Artwork: Block Print
Mixed Emotions
Block Print
12 inches X 9 inches
September 2018
12 inches X 9 inches
September 2018
Exhibition Text
Mixed emotions is a block print inspired by Portrait of Alex by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and the idea of making decisions. The print was made as a reaction to teenagers of my age that struggle with creating their own path because of family tradition. The print illustrates the feelings that one encounters as well as the extreme tension that they feel.
Process
Sketches
Because my theme was going to remain the same I decided to create sketches that helped carry out that idea. My theme would remain as the difficulty of decision making at a young age but the sketches made would slightly change.
Because my theme was going to remain the same I decided to create sketches that helped carry out that idea. My theme would remain as the difficulty of decision making at a young age but the sketches made would slightly change.
My first sketch has a girl repeated three times. In each of the drawings her facial expression and mood changes. They are meant to portray the three emotions that one may feel when making decisions. One of them reveals the feeling of being anxious, the other shows happiness, and the last one depicts a sad feeling.
|
The second sketch is of a girl who is being pulled on the left side buy two hands. This is meant to portray how family wants one to follow tradition. Meanwhile the body language depicts the desire for change. Her head is faced towards the right side while her arm, which is not being pulled, is drawn to the right side.
|
The last sketch is the same girl yet this time she is covering her face to show how afraid she is to take the first step. She is shown with loose and uncombed hair to symbolize rebellion. Not only that but the right side of her has many lines coming towards her which are meant to depict one yelling or almost demanding to do something. This also portrays the feeling and action of family forcing tradition, creating an overwhelming feeling.
|
Starting the Block Print
I began my block print by transferring my sketch into the linoleum pad. After this I went over it with a thin permanent marker. This was done to help minimize the amount of smudging. Pencil erases easily, but the permanent marker allowed me to keep my sketch in place. After this I began to carve the spaces with the most white areas. Doing this allowed me to slowly and easily carved into the smaller areas. These shaded areas only consistent of smaller carvings which were done by pressing down firmly and sliding in a straight line. Overall, the process remained the same until I proceeded to the area in where the eyes were located. This area was very small and so I had to use an exacto knife to allow me to carve in the tighter spaces.
After carving everything out I made sure to go over the white areas once again to ensure that black ink would not touch that surface.
Making a Print
Once finished I went to the next step which involved making the print. First I grabbed a palette knife and scooped up a decent amount of ink and placed it in the ink tray. I spread the ink in a straight line and with a rubber brayer I rolled the ink vertically on the tray. Making sure that I had spread the ink around enough I then rolled the brayer on top of the carved linoleum pad. This same process was done for at least three times to ensure that the ink was spread evenly on my carved work. The last step was to place a paper on top and press hard enough so that the ink transferred to the sheet of paper.
I began my block print by transferring my sketch into the linoleum pad. After this I went over it with a thin permanent marker. This was done to help minimize the amount of smudging. Pencil erases easily, but the permanent marker allowed me to keep my sketch in place. After this I began to carve the spaces with the most white areas. Doing this allowed me to slowly and easily carved into the smaller areas. These shaded areas only consistent of smaller carvings which were done by pressing down firmly and sliding in a straight line. Overall, the process remained the same until I proceeded to the area in where the eyes were located. This area was very small and so I had to use an exacto knife to allow me to carve in the tighter spaces.
After carving everything out I made sure to go over the white areas once again to ensure that black ink would not touch that surface.
Making a Print
Once finished I went to the next step which involved making the print. First I grabbed a palette knife and scooped up a decent amount of ink and placed it in the ink tray. I spread the ink in a straight line and with a rubber brayer I rolled the ink vertically on the tray. Making sure that I had spread the ink around enough I then rolled the brayer on top of the carved linoleum pad. This same process was done for at least three times to ensure that the ink was spread evenly on my carved work. The last step was to place a paper on top and press hard enough so that the ink transferred to the sheet of paper.
