i have been feeling somewhat under-the-weather (by the cold, with a cold) during my break from the day job ... so after christmas i have really pushed on with something that i have been meaning to do for some time.. to make something of all the prints from my collagraphs (i constructed them exactly one year ago; you can see the digital scans of the collagraph plates here, i played a little with photoshop)..my background is in fine art printmaking and it's always been there in my work, one way or another (papermaking, embossing, monoprinting), but i've no real desire to make pretty editions, it's just the processes that i like.. here are a couple of artist proofs or A/Ps together with the original scans of the corresponding plates, printed using oil-based etching inks on hahnemühle 300gsm paper..
the only problem being that you do get through a good lot of quality paper.. after fifteen or so pulls from the plates i ended up with about six clean, sharp prints, so the rest i have decided to handcolour...
here is one altered collagraph print close-up, showing the textures of the surface embossing..
they were first sealed with a varnish and then i carefully adhered them to some small canvas blocks... [no frame required]..
there is something about prints, surfaces that are so tactile and appealing (due i think, to the printmaker's close engagement with surface from the very beginning of construction) - it is no wonder i have a myopic vision with surfaces, i've been consumed by them for years (see some of my art college days work here..) - all this tactility is lost behind a box of glass and wood..
i had the idea that i wanted to reconstruct the malleable 2d print (the twin or ghost of another surface) into a three-dimensional form.. actually, this is an idea that i have been harbouring for years, wanting to make the printable surface the artwork, but when looking into etching on copper it was too costly for me..i have cubed six of the altered intaglio prints so far (very time-consuming).. not even sure if they are intaglio prints anymore, maybe this is the middle ground, part painting, part printmaking, part object.. here are a couple more of the collagraph printing plates with residues of ink; they will never be discarded..
collographs or collagraphs, sometimes called collotypes or collage prints: the printing matrix is constructed from a base of strong card into which you can incise, carve or texturise with fillers, powders, sand, tissue paper, glue, paint or collage (anything goes, just musn't be too deep or hilly).. they can be printed relief (as in woodblock) or intaglio (as with drypoint engraving or etching).. collagraphs are essentially very eco-friendly printmaking, and a little bit arte povera, with recycled or found materials..