Wild Man (red) 1/5

2011 – wood block print with watercolour on paper.

Red white and blue woodcut print of a man’s 3/4 profile

This is the first of an edition of 5 woodblock prints made in 2011.

These prints combine two printmaking techniques – block printing and stencil. The stencil defined the red field and the portrait detail was created by block printing.

Rather than using block printing ink, the carved block was soaked in watercolour paint and used to print the image. The use of as a loose medium as watercolour for printing offsets the graphic sensibility of the stencilling and block printing process, creating an underlying tension in the way the work was made.

Themes

The man’s image is suggested rather than closely rendered with fine detail. Only two colours are used, which suggests a minimal approach, but the colours themselves are strong and arresting, bringing a graphic, poster-like quality to the work. This bold quality contrasts with the artwork’s small size and presents ambiguity about the artwork’s message.

Size

Will be sent mounted (A5) and unframed.