Experimentation and Techniques
In order to successfully transfer the print onto the paper I tried different methods. My first method was to place folders on top of the paper and step on them for a while. I remained there for at least three minutes then walked on top of it trying to cover all of the areas in the print. Although this technique saved me a big amount of time, it did not have the best outcome. The print oftentimes came out faded and sometimes an area would lack the amount of ink the the rest of the print had. Because this did not work I ended up doing more prints using a different method. My second attempt included using a baren. I followed the traditional way of creating a print. I pressed the linoleum pad and paper with the baren and continued the process for a few minutes. The result were better than before but I was still not satisfied. I then proceeded to a different technique. This technique involved using the baren and following the same process as before but the only difference was that I used the edge of the baren to create the print. The edge of the baren seemed to scape the surface when I applied pressure and wanting to experiment I gave it a try. At the end, this process ended up being the best because the prints made were cleaner and more of the ink transferred than with the other techniques.
In order to successfully transfer the print onto the paper I tried different methods. My first method was to place folders on top of the paper and step on them for a while. I remained there for at least three minutes then walked on top of it trying to cover all of the areas in the print. Although this technique saved me a big amount of time, it did not have the best outcome. The print oftentimes came out faded and sometimes an area would lack the amount of ink the the rest of the print had. Because this did not work I ended up doing more prints using a different method. My second attempt included using a baren. I followed the traditional way of creating a print. I pressed the linoleum pad and paper with the baren and continued the process for a few minutes. The result were better than before but I was still not satisfied. I then proceeded to a different technique. This technique involved using the baren and following the same process as before but the only difference was that I used the edge of the baren to create the print. The edge of the baren seemed to scape the surface when I applied pressure and wanting to experiment I gave it a try. At the end, this process ended up being the best because the prints made were cleaner and more of the ink transferred than with the other techniques.
Finishing the Prints
After printing enough copies I left the prints on a drying rack for five to ten minutes. During this time the ink fully dried and I was able to remove the paper and keep the prints.
After printing enough copies I left the prints on a drying rack for five to ten minutes. During this time the ink fully dried and I was able to remove the paper and keep the prints.
Research/ Artistic Inspiration
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
My inspiration was Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, one of the most influential artists of the German expressionism movement. He was greatly motivated by his anxieties and fears, thus he used the human figure to depict this.
Kirchner once said “my goal was always to express emotion and experience with large and simple forms and clear color”. The work that inspired me was “Portrait of Alex”. The piece shows a man on the right side with a slight smile. The forms and hues used worked for emotional impact causing the viewer to feel safe and strangely happy. "Portrait of Alex” was made almost entirely with thick lines and forms in his face and background, giving it a brighter and more cheerful feeling. Because Black Ink was used for this piece, there is a cleaner feel and the piece expresses clear emotion. I plan on creating something that goes by Kirchner's rules. I want to express emotion and experience with simple forms and clear color. My piece will consist of many forms of different sizes. I will try to create smooth lines just like Kirchner, but also add very rough lines to help depict the theme of struggle making choices. Not only that, but I will create the print using black ink. Black will help symbolize lack of color adding to my theme. Overall, I will try to be consistent with these rules throughout the process of creating three figures in my print.
Kirchner once said “my goal was always to express emotion and experience with large and simple forms and clear color”. The work that inspired me was “Portrait of Alex”. The piece shows a man on the right side with a slight smile. The forms and hues used worked for emotional impact causing the viewer to feel safe and strangely happy. "Portrait of Alex” was made almost entirely with thick lines and forms in his face and background, giving it a brighter and more cheerful feeling. Because Black Ink was used for this piece, there is a cleaner feel and the piece expresses clear emotion. I plan on creating something that goes by Kirchner's rules. I want to express emotion and experience with simple forms and clear color. My piece will consist of many forms of different sizes. I will try to create smooth lines just like Kirchner, but also add very rough lines to help depict the theme of struggle making choices. Not only that, but I will create the print using black ink. Black will help symbolize lack of color adding to my theme. Overall, I will try to be consistent with these rules throughout the process of creating three figures in my print.
