Fine arts printmaking using modern technology

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2-22-1999

Fine arts printmaking using modern technology

Priscilla Clay

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A

thesis submittedto the

Faculty

ofthe

College

Of

Imaging

Arts

and

Sciences in candidacy for

the

Degree

of

Master

of

Fine Arts.

Fine Arts

Printmaking

_{using Modern}

Technology

By

Priscilla

Clay

!

12.

Approvals

Chief Advisor: Prof. David Dickinson

-Date

ullcccA

Associate Adviser: Prof. Luvon Sheppard

_

Date _ _

.3_/

7 lzE:::..::....

2

--,./h"""'t?''--rt'

_

Associate Adviser: Prof. Jeff Weiss

-Date

.+2:...t.t_'2-_3_,_q---Jy'---

_

Chairperson: Prof. Tom Lightfoot

_

Date:

3/z~

£y

I

/I..l-(

I, Priscilla Clay, preferto be contacted each time a request for production

is made. I can be reached at the following address:

Priscilla Clay

Date:

3-

2.

'1-"1?f

789 Tinker Tavern Road Webster, NY 14580 Or

This isatribute to

Mary

Clay,

my Mother (who died 19years_ago) and_myFatherwho nevertold

methat_my

imaginary

characterswerenot_real,and_{my Brother}whotaughtmeto fight forwhat I

believed.

Thisworkcould nothave been accomplishedwithout_{the encouragement,}giftsofinformationand

knowledgegiven

freely by

so_manypeople. The

following

are not allthepeopleIwishtothanks,

but

they

are afewofthepeoplewho's

help

madethispossible. Sun

Young

Hwang,

who shared

dreams, hopessupplies, knowledgeandAnna Nenonenwhocontinuestoencourage me. To Dr. and Magi Shapirowhohavealways offeredtotakemeinwhenI haveno placeto live. Thanksto

the

facility

atRochester InstituteofTechnology. Special thanks to Luvon Sheppardwhowasthe

firstpersonImetatRIT and encouraged metocomehere. Thanks to Dave Dickinsonwho has

endlesspatienceandtaughtme awide_varietyof_subjects, old andnew,fromthedifference

betweena PCand aMactovarious _{printing techniques. Thanks to Jeff Weiss}who helpedme

focusand continueto thinkof new ways of expression. ThankstoTom Lightfootwho'sdoor is

alwaysopen and continuestoshow new

directions,

to

Kathy

Vadawhothoughtme

Lithography

andwasalways patientand knowledgeableandWarren Phillipswhomet me atmyworst and

framedall_mywork. Specialthankstoyoufor

teaching

meand_givingmeyoursupportand

And

Under the Felts

I. Preface.

II. Introduction

A.ArtistasMagician.

B.Media for the Next Millennium.

III. Lust for Life.

A. Original photographs.

B. Scanned into Photo Shop: making digital images. C. Printers.

1. Waxprinter. 2. Irisprinter. D. Cibachrome/llfochrome.

E.

Separating

thecolorlayers.

1. Layersofcolor.

a. _Cyan,magenta, pure yellow andblack(CMYK). b.

Red,

green, blue (RGB).

2. Printedon acetate(over head

transparencies.)

F. Etching.

1. Platescoated with photo-emulsion. 2. Exposedtolight.

3.

Wash-away

unexposed pixels.

4. Exposed layermakes abarrier toresisttheacid.

G. Printing.

1.

Inking

all platesinsame color. 2.

Registering

allplates.

3. Less detailproducedless difficulty.

IV. Underthe Felts.

A. "Psychicaldistance."

B. Artsand Crafts Movement.

C. Creation.

1. Reason for Being.

2.

Beginning

and End.

D. Frosted Mylar&tusche.

1. Original images. 2. Photoetched.

a. Intaglioplates. b. Lithographicplates.

E. Scanned intocomputer.

F. Zoomed inapproximatelyoneinch.

G. Cropped andpasted.

H. Enlarged toseveninchesXseven inches.

I. Printedon acetate (overheadtransparencies.)

J. Exposedtointaglioplatestreatedwith photo emulsion.

K. Washedandetched.

L. Firstprinted asblack&white.

K. Infinitepossibilities.

VI. Seven

A. Seven inches

by

seveninches.

B. Sevenoriginalimages.

C. Seventeencropped images.

D. Accordion Book.

Thesummerprior_{to attending Rochester Institute}of

Technology

I studiedin a medieval

villageinthe

Tuscany

region ofItaly. Istudiedtheancient intaglio techniqueofAquatint. 1which

usestreerosin, before etching the plates.

Arriving

atRochester Instituteof

Technology

fromsuch an environmentillustrated the sharpcontrastbetween theclassic methods and modemtechnology. While

learning

theold techniquesofAquatint Iworked in a studiowithinthewalls of a medievalvillage. Thewindfrom

anopenwindowwasour exhaust and ventilation system. Thewindowsillwasthesamethickness ofthewall_givingathree-footsurfacefor the

tray

of acid.

Electricity

andhotwater werenot

alwaysthe norm andthegasthatcontrolledthe flame for_cooking and_{working the}plates came fromcontainersthatwerepurchased and refilled. Telephoneswere not,

they

werenotin the

apartments, northestudio and_{the pay} phoneswereoften notinservice. The localoperafestival

suppliedthemusic. This festivalattracts musiciansfromall overEuropeandtakesplace_every summerin thisvillage.

Several dozen rolls of_{film from my}travelsfilled mycamera

bag

thatgave awealth of historical background fromwhichtodraw.

