05/12/2010

Collagraphs from slide transparency

One of the aspects of my practice over the last few months has been printmaking experimenting with etching and aquatint which has been challenging. I haven't felt at ease with the process. Now I have discovered collagraphs and I love the process!

I am using one of my family slide transparencies as a starting point. 

img001

I created a collagraph plate using mounting card as the base to create the image. I printed first in relief and then intaglio on somerset paper (below)

Mum collagraph004

Mum collagraph001

onto acid free tissue

Mum collagraph005

then tracing paper

Mum collagraph002

and finally onion skin paper - I really loved the onion skin as it has a slight sheen and is semi transparent giving it an aged look - but impossible to photograph or scan! The prints on somerset paper will be framed and entered for an exhibition at the Limekiln Gallery in Calstock next February.

My practice is concerned with the fragility of memory and the passing of time so my images are sometimes blurred, sometimes out of focus, sometimes with an unreal clarity - they are memories that have a uncertain relationship with reality. The materials I use are also fragile or translucent - decay, disintegration and discoloration also play an important part as does failure!

Last week we had a group crit - I took 20 slide transparencies and showed them on an old slide projector along with the collagraphs - the feedback was positive - particularly the clicking of the projector which evokes certain memories depending on your age of course! Those endless hours of watching friend and family holiday slides!

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Great work, Rose. Especially like the last piece. Dream like.

Char said...

slides i've always admired for the old color but this transform from simply the sharing of old memories to a gorgeous piece of art. just beautiful.

BLACK AND WHITE said...

Beautiful ♥

Anonymous said...

Delicate interpretations are they small prints? Onion paper sounds appealing.

Anonymous said...

thee are truly beautiful, you have captured the ephemeral nature of a memory..

and yes. it has been a year, the photo we took at the restaurant on your birthday is on my fridge..

a year passes so quickly.

layers said...

I love collagraphs too but never knew much about the process- wonderful images here.

Rochelle said...

hey there,

collagraphs is one of my favourite processes as well. What do you mean tho from slide transparency? Taken the idea or used is as a collagraph base? good work trying on different papers makes a difference to imagery. Rochelle

BLACK AND WHITE said...

DEAR ROSIE ♥ HAPPY NEW YEAR ♥

Susan Kruse said...

These are lovely. I am really excited to read that you are going to the Artist's Book Fair in Leeds because I have been following your blog for a while now. We must meet up while we are there.
:)

RosieK said...

thank you to you all for your wonderful comments
Annie - they feel like a dreaming memory to me
Char - it is so difficult to create the same richness of a slide transparency so I didn't even try!
Eva - you are very kind thank you
Lesley - they are about A4 size slightly bigger!
Denise - so wonderful to be gracing your fridge still a wonderful memory for me!
Donna - I have really taken to collagraphs as they are so experimental and much less technical than the etching process - and using up all those bits of scrap materials that you usually throw away appeals to me - you can't get this yellow onion skin paper any more in the UK but I think it is available in the States if anyone knows where to get it please let me know!
Rochelle - yes I've taken the image from a slide transparency that I scanned on to the computer and printed out on to A4 paper to work the plate from
Susan - I'd love to meet up with you

Marjojo said...

These are really beautiful. And interesting how the perception shifts with the subtle changes in paper, colour, etc. A light rearranging of memory, as it happens in life, when we go back to something not thought about for a while and find that we've changed and our perception too.
You haven't posted since December. Hope that doesn\t mean that you're unwell.