Printmaking
Often, my analog skills intermingle with my digital work, strengthening my usage of design conventions and processes. For me, the act of creating something tactile with processes that have been around for centuries is grounding in a time of digital technology.
Aura of the Unforgotten
Made up of 3 screen printed halftone layers, this image was intended to be personal yet general simultaneously. To a larger audience, this print can represent the harsh reality of growing old, the colorful background and young body contrasting the torn black and white photograph of an older woman. To me, however, this is an image of my grandmother, or Omi, as I call her. The image of her body was originally a pencil drawing my Opa drew of her when she was 21 (second image). The image of her face was recently taken. I think of this print as representing the fear of being forgotten with time. This is me promising that she will never be forgotten or alone.
Reflect.
This print was made with letterpress and reductive relief processes to urge the viewer to take action regarding climate change and pollution. Through the image of a mirror and the phrase “start with yourself,” I intended to encourage introspection and a sense of responsibility when it comes to individual actions. I also included 10 hidden words and symbols in the leaves of the print, each representing a different theme relating to the harm humans have caused the environment. The words: overconsumption, data, wasting resources, and emissions. The symbols: fire, a stick figure, a pickaxe, a tusk, water droplets, and a plastic water bottle. The longer the viewer stares, the more objects they identify and contemplate the meaning of.
A Father’s Love
My dad still thinks of me as his little girl, so I wanted to capture the feeling of comfort that comes from being able to feel like a kid again whenever you go home. I also wanted to capture the situation in a way that could also be interpreted as a father not wanting to let go of his little girl. To make this, I asked him to send me an image of his hand, sketched it, and added the silhouette of a child’s small hand to show a missing piece. Although it was a long process, I wanted to add as much detail to the hand as possible so the mass of negative space wouldn’t overpower the image. The result was a rough, working man’s hand contrasted by a smooth and innocent child’s hand. Although simple, I wanted to create a powerful image.
Jovial Dancers
The single parameter of this class project was to draw an abstracted piece. The paper used was a sturdier brown drawing paper and the media I used consisted of white paint, graphite, and crushed chalk. At the time, I was reflecting on my time as a ballet dancer when I was younger and how much I enjoyed it. I wanted to capture the freedom and happiness felt while dancing while remaining true to the project parameters. The figures themselves aren’t on any specified ground but the overlapping of their skirts and limbs creates a sense of perspective in a subtle way. Each of the dancers is filled in and shaded differently, contributing to a bit of differentiation to show individuality, but also emphasize inclusivity in the arts. I chose to utilize chalk rather than remain in black and white graphite to add dimension and movement in the piece.