Scanning

theseimages into Adobe

PhotoShop

andto

manipulatetheimages I was

immediately

fascinatedwiththemood

they

created and symbolic messages

they

createddigitally.

Theseries,"Lust for

Life",

wasaccomplished

by

_pushingthe technology. The focus turnedbackto the

handmade,

to the needfor humancontrol. Iwas_{using the} most_recently

acquired_{technology,along}with whatI had learned fromthetechniques,oftheOld Worldmasters

ofetching. _{I felt the etching} and _myart_{lacked something,although, the}results weresuccessful.

Until "Under theFelts"

brought backthecontrolsthathad been relinquishing,and allowed theimages to haveawilloftheirown andthatwill wassensuous.

"Seven"

hascompletecontrol, even_extendingtowhattheviewercan seeata giventime.

Theebb andtideofcontrol- the

old methods versus new

technology

-playwiththe whiteand black issuesof

Printmaking

asan artform.

1

Ross,

John,

Clare Romano. The Complete Printmaker: Theartandtechniqueoftherelief_print,theintaglio_print, the

collagraph, the

lithograph,

thescreenprint, thedimensionalprint,photographicprints,children'sprints,collecting

prints,print_workshop(1st

Printing,

The Free

Press,

New YorkCollier-lvlacmillanLimited,

London, 1972),

p.90. Iltllllir'Aquatint.

Every

printmaker whointends todoserious work_{in etching}shouldmastertheprocess ofaquatint Thewide_varietyofgrays,ranging from

delicate,

lightwashesto

rich,

deep

blacksareindispensabletoanyartistwho

needs

tonality

in hiswork. Theprincipleof aquatintissimple. A finemist of acid-resistant

tiny

dropletsor particles of

acid resistantmaterialis dusted...overthezinc or copper plate. Whenthismistis fixed tothe

surface"

heated" it

shouldcover about40%ofthearea. Racetheplateinaweak solution of nitric acid Theusual proportions range

from 1partofnitricacidin8parts ofwaterto1part acidin 12parts of

water."

"Theacid will attacktheunprotected

Technology,

photography, computers,wherecantheartist achievehisart andwherewill

printmakersfind theirplaceinthenew golden ageofthenew millennium? Will theartistbecome

Magician,orSurgeon?

Curatorof

Prints,

Drawing

andPhotographsattheYale

University

Art

Gallery,

Richard

Field,

spokeon"Media fortheNext

Millennium",

_{saying "artists} used photographsinthe19th

century,firstofall, as_tools, as a meanstoan end. Itwas atfirsta substitutefor themodel. And

then

they

began to understandwhat_photographydidto thevisual world. How for

instance,

itcut

space, how itedited space. Howtheblackand white abstraction ofthephotographicimage

changedtheworld. Asphotographsbegantobe more_popular, more_{omnipresent,artists,} rather

than_{think that painting}was

dead,

orthat

imagery

would be produced_purely

by

photographic

means, knew

intuitively

_{that photography}wasanother_wayof_representingtheworld withitsown

syntax."

Hegoeson_{to say "people}whoare_{trained in traditional printmaking}are alwaysinterested in

how themedium affectsthemessage."

And_that,"I don'tseemuch characterin digital printing. ...

Remember,

printingmedia isone_thing, anddigitalmediaisanother.... The digitalrevolution

profoundlyalterstheconceptual and practicalframeworkof printmaking. The traditional printisan

analogue representationof variationsin toneand

line,

but the digitalprintisadiscrete image

resulting fromencoded anduniform subdivisionofpixels..."2

Thesame as _{photography is}

being

incorporatedinto theartist's_tools,sowillthecomputer

bean intricatepart. In 'The WorkofArt intheAgeofits Technical Reproducibility," Walter

Benjaminsaysthata "Magicianandsurgeon comparetopainter and

cameraman."

He thoughtof

themagician as onewhohealed throughthe

laying

on ofhands. While thesurgeonwasfar less

connectedwiththe personas hecutsthroughthelayersoffleshwith ascalpeland movesthe

persons actual organstocurethesameproblems. "Thepainter maintains inhisworka natural

differencebetween thepictures

they

obtain. Thatofthepainterisatotal one, thatofthe

cameramanconsists of multiple

fragments,

whichare assembled undera newlaw.

Thus,

for

contemporarymantherepresentation of_reality

by

the film is

incomparably

moresignificantthan that

ofthe painter,since_{it offers,precisely because}ofthe

thoroughgoing

_permeatingof_realitywith

mechanical_equipment,an aspectof_realitywhich is freeof all equipment. And that iswhat one is

entitledtoaskfroma work of art."3

Using

this trainof

thought,

istheArtistwho usescomputers an

extensionofthatcameraman and would he beclassified as a modem

day

surgeonwho useslasers

in hissurgery? Onewhodistances himselfevenfarther from thepatient

by

not

having

_{to actually}

even

lay

a handon _anythingconnected_physicallytotheactual patient.

The "Lust for

Life",

series startedwith original photographsandslidestakenin

Italy

from

Venice toRome.

Scanning

thephotographsinto Adobe

PhotoShop

allowedtotalcontroloverthe

digitalimages.

Manipulating

theimagescaused "Lust forLife"

to springtolifewith asensuous air.

One important factor in selectingthe_printing

technology

wasthedesiretocreate

archival-qualitywork.

Using

thecomputer as a_tool,rather_{than solely}as a meanstoviewdigital

images,

a

varietyof stepsweredone totransferthe digitalimagesto paper. Widevarietiesofprintersallowfor

and create anevenwider_varietyofprints. Howeverwhenoneprintleft inthesunforan afternoon

fadedanddistorted likean ancient posterfromtimes past,thesearch_{for something}more stable

started.

