Sorry, but me first.Block Print
30 cm x 23 cm September 2019 "Sorry, but me first", is a block print imitating the sixth Major Arcana in a traditional tarot card deck, it is the second piece in my gallery. "Sorry, but me first" is also inspired by "Blue Nude" by Henri Matisse. The print is showcased with its reverse meaning symbolizing growth, learning how to put you and your own needs before those of others.
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Planning
Inspiration
Blue Nude by Henri Matisse was the inspiration behind the main female figure in my block print as well as the Angel above the smaller figures. Matisse was a part of the fauvist movement where artists used expressive brushstrokes and bright colors. By 1941 he had been confined to a wheel chair due to an abdominal surgery, prompting him to start making collages with painted sheets of paper and layering them. Blue Nude II is a product of this technique. I also used The Lovers tarot card and it's reversed, signifying the re-evaluation of your personal values and putting yourself before others when needed . Tarot cards are known to be fluid and impossible to predict the future as a whole they are used for a ritual called tyromancy and cartomancy which helps a person evaluate their surroundings and measure potential outcomes in their life. These cards help psychics evoke a feeling or talent in order help a subject understand a situation better.
Planning Sketches
This was my first planning sketch, I wasn't too sure as to what I really wanted to do but I knew I wanted to use a tarot card as inspiration as well as do the male figure as a skeleton to signify the death of the relationship. I had also tried to draw out the tree in the original behind the male fire which signifies the twelve zodiac. I had drawn the woman figure with a face as well.
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The second sketch I had done more research so now I knew I wanted to make my interpretation reversed. I had also started to make my figures imitated Matisse's work more, as well as shade in some of the areas in my sketch as I was making a block print and shading in some of the areas would help me recognize as to where I needed to carve. With this sketch I had also decided to make the volcano behind the figures appear as if it where exploding, signifying all the built up feeling being released out into the open.
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My third and last planning sketch was the most detailed and where I had finalized all my thoughts. WIth the male figure I had decided to make the him look as if he were on fire and the tree behind him barren, this would signify the ending of the relationship, the twelve zodiac collapsing (as that's what the flames on the original are) and the woman leaving him behind. Hence the reason he is looking at her with heart eyes and she looks above.
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Process
Process
1.) My first step was to transfer my final sketch onto the linoleum print using the graphite transfer method.
2.) Then i started to carve out parts of my print using various carving tools, according to the sketch. 3.) I started to transfer my print, I started by laying water based ink onto a metal tray with a spoon then with a brayer, rolled out an even coat of ink onto the metal tray. 4.) With the layer of ink on the plate I used the brayer to apply a coat of ink onto my linoleum print and applayed it gradually until It looked thin and even. 5.) Then I grabbed a piece of paper and set it on top of my print. Now with a baren I smoothed out the paper, and put pressure onto it in order to transfer my design. 6.) Lastly I removed the paper from the print, and was left with a copy of my design |
Experimentation
My Experimatation consisted of using a different baren with different amount of pressure in order to get various results in prints. I started by using a baren made out of bamboo and putting small amounts of pressure which left me with an uneven print with many white patches. Next I used a plastic barren which worked better but I was still left with an uneven print. I also noticed how some of the space around the sun and angel blended together a lot and decided to carve a bit more of my print out. So for my next print I decided to do it with both barens which I ended up getting the best print from which was even and all the minute details showed up.
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Reflection
Critique
Overall, I am content with how my block print came out, I am glad that I decided to carve more of my print out because before everything looked very similar and was hard to tell apart. But after carving it out it looked more put together and gave my print a balance of light and dark. The only aspect that I don't like of my block print is between the female figure and the tree, I feel as if I had carved out too much and when I noticed it was too late, it's just a big white empty space and feels awkwardly big. I think that my piece could have conveyed my theme a but better, the only part that truly captured my theme is the flames under the male figure which symbolizes burning/leaving relationships that do not benefit you. To symbolize growth I could have maybe carved out the tree behind the woman to look as if it where branching out and growing.
Compare and Contrast
Similarities:
Contrast:
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
Blue nude features an abstract organic figure with a mono chromatic color scheme, the Lovers tarot card features three central figures with a landscape in the background, which are all features that are prominent in my block print.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The lovers reversed meaning is re-evaluation the relationships around you and doing what is in your best interest.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered that many people have a stigma around tarot cards and don't believe that they have any power, also that there are many different ways of interpreting tarot cards.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around my inspirational research was self love and leaving relationships that no longer benefit you.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that the upright meaning of the tarot card was a thriving, strong and harmonious relationship as the reverse meaning was cutting ties.
Blue nude features an abstract organic figure with a mono chromatic color scheme, the Lovers tarot card features three central figures with a landscape in the background, which are all features that are prominent in my block print.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The lovers reversed meaning is re-evaluation the relationships around you and doing what is in your best interest.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered that many people have a stigma around tarot cards and don't believe that they have any power, also that there are many different ways of interpreting tarot cards.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around my inspirational research was self love and leaving relationships that no longer benefit you.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that the upright meaning of the tarot card was a thriving, strong and harmonious relationship as the reverse meaning was cutting ties.
Bibliography
Beyer, Catherine. "How Do Tarot Cards And Readings Work?". Learn Religions, 2019, https://www.learnreligions.com/tarot-cards-how-tarot-readings-work-95948.
"Blue-Nude". Flickr, 2019, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gansv1846/14957752333.
"The Lovers Meaning - Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings". Labyrinthos, 2019, https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/the-lovers-meaning-major-arcana-tarot-card-meanings.
Shovava. “How Henri Matisse Revolutionized Traditional Art and His Influence on Modern Art.” My Modern Met, 22 Feb. 2018, https://mymodernmet.com/henri-matisse-modern-art/.
"Blue-Nude". Flickr, 2019, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gansv1846/14957752333.
"The Lovers Meaning - Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings". Labyrinthos, 2019, https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/the-lovers-meaning-major-arcana-tarot-card-meanings.
Shovava. “How Henri Matisse Revolutionized Traditional Art and His Influence on Modern Art.” My Modern Met, 22 Feb. 2018, https://mymodernmet.com/henri-matisse-modern-art/.