Lockdown work after researching.
I researched Elizabeth Peyton and Gerhard Richter to get a feel for different types of linework and abstract making. These two artists were very inspirational and I have more ideas after looking into them.
In my blog reflection on Peyton I wrote ” I will take the texture mixing and elements of transparency into my own work. I think these two ideas would really work within my abstract linework pieces. This would then give me some new ideas for branching out. ” For Richter I wrote “I will make my next pieces with the combination of the glass base, textured paint and intentional negative space. This will hopefully lead me to some further resolutions within my work so I can refine my focus and make further works.”
The intersection of these two artists is texture and transparency. I will focus my first experiment on texture.
The Experiments
I started out just pushing paint around on a piece of glass intending to mimic Richters work.
My first piece went well and I enjoyed the separation of colour. When I was taking a photo of it I put it paint side down on some paper, then when picking it up it smeared. The imprint of the paint was arguably more interesting than the paint put down on the glass so I started doing it intentionally.
The paint dispersing was very interesting visually. I also liked the texture of the paint pulling up with the glass, leaving it looking ‘rippled’. The glass base means the paint slips off quite easy, allowing me to push the paint around easier. It did also go on thinner than if it were on paper, which meant it didnt sit as thick on the surface. Scraping left scrape marks which made for an interesting visual effect.
Further Experimentation
After experimenting I decided to try layering paint on the glass and printing onto the paper.
I think this piece is what I was aiming for when I started. The texture and transparency of the residual paint from the first layer mixed with the flat layers of new paint juxtapose perfectly.
I really like the layered effect on the glass as well. The colour blocking was a good choice for this type of printing as it showcases each layer behind it. Another way to get the effect I like might be to layer glass with each colour layer or multiple colours for each layer. The effect would be a lot less organic and 2d but that might be an interesting further experiment.
Next Steps
I am going to try separating each colour into a separate layer and ‘print’ them on top of each other. Theoretically this will mimic traditional mono-printing techniques. I may also isolate each layer further onto a separate page.
Secondly I will try more one print layers. For this I will be using addition and subtraction methods in equal amounts to get a similar effect. I liked the transparent marks made from half-dry paint mixed with the fully wet so I may keep playing with this idea.