But,

Archival isa relativeterm. Theprintsfromthe Iris Ink Jetprinterandthethermalwax

printer printsholdtheircolor

(according

totheirmanufacturers) for 30years,whenprinted on an

acidfreewatercolorpaper. Nowontoappearance:thewaxink floatsonthesurface ofthepaper.

Thewaxissensitivetoheatand _{is easily}scratchedorsmudged. The Irisprint costs_{substantially}

more, andusesinksthatdonotfadeasrapidlywhen exposedtosunlight.

Printing

on watercolor

paper, the inkssoakinto thepaperanddiminish that luminescent quality that only lightcan project.

Lightsuch as a computer screen or a slide projectedon ametallicscreen, "thesilver screen".

3Walter

Benjamin,

"The WorkofArt intheAgeofits TechnicalReproducibility,"ArtandItsSignificance: An

Anthology

ofAesthete

Theory,

Ed.

By

Stephen David

Ross,

34th Ed. (State

University

ofNew York

Press, Albany, 1994),

XIp.

of a slide. Thenewest photographic_processes,Cibachrome/llfochrome4shows vivid colorsin

minutedetailwhendevelopedfromslides. TheCibachromeprints are moreluminescentthanthe

original photographs and show a greatdealof

depth,

yet are still

lacking

_{in the light giving influence}

ofthescreen.

Also,

thebalanceof colorforallthemechanical processes often creates a struggle

fortheartist,versusthe

technician,

evenif

they

arethesame person.

Separating

thecolorsinto four layers in Adobe

PhotoShop

they

areCMYK

(cyan,

magenta,

yellow and black). RGB_{(red, green,} and

blue)

dividecolorfor filmand computer screen. The

individualcolors splittheimage intoseparatelayersofpixels.

Printing

thepixels on acetateformsa

template or replica ofthecolorsindividually. Four individual sheets representtherespectivecolors.

The threecolors givethe print a rich

hue,

almostblack. The

difficulty

of_{accomplishing}trueblack

makes_{it necessary}toprint a separate layerto achievethehighestcontrasts.

Preparing

theplates started

by

_{cutting four}exactsized platesforeachimage.

Photo-Emulsion,

or

Hydro-Coat,

coveredthezinc platesfrom Revere Graphic Products.

Placing

the

transparenciesonthe plates_{in exactly the}same_waywascrucialforregistration purposes.

Submitting

the Emulsionto thelight hardens the film. Lightpenetratesthetransparencies, exposing

theEmulsionwherethefilm isclear.

Using

an arc

lamp

allowedforcontrolofthe

intensity

ofthe

4 http://www.hollandphoto.com/

Holland Photostates: We Give Youthellfochrome Advantage Theprocess

formerly

knownasCibachrome...

The llfochrome OfferingsandPricesatHolland Photo

Making

fineprintsfromslideshas been Holland Photo's specialtysince1981.Ourchoice as a mediumis the llfochrome Process.

(Formerly

called

Cibachrome)

Whileother materials generatetheirdye image

during

processing,ILFORD'srenownedsilverdye bleach

technology

usespureand

highly

stableazodyeswhich areincorporated

during

_{manufacturing}ofthematerial.

Then,

during

the processing,thenegativeimagearea_{is selectively bleached}away.

Therearethreedistinctadvantagesto thismethodof printmaking. Sharpness- llfochrome Classic

printsare made

directly

fromoriginalslides andtransparencieswithout_usingan intemegative.This firstgenerationdirectprinting,andllfochrome Classic'sultra-thinemulsion,insurethat thereisno lossofsharpness.

Richer Color- Pure_and

highly

stable azo-metallicdyesareincorporated in llfochrome Classicmaterials

during

manufacturing. Instandard reversal"type R"

prints orinprintsfromcolornegativeslessstableorganicdyesareformed

during

processing.Forthisreasonthecolorsinanllfochrome Classicprint arericher,more colorful and moresaturated

thanprints made_{using any}other conventionalprintmakingprocess.

Longer

Lasting

- Because the dyes_{are pure azo-metallic and notorganic, llfochrome}Classicprintshavealife

waterbath.

The Exposed layermakes ahardenedbarrierthatresiststheacid. The unexposed

particlesthatwash_awayopenthe metal plateto theacid. Aweak solution ofacidallowsfora more

directbiteoftheacid, meaningthatinsteadof_makinga starbursteffecttheacid bitesstraight

down,

makingadeeperwellto hold the ink.

Etching

theplatesin atentoone nitric acid solution achievedthebestcontrol ofthebite.

Eachplatewasetched 15minutes. Theprintmakerdecided torelinquishthecontroloftheplates

andalloweachtoetch withspontaneity.

Printing

the inked platesinthegiven_colors,

CMYK,

created_varying effects. The less detail

producedfewer difficultiesandthereforegreaterdegreesof perfection.

Theactual_{print, "Lust for}Life"wasthe firstoftheseries. Three photographs make_up

thecore oftheimage, villaBorghese in Rome isthesitewheretwoofthesestatuesare

photographed. The themesarefromancientmythology. Bernini's "Apolloand Daphne"

(1624)

shows a_youngcouplejustasthegirlturns intoatreewith leavesandtwigsfor fingers. Theother

shows an older couple

illustrating

the

tug

and pull of a relationship. The third is fromalarge

sculpturein the Duomoof_{Saint Peter in Rome showing}thegolden skeleton

holding

the

hourglass. Life is fragileand shortwith _{many layers. Some}ofthemwecan seethrough tothe

next phaseof our

lives,

whileothers, areopaque and our eyescan notpenetratetheimages to

seethefuture. "Lust forLife"

was most successfulon thecomputer screenand as aCibachrome

print. 'Time"isseveral_{images overlapping}to revealfemalestatueswith one_{resting her head} on

another'sshoulder, achievedthroughAdobe

PhotoShop,

whilethesame golden skeleton holds

the hourglassand another statuehas her footontheworld underneatharich blanketof pink

marble.

