and filled with unknowns, which I found freeing and inspiring.
First Cyanotypes Experiments, Variety of Papers and Stencils
Learning and experimenting with cyanotypes involved changing the paper type, how I applied the chemicals to the paper, varying exposure time, varying wash time and pressure, using different layers of transparent materials to create brighter or more opaque whites, and even marking the paper before and after the process to see how paints and inks reacted with the chemicals and colors.
As I got closer to making the final edition of prints I realized it was important to write down every decision I made along the way in order to make the prints as “identical” as possible. Creating a unique process that helped me make prints that worked for me was extremely valuable because it is a habit replicable for many art forms. This way of working, along with a newfound love for cyanotypes, were the biggest things I gained from this printmaking experience.
Stencil for Cyanotype and Notes on Standardizing my Decision Making Process
Details of Final Cyanotype made for Print Sale, Cyanotype and Acrylic Paint
The final prints were sold at the UAL store and at two pop ups in the Kings Cross area. I made 8 limited edition prints and all of them got sold. They were titled "Memoria Colectiva" after on of the main themes in my dissertation. The image in the cyanotype is ultimately a cross section of the brain, with dispersed "brainshapes" floating around and away from it. These "brainshapes" came from my previous sketches and engravings, and they represent the dysconnectivity seen in brains with PTSD. I'm subtly implying that collective memory can also harbor collective trauma. But at the same time, I've made the print rather peaceful and marine, wanting the image to be one of healing the collective consciousness.
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