Exhibition TextMy block print is an exploration of the techniques applied by printers Hale Woodruff and Robert Blackburn. Specifically, I take inspiration from their use of contrast and texture to represent people. My work is meant as social commentary regarding who has access to education.
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Inspiration
Planning
This is an aspect of contrast and space which I planned to apply in my own work. Before starting the work I also created an outline for the composition of my work. This consisted of many people looking towards a large book, representing education.
Process
This allowed me to carve distinct lines deeper into the linoleum. To the right, I used a tool with a u-shaped edge which allowed me to get more organic lines. This made it more difficult to carve deeper into the block. In deciding which tool to use going forward, I decided I would use the v-shaped blade when working with straight and more detailed lines and the u-shaped tool when dealing with more organic lines. Using the u-shaped tool also enabled me to achieve the organic lines similar to those implemented by Blackburn and Woodruff.
Taking inspiration from Woodruff and Blackburn, I created highlights in the faces by carving out space just under the eyes and alongside the nose. I also included their use of more circular motions of carving to achieve the curly texture in the hair. For these organic lines in the hair, I used the u-shaped carving tool. I also added highlights surrounding the people, which was an element inspired by Woodruff and Blackburn. This was meant to emphasize the people further away from the book, representing people with less access to education.
Experimentation
The flat tools (first and second from right) assisted in carving out specific details, however I found the other tools to be more effective in creating the contrast and detail that I wanted.
I wanted the curved lines to resemble the organic lines used in representing curly hair in Blackburn and Woodruff's work. I also implemented these types of lines from my experimentation into the final print.
Critique
Similarities:
My piece and the works of Hale Woodruff and Robert Blackburn are similar in medium. Both works are block prints, meaning a block is carved and ink is applied on top to transfer onto paper and create a print. While Woodruff and Blackburn's work is a wood block print, the only subtle differences in mediums are that mine is a linoleum block. There is also similarities between the use of contrast in my work and that of Blackburn and Woodruff. This is because I was inspired and influenced by their use of contrast. This is seen in the difference between light and dark in the faces of the people. This is also viewed in the highlights created by carving out white space surrounding elements that are uncarved. Similarities between the use of lines and texture are also evident. In both works, organic lines constitute the texture of curly hair. These lines also make up the arms and faces of the people in both prints. Differences: One difference is that my piece contains the inclusion of characteristically white people, while the work of Blackburn and Woodruff do not. This is due to their focus on the struggles of black people. However, I wanted to include characteristically white people to make a comment on the way some people have more access to education in society. There is also a difference in the inclusion of background in my work and the works of Blackburn and Woodruff. While their works includes background involving buildings or plants, my work has no background. This is because I wanted to emphasize the people in the foreground as the main focus of the work. The composition of the work is also slightly different. While the people in Blackburn and Woodruff's work are typically dispersed and balanced with the background, the people depicted in my work are cluttered and arranged so that they are closely knit together. In addition, most of the people in my work are featured with a side profile while in Blackburn and Woodruff's work, the people are viewed from straight on. Reflection
Having this block print be my second experience with linoleum block printing, I came into the project with some knowledge of technique. However, this was my first time carving out a variety of people, and also a scene with multiple people. I struggled in representing the people in my print as individual people instead of giving them the same characteristics. To help with this, I implemented elements from my inspiration artists Robert Blackburn and Hale Woodruff. I was inspired by their printed works Sunday Promenade and African Headdress. Inspired by these works, I applied a similar use of contrast in the faces of the people. Similar to Woodruff and Blackburn, I highlighted underneath the eyes and alongside the nose in the characteristically black people. I also included similar organic line work in the hair of the people. Similar to their work, I applied lines to create movement toward important elements in my work. The lines in my piece as well as the eyes of the people depicted move towards the book to emphasize the symbolization of education.
ACT Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
My inspiration piece from Robert Blackburn and Hale Woodruff implements both straight and organic lines to represent people. In my work, I use a similar application of curvy lines to depict hair and faces. This is also used in both my work and my inspiration pieces to create texture. Finally, I was inspired by the use of contrast in their work. I implemented a similar use of contrast in the white and black values in my work to emphasize and distinguish objects which are next to each other. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration? The author chooses to describe the theme surrounding the works by Robert Blackburn and Hale Woodruff. The author describes how Blackburn and Woodruff work to display the historic struggles and everyday life of African American people. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration? The everyday life for a person is different depending on their culture. People of other cultures also have different accesses to things such as education. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?. My inspirational research surrounds the idea that certain groups of people historically and currently have more access to education than others. This acted as the surrounding theme of my final print. My inspirational research also surrounded specific applications of contrast, lines, and space that can be used in block printing. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research? I inferred that contrast is important in creating block prints. This is due to the fact that in most prints, only two values exist: black and white. Because of this, objects that are in close proximity of each other are contrasted so that both can be easily seen. Bibliography“African Headdress.” Art Object Page, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.144231.html.
Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/491530. “Sunday Promenade.” Art Object Page, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.144238.html. |