The print

"Floating

Lady

Lotus"printed_{aesthetically pleasingly in every printing} process.

The intaglioshows abrilliant

depth,

achievedthrough four etching plates. The Irisprinter creates

prints with_surprisinglyaccurate color. Printedonwatercolorpaper,the IrisPrinterofferedthe option

creating apositivefroma negative

image,

aCibachrome iscreated

by

_making a slideimage from

thescreen andthen

having

it developed from a positiveinto a positive.

The focal point of'"60's"isa pure white stone statue of a woman

lying

on herstomach,with

her back to_you, on a stonebed. The depthandlayersgivethesurreal

feeling

of

floating

inspace.

Solarizedin Adobe

PhotoShop5,

the print"60's"printed well asintaglioandisspectacularas

Cibachromeprint. Thecurvetoolsmanipulatethecolors.

They

are adjusted

by

_changingthecolor

levels. Asinglelotus blossomwasmultiplied

by

_croppingand_pastingtocreatethebed offlowers.

Thecolorsare unrealistic colors. The inspiration for"60's"

fitstheseriestitle"Lust for Life".

Watching

aLotus bud becameahouse ritual almost a religious experiencewhile_stayingwithfriends

(Dr& Mrs.

Jay Shapiro)

inVirginia. The bud ofthe Lotuscomes_{up from} underthewater over afew

hours,

one canseethe bud emerge_{from its watery depth} and spend_{days growing}and _maturingto

severalfeetabovethewateruntiltheblossom begins toopen. The Blossom opensinthemiddleof

summerasthesun rises high intheskyandcloses_gentlyasthesun sinks onthe horizon. For

threedaystheflowerbloomswiththesun andcloses. At theend ofthe third

day

thepetalsbecome

too

heavy

for theplantto

bring

them together toclose for_{the night,} back totheirbud form. The

flower bursts intotheair asif

they

are_{spontaneously}combusting. It tosses the petalsinto thewind

and

they

_{eventually land in the}waterlike littleboats. Eachofthemultiple petalsissentin different

directionson a new voyage. Inessencethebeautiful sleepingwoman,carved ofstone, ismadeto

drifton vibrant

floating

lotus blossoms.

"Italy"

featuresthe

Colosseum,

thecanals ofVenice,themain bridgeofVeniceand_along

with_manystatuesfromall overItaly. Naval battleswere waged inthisColosseum and at_times,

peopleand animalsdied. Herethearenaturnsinto aVenetiancanal witha gondola_{carrying fruit}

andvegetables. Thoughtfulstatues of_{Romans watching}over reflectionsof nonexistent bell towers

and lightreflectedin thewaterreplacethe EmperorandtheRomancitizens.

Freshly

painted villas

line thecanalsandreplace_{the crumbling facade}ofthe arena,

leaving

justenough oftheColosseum

visibletomakeitrecognizableinthe_etching andthe Cibachromeprint.

5

Bany

Haynes,

Wendy

Crumpler,

Photoshop

Artistry: A Master Class forPhotographersand

Artists,

(San

Francisco,

"SelfPortrait"

oftheartisthidden behindaVenetianmask oftheSun and Moon ismore

playful. Themaskitselfwas never

touched,

except

by

theviewthroughthecameralens. Themask wasmade

barely

transparentenough tomergetheimages togetherandtoshowjustenough detail

so_{that,only the}artist mightto recognizethepersonbehind themask. "If thesun andmoon should

doubt,

they'd

immediately

go_out",WilliamBlakeonce said.6 Asan _adventure,a searchforthe "LustforLife"

theSun issymbolic ofthe_passingofthedaysandtheMoon as_{the passing}ofthe

Months;

themaskitself isa symbollife

-as inalife _mask, as opposedtoadeathmask. The life

maskhaseyeswithwhichto see, and"Lust forLife." The imageswere

becoming

moreremoved.

Something

from theartistwas missing. The formulawastooeasy. If thecameraman islikened to

thesurgeonthemagicianwasneededtoreturnthespiritto the prints.

"Underthe

Felts",

came aboutfrom too much

technology

and not enough play.

Bernard

Leach, believed,

_{"Fundamentally,} human_beings, whetherEasternor

Western,

need _{belief,free play}ofimaginationand intuition in their homesandworkshopsor

they

become starved. All thecogwheels andelectronicbrainscannot assuagethese humanneedsin the

long

run. It is for lackof such essentialsthatweturnto dopeof one kindor_another,orto

Destructiveness.

Basically

this(theArts& Crafts

Movement)

isnotso much arevolutionagainst

scienceasa_seeking of ameans of counterbalance

by

employing man'sfirst

tools,

hisown_hands,

for theexpression ofhis innernature.'7 Our handsare connected

directly

toourspirit and soul.

"Art"

isaformoflife inand of

itself,

a lifethatis bomand diesand is bornagain in the

heart,

mind and_soul, instant

by

instant.

Exhausting

all possiblemethodsof_printing,

including

screen-printingand

lithography

(whichgiveflat

looking

results)thelifeof_printmakingwouldhavetotakea

differentrouteto find its lust. Intaglioshowsthewarmthofthe touch andtracesofthehuman hand.

