Doubles in Printing

I have been looking at the work of Claude Heath (mainly linked to my breaking the boundaries project). His lines are very gestural and scratchy reminding me of Cy Twombley's work. This loose and deliberately 'bad' quality is an element which I have tentatively been exploring. 

It occurred to me post presentation seminar that I could explore and combine print with other materials as the very nature of the medium means that it allows you to recreate an image more than once. I am yet to explore lino repetition - James said my doubles reminded him of Andy Warhol's Marilyns - but again referencing Heath/Twombley, I have started to play with mono print. I mono printed over the top of a canvas which didn't work very well as the only colour I had was black and it was too strong. I have prepared a washed canvas background with dribbling paint which I intend to print on and then paint over so that the marks become part of the background. The marks are created from drawing through touch - in this instance my own face. Earlier this week I created some mono printed drawings in this style and plan to paint into them this weekend (these are on paper). As part of my 'sketchbook project' I have mono printed some pages - of course in a book you turn the page so the drawing exists on both sides creating a double, whereas with the flat sheets and canvas you would generally view the front, unless the piece was suspended so one could move around it. I quite like the idea of print as it has a gestural element and the prints are a reverse of the original drawing which is kind of like looking in a mirror. 

Some mono surfaces ready to work into...

 

I am also very excited about the prospect of working with twins or siblings close in age as well as constructing my own multiples by repeating a portrait more than once. This will need a bit more research and some time as work is hectic at the moment and I am struggling to maintain my work/life balance. There are 3 sets of twins in my year group at school and another two sets in year 8 so this is a possible area for my enquiry if their parents agree.