Roland KullaI've used Chicago's many bridges as artistic inspiration for the last several years. I select certain design elements and eliminate background context in order to emphasize form. Abstracted from their surroundings the bridges take on new aspects. Some look dangerous, others elegant. The variations can be simple or elaborate, ranging from limited themes of a few notes to grand, fugal extravaganzas. In both series the subjects appear "real", but this is a deliberate illusion. The forms show an idealized version of their reality. The hard-edged shape of the bridge-subject is emphasized.
Primarily a painter, I began to adapt the bridge subjects for prints in 2004. I chose to make woodcuts, as the process seemed relatively straightforward. I select images with strong contrasts and simple lines. I have to think ahead about the number of colors that will be involved and how many plates or cuts I will need. I'm usually working from an existing painting or drawing. I trace the main outlines of the image on graph paper. This pencil drawing is flipped and placed on a piece of three quarter inch birch faced plywood. I use the birch because it has a fine, even grain. It also cuts relatively easily - and you can buy it at Home Depot.
I tape down the paper and rub the pencil lines to transfer the image to the wood. When that's done, I ink in the transferred drawing and begin to cut using very simple tools. The "Webster" print is a two-cut "reduction" print. I first cut out everything I wanted to remain white. The background color is then printed. I use the same board and then cut out everything that will remain the sky color. This same plate is used again to print the black. This two cut method ensures good registration. I used Anchor Graphics, a fine arts printing company, to do the actual printing for me. I gave them color samples of the sky tone and proofed their results. This part of the process was enjoyable as it provides an element of collaboration that I don't usually get when working on my paintings. I was also able to have four different series printed with the same boards. I did four different colored skies - blue, yellow, magenta and orange. The skies were all printed using the first cut. The same black was used over the sky color. And edition of 15 prints was done for each variation.
February 2006 |