6Roberta

Weir,

Leonardo's Ink Bottle: The Artists

Way

ofSeeing,"Leonardo'sInk Bottle: The Artists wayofseeing.' (Celestialarts:

Berkeley,

California.

1998),

P 38.

Thecolor separations giveit depthand a glowfromunderthelayers.

Printing

yellowfirst setsthe

stage or

backdrop

witha rich warm

hue,

aglowfromwithin. The firstcolorprinted controlstheother

colors, toa

degree,

sinceitworksas a separate _{layer showing through}theother_{coming layers} and

continuesthrough consecutivelayersofink. This istrue _{especially in this Intaglio}process,where

thepaper andinksremainwet as each layer isrunthroughthepress. Intaglio ink isthemost

densely

pigmentedof_{the printing inks. Charbonelle is}themosttranslucent_varietyofthename

brandsofIntaglio inkandalwaysthepreferred ofthisartist. Theplates can also _{become embossing}

toolswhenan open biteoccurs,makingthewetpaperconformto theshape oftheplate withits

indents. Insome oftheprints ablind person can_actuallyseeor, rather,feeltheimage. The

handmadeprint versesCibachromewhereprints achieve suchvivid colors anda warmrichdepth,

closestto thedigital imagesoflightas seen on a computer screen.

Achieving

comparable color

saturation

by

other meansis

difficult,

and _movingonto atechnique thatcomesbacktothe human

touchwas neededtofindtheArt's "Lust forLife."

"The Creativeworkssublime_success,

furthering

throughperseverance...

the

beginning

of allthingsliesstillin the beyondintheformofideasthat

haveyettobecomereal...Timeisno longera hindrance butthemeans

ofmakingactualwhatispotential."

I

Ching

8

"UndertheFelts"9 iswheretheintaglioplatesare placed on an _etching pressbed. The

beginning

studentwill

inevitably

try

tomisplacetheplate somewhere betweentheblankets. Rotated

underthe roller,three blanketscovertheplateand pressintothewetpaper. The term "Under the

Felts"

portraysa

feeling

of creation asopposedto destruction. Life isto be lusted_after, and_whynot

portray that lust inone'sart?

Contemporary

culture

habitually

displays death

daily

_{in every}graphic

detail.

Personifying

mortality,deathisthe end; exit.

Why

is itsodifficulttofindan expression for

beginning? the "Lust forLife."

-the passion, -the seduction, -thesensual_origin,thesource oflife.

8 Roberta

Weir,

Leonardo's Ink Bottle: The Artist's

Way

of

Seeing,

"Leonardo'sInk Bottle: The Artists wayofseeing."

(Celestialarts:

Berkeley,

California.

1998),

P 20.

9 While in

Italy

workingand

helping beginning

etchers print and

learning

Italian Iwas advisedthat "Under the

Blankets-was

being

misunderstood,andthephrase"UndertheFelts,"wasthereplacementthatkeptthelaughter toachuckle

Why

ispuritan_societyso uncomfortableftcannot acceptthesensual _passions,andtheflesh and

blood,

animationof

life,

whilegraphicdeathandviolencecanbe receivedwithfavorandapproval?

Is ittheromance ofwarthathasaltered our reality?

Why

is itnot permissibletoseetwoconsenting

adults oftheopposite sex embracedin passionate acts?

Whatstarted asan experiment_using

technology

toseehowtotransferoriginal imagesonto

a _printingplatethatwaspreparedwith photo_{emulsion, became}a passion. The imagesstartedas

privateworks_onlyto beseen

by

aselectfew. Lustrous and_expressive,theresultsdemandedtobe

shared.

Firstalittle backgroundon traditional_printmaking methods. Thetraditionalmaterialfor

making lithographs has been limestonetakenfrom north ofMunich. Thesurfaceof

lithography

stonesis porousandunique. Tusche isa_greasysubstancethatisusedon Lithographstonesto

attract_{the printing inks to}thesurface. Thesurface_{is mildly}etchedtoattractwatertotheareas

whereink isnot wanted. Thewater repelstheink.

By

_usingtuscheonfrosted

Mylar,

10which

acceptsthe_painting ofthetuscheinamanner similarto thatoflithographic_{stones, the tusche}

produces a_{richly textured}effectthat_unfailinglycreates aflourish oftonalqualities. Evenwhen

merelines definethe _images,thelinesareexpressive andlyrical.

Bonding

thenew with_{the old,}

Mylar

(being

a_relativelyrecent_medium)andtusche (atraditional _medium)worktogetherinthe

process of

transferring

original

images,

withthe

help

of photo_emulsion, onto intaglioand

lithographicplates. Theprints made withthesemethods often _become, indistinguishable fromthe

moretraditionalmethods of_achievingthesame results. Thisallowstwoadvantages:

One,

because

ofitstransparentqualityofthelayers (while workingontheoriginal

idea)

differentcolorscan be built

up,while_seeingthe previouslayerand changes canbemade. Two itgivestheartist a second

chance. When thetuscheoriginalis kept intactand undisturbed, itcanbe used again and again or

alteredto fillaneed. The imagecanbemadeaslayers foronelargelithograph print madefrom

multiplelayers. _Also,theimagescan be etchedontodifferent_{plates, exposing}areas

differently

to

make one multicoloredimage. A Lithographicstonehastobe

tediously

grounddownbetween

layersand_erasingisnot possible. Thestone process is_{unforgiving; making}this blendofold and

new refreshing.

Theworkstransferredonto intaglio plates give an endless_arrayofpossibilities. Thetusche

givesasimilar_effect,asthough

they

are painted withwhiteground.