Reflection
“Mixed Emotions” was a successful project, making me feel content with the outcome. Not only did I like the appearance of it but the process was a learning experience. My piece also shows how my inspiration has influenced me. I can see that both Kirchner and I used black ink to get a point across. In my case I wanted to create something that lacked color, and so my piece makes you look more at the emotions that the characters display. Kirchner also wanted to reveal emotion, and so the color black helped him keep the focus to his subject. Another thing that is seen in both works is the use of thick lines. Kirchner mainly used thick lines throughout his entire piece giving his artwork a sense of comfort. In the other hand, my piece has various sizes of lines to depict the many emotions of the subjects that are centered. The block print that I made is of my liking but if the piece were to be made again I would add on to the background. Giving clues of some of the aspects of tradition that one must follow could possibly help strengthen my piece and make it easier for the viewers to figure out what I am trying to say.
Meaning
Mixed Emotions is meant to portray the many emotions that we as teens encounter. Because we grow up in a family that may follow certain customs or beliefs, we become used to hearing the same things around us. Our family sometimes wants us to follow the same footsteps as them, making it hard for us to create our own path. Mixed Emotions shows a girl hiding her face, smiling, and looking sad. These are the three emotions that I tend to encounter in my daily life. The middle figure shows a girl that is hiding half of her face. This is meant to symbolize the curiosity and anxiety. The anxiety can be seen in her facial expression. Her mouth is open and she has wide eyes depicting the feeling of that one gets when they become nervous. The fact that she is hiding her face is because she is nervous to discover new things, but only half of the face is covered. The rest of the face was left revealed to show that she is curious to see and learn new things. The left side is the happy side of this girl. She portrays the happiness that one feels. In the other hand, the last figure shows that sad side of that person. Lastly, there is a thin line that outlines the three figures to bring focus to the piece while the background remains empty. The background was left this way to help portray the room there is for one to learn as well as the excess room of problems and difficult situations that one might encounter.
Connection to ACT
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
My inspiration influenced the decisions made in my block print, involving the choice of color and thickness of lines. Some aspects were made very similar to his while others were made differently to help depict my theme as well as create different emotions.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of my inspiration wrote about German Expressionism and the people who served as influence, thus my artistic inspiration was brought up.
3.What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A discovery I have made is that one can convey themes or ideas easily. There is no need to talk too much about something to explain what your thought are, in other words getting to the point can be more effective than one might think.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration is to get a point across. Like Kirchner once said, his “goal was always to express emotion and experience with large and simple forms and clear color”.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
After researching Kirchner I discovered that just like the saying “the simpler the better” it can also be beneficial to create artwork that goes straight to the point.
My inspiration influenced the decisions made in my block print, involving the choice of color and thickness of lines. Some aspects were made very similar to his while others were made differently to help depict my theme as well as create different emotions.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of my inspiration wrote about German Expressionism and the people who served as influence, thus my artistic inspiration was brought up.
3.What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A discovery I have made is that one can convey themes or ideas easily. There is no need to talk too much about something to explain what your thought are, in other words getting to the point can be more effective than one might think.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration is to get a point across. Like Kirchner once said, his “goal was always to express emotion and experience with large and simple forms and clear color”.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
After researching Kirchner I discovered that just like the saying “the simpler the better” it can also be beneficial to create artwork that goes straight to the point.
Resources
- “Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Overview and Analysis.” The Art Story, The Art Story Foundation, 2018, www.theartstory.org/artist-kirchner-ernst-ludwig.htm.
- “MoMA Learning.” Lee Bontecou. Untitled. 1959 | MoMA, Target, www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/ernst-ludwig-kirchner-street-dresden-1908-reworked-1919-dated-on-painting-1907.
- “Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Porträt Alex (Alexander Gerbig) | Art-German Expressionism Woodcuts | Pinterest | Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Printmaking and Artwork.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/pin/464574517800819335/.