Etching

twoplates

identically

givestheartistthe_{opportunity to ink the}plates_{using different}colors.

Then,

by

wipingtheplates

differently

and _printingthemwithout_{removing the} paperfrom_{the press;} or

by burnishing

parts of

one platetoexpressthatpartin a _primarycolor ratherthana blended colortheartist gains control.

In the "Lust forLife"

digital printsthatare createdfrom multiple plates;thepaperneeds_{to stay}

stationarywhiletheplates change. Thesize ofthepaper changes

drastically depending

onthe

watercontent. (Somegeneraltechnical

background.)

This is different from

lithography,

wherethe

paper remains

dry

andtheinksneedto

dry

between runs. Onecan workon a multi-layered image

in

lithography

foryears where in

Intaglio,

keeping

thepaper withthesame

density

ofwateris best

done in one_printingmarathon. All oftheseven originalimagesareprinted

digitally,

in intaglioand

lithography.

Scanned intoacomputer, these images become digitizedworks, andonthecomputer

screen

they

can begiven _anycolorand layeredtogethermuchlikea collage. _{When creating}the

"UndertheFelts"series,selectingspecific areas and_{zooming in}onthem_{in approximately}one-inch

squares, createdseventeenseparateimages.

If Albert Einsteinwascorrect_{in saying} "imagination ismoreimportantthan

knowledge,

"11

then, theseseventeen imagesare awonderful exercise _{in stretching}ourimaginations. Symbolism

isa universal_language, andpeople can relateto these images from differentcultures. There isan

earthyquality, adrawto the media usedandtotheimages.

Cropping

and _pastingthese images into filesoftheirown made newimages. When the

cropped image isenlarged toseveninchesx seveninchesthesecropped

body

partsbecome true

abstractions. Theoriginalimagecontrols_{the readability}ofthese

body

partsas

body

_parts, but the

1 1 Roberta

Weir,

Leonardo'sInk Bottle: The Artist's

Way

of

Seeing,

_{"Leonardo's Ink Bottle: The Artists way}of

seeing"

sensuoustextureandforms are readable as suchwithouttheoriginals. Edward Bulloughwould call

this method"distancing".

"Distanceappears as a fundamentalprincipletowhich such antitheses as idealismand

realism are reducible.... Asimilarreconciliationseemstome possible betweentheopposites

sensual and spiritual,...individual andtypical....That the appeal ofArt issensuous, evensensual,

mustbe taken as an indispensable fact. Puritanismwill neverbepersuaded, and _{rightlyso, that this}

isnotthecase. The sensuousness ofArt isa naturalimplicationofthe

"antinomy

ofDistance"

Thepointofimportance here isthat thewhole sensualside ofArt ispurified, spiritualized,

"filtered"

...

by

Distance. Themostsensual appealbecomesthe translucentveilof an underlyingspirituality,

oncethe_grosslypersonal and practical elementshave been removedfrom it. And-amatter of

special emphasishere-fh/sspiritual aspect oftheappealisthemore_{penetrating, the}more personal

anddirectitssensual appeal wouldhave been BUT FOR THEPRESENCE OFDISTANCE. For

the artist, to trustin this delicatetransmutation isa natural actof

faith,

whichthePuritan hesitatesto

venture upon: which ofthetwo, oneasks, isthegreateridealist?"12 Both oftheseseries were

achievedthrough"Distancing."

Theseriesof seventeen printsthatareseveninch

by

seven inch

takes thisprocessevenfarther, asdoesthebookmade _usingthe size"Seven"inches.

Printedon_{acetate, the}imagesaretakenthrough thesame seriesof steps astheintaglios

inthe"LustforLife"series.

They

are exposedtointaglio platestreated withphoto_{emulsion, then}

washed andetched.

The first printingwasblack inkonwhitepaper. The printed_forms, although

digital,

resembleclassic_{intaglio printing}techniquesofaquatint, intheiruse ofsoft and hard ground aswell

as whiteground. Whentracesoftusche become pixels, andtheimage is

digitally

enlarged

(forcing

thecomputerto compensate_{for missing}

data)

everythingworksseamlesslytocreatetheimagesas

a newform of printmaking.

12 Edward

Bullough,

"Psychical Distanceand aFactor inArtand anEstheticPrinciple",British Journalof

Psychology,

Infinitepossibilitiestoexpand onbasicconcepts_open, suchas,

inking

theplatesin

CMYK;

changingthedirectionsoftheplates; addingtransparency, or_makingtheinkstranslucentor

opaque, and/or_printingmultiple plates_{in many different directions. There}are endless possibilities.

"Seven"

becamethethemeof_myartbook thataccompaniedtheseventeen blackandwhite

images. Theoriginalbookwasnot_necessarilymeanttobeseen

by

thegeneralpublic; thisechoes

Duchamps's"Green Box"13 (whichwasthetitle under whichhe published hisnotesforthecreation

of 'TheBrideandthe

Bachelors')

which wasnot_necessarilyseen

by

thegeneral public. However,

eventstook theirown course. The Puritanswould havetogoinanotherdirectiontofindtheirsafe

deathscenes. The images in "Seven"

are_{actually relatively}tame. It has beensaid, iftheimages

don'tmakeyou wet

they

are not working. These imagesare notpushedtothatextreme. The

images in"Seven"aremade even moreharmless

by

_reducingthesizetoseveninches

by

seven

inches. The book ismadeinthefashionofanaccordion,and one sideshowssevenfull images

whiletheother sidereveals seven croppedimages. Sevenwas printedon a special rice paperthat

has been

traditionally

used in printmaking, andisnow possibletouse with a computer printer. The

alternate pages

display

handmade papersand art papers. Oneof_{the unifying} elements in the book

isthe

interplay

ofthesehandmade papers,some_{marbleized, that}work well withtheIndia inkeffect

thatthe tuscheachieved. Anotherelementistheuseofsilverpagesthatsometimesfoldoutto

become reflecting poolsof

imaginary

water, or reflectfromtheopposite pagethemirrorimage (or

partofthe

image.)

The marbleized_paper, andthesilverreflectivepages, as well astheprints

themselves, all createa meditativemoodof waterandreflection,symbolic and reflectiveofwater

being

a _{primary force in}ourexistence.

Sevenimages inthebookarenamed

"Lady

Anna", "Walter's

Woman", "Walter",

"Man in

Flight",

"Oh! A_Horse", "PowerLunch", and "Man Standing". Originally,theseimagesare nottobe

named, but it becameeasiertocommunicate withthepeopleonce

they

weregiven_mildly humorous

names.

'Lady

Anna"was croppedaroundthe

face,

andisoneofthe firstimages to draw theviewer

into the bookandthe puzzleofthe twosides; to realizethatmoreis

happening

here than first

expected. "Walterand hiswoman"

makeathoughtfulcouple, eachintheirownseparateworld,

"Walter..."

as_{the voyeur,}

deep

in hisownthoughts,while"...HisWoman"

is in herowndream-state.

SeveralpartsofWalterare_cropped;one_{is his face resting} onthebackofhis

hand,

while anotheris

themiddleofhis shin,witha_strong highlightontheouter edge ofthemuscle. "Manin Flight"

actuallystarted as an_etchingwith afigureof a massive male

flying

overasleepingwoman. A

bettertitleforthiscouldbe aquotefrom John

Keats,

_{"The imagination may be}comparedto Adam's

dream-he awoketofind it truth". 14 The imageswerethen coveredwithsoft ground. Dried leaves

andflowerswere pressedinto thesoftground andthesurface wasetchedfortheoriginalimage.

Thesetwoelements, dried leavesandfresh

flowers,

describetheessence oflife and_death,

beginning

and end. _{The linear quality}ofthe_crossingoverofthelineswas croppedtomaketwoof

theseventeen images. "Oh! AHorse"

isone ofthefewetchingsthat dealwith clothing. The name

arose_{spontaneously from many}peoplefirst

looking

attheimage,

deciphering

the content, and not

knowing

whatto say; realizethatahorseisthedominantcharacter and

they

inevitably

_say"Oh! A

Horse". Oneofthemost exquisite abstractionsistheoneofthewoman's hair

flying

throughtheair,

fromthisimage.

'PowerLunch"

hasalifeofitsownand was

inadvertently

seen

by

aforeignstudent,and

wasmistakenly placedin aglass

display

case

during Family Day

at_{RIT. She only}sawitas

enchanting. Ifartis meanttocause reflection andtoencourage peopletodiscusstheirbeliefsand

private_feelings, "PowerLunch"

certainly hasaccomplishedthis task.

Many

discussions have taken

place,

transcending

acrosscultural barriers, asto the appropriatenature ofthis work, amongother

topics. Although itwas_intended, aswith all otherworks, astwoconsentingadults, athirdperson is

seen

by

some in this

image,

alongwithaquestions astowhethertheoriginaldominatetwoare

indeedoftheoppositesex?and which ofthe two isthe dominateone? Severaloftheseventeen

imagesarepartsofthisprint. "ManStanding"

wasthelastimage tobe abstracted. Oneofthemost

sensualimagesabstracted showstheman'shandpressed intothewoman'sthigh. The imageof

14 Roberta_Weir,Leonardo'sInk Bottle: The Artists

Way

of

Seeing,

"Leonardo'sInk Bottle: The Artists wayof

seeing."

"Man Standing"

displays thecouple cheektocheek,so_{that only the back}oftheirheadsand

shoulders are revealed. Thiscut ofheads

touching

isanintimatemomentofcloseness.

This

body

ofworkhascomefull circle: theoriginal_{photographs, that}wereabstracted,

layered, and alteredin digital format have been transformed into hand-made printsthatwerefurther

abstracted_{using digital} and modem_{technology,thus creating}an

"Antinomy

ofDistance"thatallows

theviewertoappreciatethe printwithout

having

seentheoriginal subject matter.

"Seven"

isas

Duchamp's "Green Box". The box itself isnot_necessarytoappreciate"The Brideandthe

Bachelors". Theartist role_{in society is}toutilize_everyconcept,withtheir

imagination,

tocreatethe

new golden agefora newmillennium.

We maythinkusing computersinartas newtechnology,butare notweallcomputersof

atype?

"Art isa personalexpression nomatterhowmuchorhow little itcoversofthe

universe. Whatever itencompasses, it hasto bea sincere vision. Thetechnicalskill with

which it iscreatedisessentialfor itssuccess. I see, in everyartist,a priest ofhisown

religion who wantstodeliverhissermonin ordertocollecthis believers. Theplaces

wherehe exposes his beliefsareartinstitutionsandgalleries. Thereare_manypriests

but

hardly

anysaints withinagivenepoch.

"I believe incompletefreedomof expression. You havetochoose your owngod

andinterpret him inyour own way. Butyou havetobesincere about it ifyou want your

prayerstobeappreciatedand remembered.

The brilliantmechanismsbuiltin yourheadsareglorified computers. The

creatormusthaveconstructed agreat_varietyof suchcomputersto

try

themout on so

manyanimals.

They

registered onlywhat wasneededfortheirsurvival andreproduction.

Itwas_onlywhen heattached to thecomputerachannelthathad adirectspiritual contact

with himthatthe human brainwas completed and heannounced, "EccoHomo!"

"Once thiscomputeris fedwiththe

history

of artand absorbstheinfluencesof

numerous worksof_art,soaksin

beauty

and_horror, past and presentcircumstances and

be onlya_copyof_somethingthathas been done before. Whentheartistiscapableof

associatingwith_{the spirituality}oftheuniverse-that_{is to say}whenhissoulfeedsthe

computer aswell-thenthemiracle _{happens. A striking balance} ofintellectual and emotional experience makes a great artwork. Anoriginal artworkwilldelight the

responsiveviewer."15.

Ideally,

theartistwould _{be working}atthecomputer_{sitting in}a

tum-of-the-century

handmade

rocking chair,withone ofGrandmother's handmadequiltsclose

by,

illuminated

by

a Roycrofter's

stainedglassandhammered brass

lamp,

drinking

teafromateapot thatwashandthrown

by

a

friend. Thecomputerwill

be,

yet,anothertoolfor theirart. Justas_{photography has been} atoolfor

artistsforovera_century, new

technology

will_playa major partinartist'screationstocome. After

all,ifall artistshad shunned

technology

andtools, musicianswould _{be whistling in}thewindand visual artists wouldstill be

drawing

inthesand withtheirfingers. Justastheaccordionbook

weavesbackandforthandreflects, so mustan artist weavebetween total handson controloftheir

workandthe

distancing

through technology.

They

arethemagicianfirstandthesurgeon who uses

alltechnicalachievementstohisadvantage.

15 Lee Caplin TheBusinessofArt. 2nd_{ed.(Published incooperation withthe National}Endowment forthe

Arts,

Bibliography

Ross, John,

Clare Romano. The Complete Printmaker: Theart andtechniqueoftherelief_print,

the_{intaglio print, the collagraph, the}

lithograph,

thescreen_{print, the dimensionalprint,}

photographicprints, children's_{prints, collecting prints,}print_workshop(1st

Printing,

The Free

Press,

New York Collier-Macmillan

Limited, London,

1972).

Localsupplier Econo

Products, Inc.,

132 Humboldt Street

Rochester,

New York 14610

716-288-7550,

fax 716-288-31 17 Revere Graphic Products

Plymouth,

MA 02360

USA;

1-800-336-ETCH

508-746-1000;

Fax 508-747-4589

http://www.hollandphoto.com/

Tomkins,

Calvin. The BrideandtheBachelors. Published

by

the Penguin

Group

Penguin Books

USA Inc. 1968.

Walter

Benjamin,

'The WorkofArt intheAgeofits Technical Reproducibility,"

ArtandIts

Significance: An

Anthology

ofAesthetic

Theory,

Ed.

By

StephenDavid

Ross,

34th Ed. (State

University

ofNew York

Press,

Albany, 1994),XI.

Barry

Haynes,

Wendy

Crumpler,

Photoshop

Artistry: A Master Class for Photographersand

Artists,

(San

Francisco, Paris, Dusseldorf, Soest, Sybex,

1995).

Roberta

Weir,

Leonardo's Ink Bottle: The Artist's

Way

ofSeeing, "Leonardo'sInk Bottle: The

Artist's wayofseeing."

(Celestialarts:

Berkeley,

_California, 1998).

Edward _Bullough, "Psychical Distanceand aFactor in Artand an EstheticPrinciple", British

Journalof

Psychology,

VolumeV, 1913.

Tomkins,

Calvin. The Brideandthe Bachelors. (Penguin

Group

Penguin Books USA Inc. 1968.).

Lee Caplin The BusinessofArt. 2nd

ed. (Published incooperationwiththeNational Endowment

Genmanow-Coffey Gallery

Announcement

Juneatthe

Gallery

finds Priscilla Clay'setchingsand workson paper.

She holdsaBFA from Virginia Commonwealth

University

in

Painting

and

Printmaking

witha minorin Art History. A MFA from RochesterInstitute

of

Technology

in Fine Arts

Printmaking

and aminorin Computer Graphic

Design. Shestudiedin

Italy

twosummerswithSwietlan Kraczyna. This

yearshehas curate several showsatthe

Genmanow-Coffey

Gallery.

This is her firstone artist showin Rochester.

Etching

is alostart

form,

to_manypeople,andthesocial and political values of_printmakinghave been forgotten inthiscountry. Etchingssuch

asinGoya's "The Disastersof

War",

seriesfrom the 1800's. Whichcan

beseeninthe

Gallery

thismonth onloan from Priscilla'sCollection.

TheworkofPriscilla

Clay

will beon

display

andtheseetchingsdo not

reflect_anymajorstatementsagainstsociety, but do reflecta passionfor thecraft of etching. Thecontrastbetween lightanddarkshowtheartist

background inphotograph.

Creating

an aestheticthat takesblackdarker

than_anyphotograph could everdreamto _be, rich,a_{velvety black}and a contrastof a cool satin

light,

givetheseabstracted_etchingthefeelof sensual skin astheeyetouchestheimage.

Otherworks incorporatecomputer graphicdesignthat representthe

modemmedia with multi _{images appearing before} us per second.

Taking

imagesthrough thephotographicprocesstodigital then

separatingthecolorsthataretransferred tometalthroughyetanother

photoprocess and etched. Theetched plates are red, blue and yellow

(or RGBandCMYK).

Many

ofthe imagesarefromphotographsthe

artisttook

during

travels through

Italy

and areofa classical content.

Theprocesses represent ancienttechniques _usingmodem

day

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